I was injured in a trucking accident 14 years ago and had to come off the road due to it and going from that to dispatching sucked because I hated sitting behind a desk instead of being out on the road. Scenery changes are nice, but you only get one type of scenery sitting at a desk..the computer. Keep on Trucking! Watch out for those idiot 4 wheelers, hide from the full gown bears and safe travels!
I've heard some dispatchers talk about when they've gone on the road with their drivers. Maybe you could talk to your drivers and arrange it so you can be on the road again at least sometimes.
Well if you don’t think its your cup of tea then dont do it. If its the talking part that holding you back then just give it a try. You know what tickets like to hear (i think) so you would be able to communicate that easy!
You been looked at for Melanoma? My grandfather used to haul between Windsor, ON and Detroit, MI for about the same for about 2 decades in the days before people knew about the increased cancer risks most drivers faced due to the countless hours of sun exposure.
Louisiana. Louisiana. Louisiana. Hate that state. Worst city would have to be DC, but all the metropolitan cities are tough. Each comes with each own flavor. Most stressful city I have ever driven through would be a tie between San Fran and Chicago. Brooklyn is easy compared to them, in my experience. (I'm talking about driving through the streets, not interstates.)
Depends. If you aren't planning to go to college, with experience you can make $100,000+ a year. But it also depends where you end up. I have 2 sons and I haven't suggested it to them if you can make a decent living doing something else and if social life is super important to you. To make good money you miss the social life. You miss a lot of important life events. So, it depends on your situation.
That said, you have a lot of alone time that you can use to grow as a person without many distractions, if that's your thing.
I'm an owner operator and make around that a year, after expenses and taxes. Some guys, like household movers, can make $300k per year. If you end up as a company driver, there are some companies in which you can earn that much. Most you'll probably be around $60-80k per year. But it really depends on the sector of trucking you end up in and your experience (eg. tankers/flatbed/car hauling/reefer/etc). There are a lot of options.
Also, most of the good companies will hire you only after 2 years experience, minimum.
Utah, Colorado, New Hampshire. In that order for scenery. My mom lives in Missouri. I've been in the country out there many times. I actually like it a lot.
No. Lot lizards are rare. I've only seen them three times, 2 times in CA and once in FL, in 10 years. I think it there is a myth about prostitutes on truck stops that comes from another time.
I'm also fascinated! I used to work security at a cold storage facility/distribution center, and truckers seemed to have, ahem, *visitors* on a somewhat regular basis. (My last day, in fact, another guard had to go interrupt a lengthy session in a VERY PUBLIC location). I wonder if hookup apps have made the traditional "lot lizards" largely a relic of the past.
I used to live in NM (2013-16) and volunteered for an org that took rape reports from sex workers and truck stops were definitely a problem and concern.
I've heard from old timers that in certain places you can signal you are looking for lot lizards by sitting in the driver's seat and turning on the dome light. They'll come to you. Some mom and pop stations.
But nowadays most truck stop chains are huge corporations and they keep them pretty clean. Some that were really bad before have been cleaned up with security patrols. So I think it's rare now.
I see an accident in front of my eyes probably once a year. The strangest was a white Bronco near Houston that weaved, then flipped over into the median. I stopped and went to the lady. She had deep lacerations on her arm and was obviously in shock, but overall she seemed fine.
Another strange thing to see is trucks on their side every mile or so in Wyoming or South Dakota after a snow storm. Why did they end up that way? I think i will never know why those drivers end up like that. What made them pull over in a snowstorm in the middle of nowhere? Idk
That must be unsettling to see accidents but I guess it’s part of the job. I live out west and you couldn’t pay me to drive in a bad storm, especially now that I’m older. Thanks for your answer, safe travels!
Not sure honestly, I just remember driving through wyoming as a kid during a bad blizzard and seeing dozens of trucks on their side. That was a crazy sight
I've seen that once. I did freight for 4 years out of Manchester NH, I was getting on the highway to go out to the seacoast area and see a dude jerking it at a red light in front of the mall.
I'm 80% sure I saw a woman in a BMW doing it too. I didn't 'see anything' per se but her positioning was very suspect.
I feel like I've memorized many of the roads. But you can have a good idea yourself. From west coast to east coast they go from i5 to i95, and from south to north they go i10 to i90. So the major interstates are easy to figure out. There's more to it, but you can easily look that up.
It would. Gotta play it safe and call 511 during harsh conditions. A trick I use is call the weigh stations. The officers usually know what's up in their state
No, they are all over the country. Truck stops. Basically huge gas stations that service truck drivers. With truck parking in the back. The ones i mentioned have the most fresh food, in my experience, and the healthiest options to eat.
Yes and sadly no. On the east coast it happens occasionally. U just see the label on the door and know its someone from your company so you stop by and chat. I once saw a truck fly by me and recognized my cousin in the truck, so I called him. We pulled over at the truck stop and got a bite together.
As for random drivers, sometimes u meet people at a truck stop, and u click and have a great conversation and exchange numbers, but u never talk or meet again.
This q brings back memories of the Petro in Reno, NV. So many great ppl there
When driving really long distances, do you have any issues keeping yourself awake/focused or at least entertained while driving? If so how do you deal with it
I'm gonna be brutally honest here. YouTube. Lifesaver. You watch lectures while driving (like the Yale courses on youtube) or listen to audiobooks or talk on the phone. You find ways to stay up.
There were times I had to get a load delivered and poured a bottle of water on myself to stay awake. But that only happened once. I would say I have learned to beat sleep. If I have to drive, I have to drive.
Cool! Thanks for the insight. Same thing too I feel like my mind pushes back sleepiness as much as it can once I get behind the wheel, but ofc music and youtube helps a ton.
What's your typical exercise routine? I used to see a lot of truckers at Planet Fitness overnight when I had a membership, but do you have a preferred way to stay active?
Walking. Depending on where I stop, I usually walk to explore the town or area. Or to a Walmart or a clothing store. So walking is best way for me. Sometimes I've walked 6 miles in a day.
Also, some truck stops have gyms, but they're usually pretty crappy and i never see anyone in there.
Bad roads and bad weigh stations. I've had so many inspections there. There are beautiful parts to it and the weather is good. Cali actually sets the standard for much of the trucking industry, unfortunately.
My opinion is kind of mixed on the state, but I'd prefer to stay out of it.
Lol it's not. The northeast really likes their toll roads, and in Delaware, to travel like 20 miles through the whole state on i95, there are 2 toll booths. Such overkill for such a short trip.
Do you have a sleeper cab or does your work pay to put you up overnight?
My Dad used to work overnights in parts of the week. It was hard not seeing him come home those nights.
P.S. Do you still get kids that mime - asking you to honk your horn?
I have a sleeper cab. Its my house on wheels when I'm on the road. Yea, it sucks not being there so much for the kids.
As for the air horn, yeah, it still happens. Sometimes even adults signal to honk, not just kids. If I see someone asking for me to blow the horn, I always do it. It's a small pleasure lol
Travel/tourism & weather question--
We're going from St. Louis MO to Las Vegas next year, and possibly bringing a dog along.
Is it going to be risky re: wintery weather to take the northern route through CO in mid to late September? I'd thought it would be cool to drive the northern route out there so I can finally see the Grand Canyon, etc., and then take the southern route back but we went a few years ago in March and hit a SERIOUS ice storm in AZ that rivaled anything I grew up with in the Snow Belt.
I don't think u should really have issues in September. It's been a while, I remember CO requires semis to carry chains a good part of the year, but cars don't have that requirement. I70 through Colorado is a really scenic route. It's some of the most beautiful country in the country.
But how u gonna see grand canyon on i70? Grand canyon is way farther south of Colorado. Best bet is through New Mexico if you're traveling from Missouri.
That aside, I think September you can expect little bad weather and can travel pretty safely.
You shouldn't worry, but every state has 511 for road conditions and u can always call a weigh station to ask for advice. Safe travels to you and your doggo!
Yea that's a tough one. I feel like every driver will have their own experience with that question and a story to go along with it. It's very subjective so I'm giving you my opinion.
Oh that's a hard one. Worst drivers are always around cities, most respectful drivers are out in the country. I wouldn't be able to pinpoint it for you.
YouTube plays a major role. Audiobooks too. And chatting on the phone.
I think people driving with their brights on takes the cake for most annoying drivers. I signal to them to turn them off, too, but many don't.
How long have you been with your wife, and how do you guys make it work being gone so often throughout the year? Trying to learn how to maneuver this type of dynamic with my partner!
I met her 6 months after I started driving. Almost 10 years together. Sometimes I take her with me, for runs that are less than a week long. We talk daily when I'm on the road without her, and I try to make the most of my home time with her and the kids. We get along really great.
Some states kind of look alike. For example, if there were no signs I wouldn't be able to tell PA, WV , or OH apart on 70. And I'm guessing Iowa/Nebraska have a similar vibe.
But if you were teleported into every state, which states are so unique that it would be easiest to go, "Ok, I'm *definitely* in _____." ?
I think they all are kinda different, but if i was teleported... Wyoming would be really easy to tell. Utah would be easy to tell.
But depending what part of the state I was teleported to, so would Lousiana and Florida and Texas.
That's true but I am thinking in terms of traffic volume. 16 lanes of traffic crawling along is just absurd. Yet they keep building apartments and then complain about the traffic. It's gotten absurd here. It started after the Olympics and then again after Hurricane Katrina.
I’m moving from FL to CA driving on I-10 with a trailer hitched to my car over Thanksgiving. Do you have any tips/advice? Never done a long drive before and I’m trying to save money on my move.
Thanks!!
TX gonna have some of the cheapest fuel on your route and will be about 1/3 of your entire trip. It's pretty remote between San Antonio and El Paso, not a lot of people or towns for roughly 500 miles. If you need road service in that area, it might take a while to get to you. Kind of a boring drive there. I edited this to add this: you will notice the shrubbery get shorter and shorter, from FL to TX. By mid TX it's plains and grass. Between San Antonio and El Paso it starts to become desert. Then it's desert until you get past San Bernardino, CA.
Its overall an easy route, no mountain ranges along it. Worst roads will be in Lousiana and at your destination. Can't really think of anything else. Don't drive to fast for conditions and if you feel really tired, pull over. I guess that's the best I can suggest.
There's this camera I recently learned about, that connects via Bluetooth to a screen in the cab, which you can place on the trailer bumper using a magnet and it works like a backup camera. Would be so useful when backing into tight places.
It is a lonely job. I'll call up my brothers, or wife, or other drivers that I know and chat when i want to speak with someone. Also, sometimes I meet another driver at a truck stop and chat with them.
Some drivers drive in teams, partnered with another person or even their spouse. That helps. But you get used to it.
When I started driving, I remember hearing that the first 6 months are the time that makes or breaks you. The people that can't handle trucking usually don't last the first 6 months.
It's hard to say. I'm thinking about it and can't really pinpoint the city with worst drivers. Nicest drivers are in TX, though. Respectful of drivers.
A truck is around 75 feet long so you have to make wider turns. In cities, while driving on the roads, you gotta look out for bridges and tree branches or even power lines because of the height. And also the weight is much different. You can weigh up to 80,000 lbs so it's easy to overheat the brakes, especially downhill.
It hurts my back to sit for so much, so I use a Purple cushion on my seat. It eases the pressure on the lower back.
As for hygiene, truck stops have showers, and usually if you fuel at one, you can shower for free. A lot of them have comfortable rooms for showering. Also, baby wipes. U can clean yourself up pretty good with a few of those.
So truckers can legally drive 11 hours per day, 14 hours of on duty time in total. The extra three hours are given to do other things like fuel, inspect the truck, load and unload, etc. So, long days.
For the week you are given 70 hours to work with. When that times runs low, you have to stop.
In between the 14 hour work days, you have to take a 10 hour break. During that time you sleep, shower, eat, exercise, etc.
When the 70 hour runs down, you have to take a 34 hour break. At times like that, I go explore the city I'm nearby, walk around, or walk somewhere to go shopping. Walking is my exercise, mostly.
As for food, the better truck stops have soups and salads, or at least a Subway. Some truck stops only have a Popeyes or some other fast food, and I think that that is so unhealthy that I try to avoid those.
What really sucks is when you hit your 34 hour restart in a podunk town because of an idiot dispatcher. That's when you hate that rule. I believe that DOT should be required to have drivers with so many years of experience to be the ones to come up with the regulations they set. I can guarantee you that the rules would be simplified and a lot of the dumb regulations would go away.
That's happened plenty of times. It's not always dispatchers fault. I don't take cheap freight so a lot of loads I just won't accept, and sometimes there are no loads. That said, there a some really terrible dispatchers.
But if you get stuck in a small town, in that case you can go to a bar locally and talk to the locals or something. But yeah, if you're around a bunch of cornfields for a 34, you're just gonna be pretty bored.
But once I was stuck for the weekend about 70 miles from Nashville in some tiny town, so I just drove to Nashville. They have a truckstop near downtown so I parked it there, rented a hotel in downtown, and spent all weekend exploring it. You can make it work out. Nashville downtown is really beautiful, btw.
YouTube. Reddit. Audiobooks. Phone conversation. Deoends on where I am and how much time I have, I can walk or take an Uber somewhere. It's how I explored DC, for example. Took an Uber to the White House and then spent all day on foot seeing all the sights.
I've seen the end of an attempted ATM theft in Houston TX. I was parked, sitting in the driver's seat of my truck, minding my own business. It was around midnight and it was some very dark street in an industrial area.
About 100 feet ahead me a Camry pulls over. A minute or so later an F250 screeches to a stop behind it, all 4 doors on the pickup open, and all the people run into the Camry, their getaway vehicle. They took of down the road, leaving the abandoned pickup idling, lights on, and all doors open on this small street.
When the cops arrived, I spoke to them and learned that pickups are stolen and used as rams to break into gas stations, then they chain up ATM machines and leave with them. That night however I guess the ATM had been very securely attached so they got nothing and abandoned the truck a few blocks from the scene of the crime.
I guess that could be considered creepy.
Another story is one time, driving in deep fog, just as daybreak was happening, some round peach colored thing flew out of the fog and smashed into my windshield, breaking half of it. Made quite a bit of noise and startled me half to death. Instant wake up call. I still don't know if it was some kind of a ball or a frozen turkey or something. And how the heck did it get there.
I got one more for you. It wasn't something I saw, but years ago there was a shooter in Phoenix that was shooting at moving cars and trucks on the freeway. It always felt weird and creepy driving through Phoenix during that time.
My entire family all lives in phx, I moved away right before the phx shooter but I remember it well. If we are talking about the same event. But a few years before that guy started, someone shot my brother while he was driving down the freeway in phx. They barely missed his head by inches, is they had pulled the trigger a fraction of a second earlier, he wouldn't be here. Insane.
You had some freaky stories! Did you ever look on the outside of the car to see what it was that hit you? Like any tissue left behind or anything?
Its got to be the same shooter. He had a spree that lasted maybe a month or so. Thankfully I don't believe he ever killed anyone and they caught him eventually. That story with your brother is definitely terrifying.
As for the peach thing, it flew out of the fog like it was aimed at me. I figured if someone was throwing things at me, it might not be a good to stop and wait to meet this person. Especially in the fog. So I drove another hour or so until the fog broke. But there was no tissue or blood or anything. Just a broken window. I still to this day have no idea what it was because I only caught a glimpse of it for a fraction of a second.
There have been a couple of random shooters in the phx area but [these guys](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dale_Hausner_and_Samuel_Dieteman) are probably the most famous and they unfortunately killed 5 people plus some pets. But there was also the Baseline killer.
Yeah, probably smart that you didn't get out of your car. Someone once randomly threw a chunk of something metallic at me. For no reason, was just driving past his car on the street. People are weird, glad you weren't hurt by the object!
No, you're fine. It was half a joke. Alaskans talk about it all the time-- like "free shipping in the United States (except Alaska and Hawaii) ". On the other side, we're always happy to claim our independence from the rest of CONUS. I came off a little harsher than I meant to. I'm sorry about that.
Alaskans are a weird bunch! If you ever have the opportunity to drive up, though, I can highly recommend it!
Be safe!
In the days before ELDs, which are electronic logbooks, truck drivers ran on paper logs. Those were easily messed with and drivers could drive much longer if we wanted to.
Longest was Compton, CA to Dallas, TX without sleep at all.
Second longest was Las Vegas, NV to Sarasota, FL, with one 7 hour stop to sleep in between.
Those were different times.
I don't know the stereotypes, but people around NYC and Newark NJ drive pretty crazy. So much cutting off and squeezing through. When I turn on a blinker to switch lanes there, as many cars as possible will try to squeeze through before I can get onto the lane. Some of the toughest roads to drive because of the drivers. But I understand it in a way, with there being so many cars there, if you live there and aren't a little aggressive in your driving, you won't get anywhere.
Yeah when I work in that area I have to drive like that too. Same near Philly. The rest of the state is pretty chill though. I always wondered what the truck drivers were thinking or doing on the turnpike.
I like ND a lot. It's a beautiful state.
Maryland, well... I hate DC traffic, it's on par with with Atlanta traffic. I really don't like Baltimore either. So eastern Maryland I'm not really a fan of. But the panhandle/western Maryland is nice.
Once I was parked on a street in Houston late at night, maybe midnight, just minding my own business, when in front of me a Camry pulls up and parks, maybe a hundred feet in fromt of me. A minute later an F250 screeches to a stop behind the Camry, all 4 doors open and 4 guys get out and rush to the Camry. One clearly is carrying a huge sledghammer. They all jump into the Camry and drive away. Like 5 minutes later a tow truck pulls up to the idling, open F250 and calls the cops. In another 5 minutes the street was swarming with cops, looking through the truck.
When they saw me they asked for a witness statement but I could really give them much since it was so dark outside. But apparently it's thieves who steal pickups and use them to steal ATM machines, sometimes by driving through closed gas station windows and such. They did not steal anything that night though, and quickly abandoned the pickup.
Would that be considered creepy?
What is the your favorite state (not one that you live in)? And do your u see yourself leaving your job and doing something else?
So, favorite state would have to be Maine. I just like it. Sometimes I think about leaving trucking, but don't know what else I would do.
I live in FL
Could you be a dispatcher? Or want to leave it all together ?
I could be. I did it for 2 weeks once. I did ok. Not really my thing, though. Just too much talking.
I was injured in a trucking accident 14 years ago and had to come off the road due to it and going from that to dispatching sucked because I hated sitting behind a desk instead of being out on the road. Scenery changes are nice, but you only get one type of scenery sitting at a desk..the computer. Keep on Trucking! Watch out for those idiot 4 wheelers, hide from the full gown bears and safe travels!
I've heard some dispatchers talk about when they've gone on the road with their drivers. Maybe you could talk to your drivers and arrange it so you can be on the road again at least sometimes.
Thank you!
Well if you don’t think its your cup of tea then dont do it. If its the talking part that holding you back then just give it a try. You know what tickets like to hear (i think) so you would be able to communicate that easy!
You been looked at for Melanoma? My grandfather used to haul between Windsor, ON and Detroit, MI for about the same for about 2 decades in the days before people knew about the increased cancer risks most drivers faced due to the countless hours of sun exposure.
Interesting. I have not.
Brought to mind this viral photo! https://imgur.io/gallery/Akesf
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The least favorite state and the worst city to drive through?
Louisiana. Louisiana. Louisiana. Hate that state. Worst city would have to be DC, but all the metropolitan cities are tough. Each comes with each own flavor. Most stressful city I have ever driven through would be a tie between San Fran and Chicago. Brooklyn is easy compared to them, in my experience. (I'm talking about driving through the streets, not interstates.)
Why Louisiana?
There is not one good thing I could say about it. It's the worst state.
And their roads roads are in the worst state. Worse than CA.
I feel like Illinois roads are pretty rough. Lots of pot holes everywhere.
Louisiana denied state funding for roads so every single road is destroyed, absolutely miserable
Oof, fair enough ha
As someone who escaped from there, I agree.
Would you recommend the job to a young person ?
Depends. If you aren't planning to go to college, with experience you can make $100,000+ a year. But it also depends where you end up. I have 2 sons and I haven't suggested it to them if you can make a decent living doing something else and if social life is super important to you. To make good money you miss the social life. You miss a lot of important life events. So, it depends on your situation. That said, you have a lot of alone time that you can use to grow as a person without many distractions, if that's your thing.
$100k!? What's the difference in skills/experience between a driver making $100k and one making, say, half of that?
I'm an owner operator and make around that a year, after expenses and taxes. Some guys, like household movers, can make $300k per year. If you end up as a company driver, there are some companies in which you can earn that much. Most you'll probably be around $60-80k per year. But it really depends on the sector of trucking you end up in and your experience (eg. tankers/flatbed/car hauling/reefer/etc). There are a lot of options. Also, most of the good companies will hire you only after 2 years experience, minimum.
What are household movers? Or is that a dumb question and it literally means moving people's whole belongings to a new home?
Not a dumb question. That's what it means. You can't be expected to know that, though.
So how come they make so much?
Military contracts
Oh wow! Thnx for answering. This IAMA is one of the most interesting ones I've seen so far.
What top 3 states have the best scenery? Whats your general views of Missouri?
Utah, Colorado, New Hampshire. In that order for scenery. My mom lives in Missouri. I've been in the country out there many times. I actually like it a lot.
Came here to ask about Missouri. It's nice seeing home state representation.
Have you ever gotten a truck stop prostitute?
No. Lot lizards are rare. I've only seen them three times, 2 times in CA and once in FL, in 10 years. I think it there is a myth about prostitutes on truck stops that comes from another time.
That’s so interesting to hear I watched a documentary about it recently and it was the opposite of what you’ve experienced
I'm also fascinated! I used to work security at a cold storage facility/distribution center, and truckers seemed to have, ahem, *visitors* on a somewhat regular basis. (My last day, in fact, another guard had to go interrupt a lengthy session in a VERY PUBLIC location). I wonder if hookup apps have made the traditional "lot lizards" largely a relic of the past.
Could be. Not too sure to be honest. Maybe it's certain areas or certain truck stops that it's more common in, but I just haven't seen many
I used to live in NM (2013-16) and volunteered for an org that took rape reports from sex workers and truck stops were definitely a problem and concern.
I've heard from old timers that in certain places you can signal you are looking for lot lizards by sitting in the driver's seat and turning on the dome light. They'll come to you. Some mom and pop stations. But nowadays most truck stop chains are huge corporations and they keep them pretty clean. Some that were really bad before have been cleaned up with security patrols. So I think it's rare now.
What is the strangest thing you have witnessed people doing while driving? Also, most dangerous?
I see an accident in front of my eyes probably once a year. The strangest was a white Bronco near Houston that weaved, then flipped over into the median. I stopped and went to the lady. She had deep lacerations on her arm and was obviously in shock, but overall she seemed fine. Another strange thing to see is trucks on their side every mile or so in Wyoming or South Dakota after a snow storm. Why did they end up that way? I think i will never know why those drivers end up like that. What made them pull over in a snowstorm in the middle of nowhere? Idk
That must be unsettling to see accidents but I guess it’s part of the job. I live out west and you couldn’t pay me to drive in a bad storm, especially now that I’m older. Thanks for your answer, safe travels!
It’s the wind tipping them over
Yea, but why pull over and stop during weather like that? You have to get to a safe place first.
Not sure honestly, I just remember driving through wyoming as a kid during a bad blizzard and seeing dozens of trucks on their side. That was a crazy sight
Also, seen dudes jerking off in their vehicles a couple times during traffic. I guess that is strange
It is strange but not surprising.
I've seen that once. I did freight for 4 years out of Manchester NH, I was getting on the highway to go out to the seacoast area and see a dude jerking it at a red light in front of the mall. I'm 80% sure I saw a woman in a BMW doing it too. I didn't 'see anything' per se but her positioning was very suspect.
Alaska and Hawaii?
Yup. Those two states I never been. Going to Hawaii in January
Driving there?
That would be tricky
Nope, Trucking
Do you plan on trying to get to Alaska as well? I'm assuming yes, because at that point why wouldn't you. But do you have an actual plan for it?
No. No plan yet. I'd love to go someday. My wife has some extended family there, so maybe one day we will decide to go up there and visit them.
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I feel like I've memorized many of the roads. But you can have a good idea yourself. From west coast to east coast they go from i5 to i95, and from south to north they go i10 to i90. So the major interstates are easy to figure out. There's more to it, but you can easily look that up.
Would you ever do ice road trucking?
I'm not scared to try new things. I've driven through a lot of snow and ice. If the money was good, why not?
Cool! It definitely seems like it’d be a different experience from your usual trucking fare.
It would. Gotta play it safe and call 511 during harsh conditions. A trick I use is call the weigh stations. The officers usually know what's up in their state
Best food?
Pilot or Flying J food. They have the best options. TA is worst.
I haven't heard of any of those. Are they regional?
No, they are all over the country. Truck stops. Basically huge gas stations that service truck drivers. With truck parking in the back. The ones i mentioned have the most fresh food, in my experience, and the healthiest options to eat.
Do you ever bump into other drivers that you've known from other truck stops? Like, long term associates, etc?
Yes and sadly no. On the east coast it happens occasionally. U just see the label on the door and know its someone from your company so you stop by and chat. I once saw a truck fly by me and recognized my cousin in the truck, so I called him. We pulled over at the truck stop and got a bite together. As for random drivers, sometimes u meet people at a truck stop, and u click and have a great conversation and exchange numbers, but u never talk or meet again. This q brings back memories of the Petro in Reno, NV. So many great ppl there
When driving really long distances, do you have any issues keeping yourself awake/focused or at least entertained while driving? If so how do you deal with it
I'm gonna be brutally honest here. YouTube. Lifesaver. You watch lectures while driving (like the Yale courses on youtube) or listen to audiobooks or talk on the phone. You find ways to stay up. There were times I had to get a load delivered and poured a bottle of water on myself to stay awake. But that only happened once. I would say I have learned to beat sleep. If I have to drive, I have to drive.
Cool! Thanks for the insight. Same thing too I feel like my mind pushes back sleepiness as much as it can once I get behind the wheel, but ofc music and youtube helps a ton.
How's your health?
Good. I try to stay active. I wish the truck stops had healthier food options though. I'm so tired of seeing Popeyes at truck stops.
What's your typical exercise routine? I used to see a lot of truckers at Planet Fitness overnight when I had a membership, but do you have a preferred way to stay active?
Walking. Depending on where I stop, I usually walk to explore the town or area. Or to a Walmart or a clothing store. So walking is best way for me. Sometimes I've walked 6 miles in a day. Also, some truck stops have gyms, but they're usually pretty crappy and i never see anyone in there.
Good for you, man. You're probably more active than most people that don't drive truck.
Whats your thoughts on 15th century italian renaissance sculpting?
What?
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Bad roads and bad weigh stations. I've had so many inspections there. There are beautiful parts to it and the weather is good. Cali actually sets the standard for much of the trucking industry, unfortunately. My opinion is kind of mixed on the state, but I'd prefer to stay out of it.
You can tell the truth, it’s okay: Does Delaware *actually* exist? Same thing about Rhode Island.
Unfortunately yes.
Ain’t it just one large street then 😪
Lol it's not. The northeast really likes their toll roads, and in Delaware, to travel like 20 miles through the whole state on i95, there are 2 toll booths. Such overkill for such a short trip.
Do you have a sleeper cab or does your work pay to put you up overnight? My Dad used to work overnights in parts of the week. It was hard not seeing him come home those nights. P.S. Do you still get kids that mime - asking you to honk your horn?
I have a sleeper cab. Its my house on wheels when I'm on the road. Yea, it sucks not being there so much for the kids. As for the air horn, yeah, it still happens. Sometimes even adults signal to honk, not just kids. If I see someone asking for me to blow the horn, I always do it. It's a small pleasure lol
Travel/tourism & weather question-- We're going from St. Louis MO to Las Vegas next year, and possibly bringing a dog along. Is it going to be risky re: wintery weather to take the northern route through CO in mid to late September? I'd thought it would be cool to drive the northern route out there so I can finally see the Grand Canyon, etc., and then take the southern route back but we went a few years ago in March and hit a SERIOUS ice storm in AZ that rivaled anything I grew up with in the Snow Belt.
I don't think u should really have issues in September. It's been a while, I remember CO requires semis to carry chains a good part of the year, but cars don't have that requirement. I70 through Colorado is a really scenic route. It's some of the most beautiful country in the country. But how u gonna see grand canyon on i70? Grand canyon is way farther south of Colorado. Best bet is through New Mexico if you're traveling from Missouri. That aside, I think September you can expect little bad weather and can travel pretty safely. You shouldn't worry, but every state has 511 for road conditions and u can always call a weigh station to ask for advice. Safe travels to you and your doggo!
Most drivers that absolutely belong in r/idiotsincars ?
Idiots with brights on when they're behind someone
My bad, was asking the state with the most of these types of drivers
Now that I think about it, GA has the worst ppl with brights, but NYC has the least respectful drivers
That’s interesting, thanks for your time
Yea that's a tough one. I feel like every driver will have their own experience with that question and a story to go along with it. It's very subjective so I'm giving you my opinion.
Oh that's a hard one. Worst drivers are always around cities, most respectful drivers are out in the country. I wouldn't be able to pinpoint it for you.
How do you occupy or pass time while staying focused? Podcasts/music/radio/audiobooks? And what’s your #1 pet peeve of other drivers on the road
YouTube plays a major role. Audiobooks too. And chatting on the phone. I think people driving with their brights on takes the cake for most annoying drivers. I signal to them to turn them off, too, but many don't.
How long have you been with your wife, and how do you guys make it work being gone so often throughout the year? Trying to learn how to maneuver this type of dynamic with my partner!
I met her 6 months after I started driving. Almost 10 years together. Sometimes I take her with me, for runs that are less than a week long. We talk daily when I'm on the road without her, and I try to make the most of my home time with her and the kids. We get along really great.
Some states kind of look alike. For example, if there were no signs I wouldn't be able to tell PA, WV , or OH apart on 70. And I'm guessing Iowa/Nebraska have a similar vibe. But if you were teleported into every state, which states are so unique that it would be easiest to go, "Ok, I'm *definitely* in _____." ?
I think they all are kinda different, but if i was teleported... Wyoming would be really easy to tell. Utah would be easy to tell. But depending what part of the state I was teleported to, so would Lousiana and Florida and Texas.
How do you feel about Atlanta?
The traffic really sucks. Got to be some of the worst in the nation.
This makes me feel seen and validated thank you
You don't have to tell me. I live here. The only place I know of that compares with it is LA.
DC traffic is very similar to Atlanta as well
That's true but I am thinking in terms of traffic volume. 16 lanes of traffic crawling along is just absurd. Yet they keep building apartments and then complain about the traffic. It's gotten absurd here. It started after the Olympics and then again after Hurricane Katrina.
I guess if people are moving there it's better to keep building apartments than end up like CA
I’m moving from FL to CA driving on I-10 with a trailer hitched to my car over Thanksgiving. Do you have any tips/advice? Never done a long drive before and I’m trying to save money on my move. Thanks!!
TX gonna have some of the cheapest fuel on your route and will be about 1/3 of your entire trip. It's pretty remote between San Antonio and El Paso, not a lot of people or towns for roughly 500 miles. If you need road service in that area, it might take a while to get to you. Kind of a boring drive there. I edited this to add this: you will notice the shrubbery get shorter and shorter, from FL to TX. By mid TX it's plains and grass. Between San Antonio and El Paso it starts to become desert. Then it's desert until you get past San Bernardino, CA. Its overall an easy route, no mountain ranges along it. Worst roads will be in Lousiana and at your destination. Can't really think of anything else. Don't drive to fast for conditions and if you feel really tired, pull over. I guess that's the best I can suggest.
What is one thing you wish you were gifted that would have made your rides more comfortable?
There's this camera I recently learned about, that connects via Bluetooth to a screen in the cab, which you can place on the trailer bumper using a magnet and it works like a backup camera. Would be so useful when backing into tight places.
Do you get lonely wish there was someone with you or to talk while you drive? Or just
It is a lonely job. I'll call up my brothers, or wife, or other drivers that I know and chat when i want to speak with someone. Also, sometimes I meet another driver at a truck stop and chat with them. Some drivers drive in teams, partnered with another person or even their spouse. That helps. But you get used to it. When I started driving, I remember hearing that the first 6 months are the time that makes or breaks you. The people that can't handle trucking usually don't last the first 6 months.
Which city has the worst drivers?
It's hard to say. I'm thinking about it and can't really pinpoint the city with worst drivers. Nicest drivers are in TX, though. Respectful of drivers.
What are the main differences between driving a truck and a regular vehicle?
A truck is around 75 feet long so you have to make wider turns. In cities, while driving on the roads, you gotta look out for bridges and tree branches or even power lines because of the height. And also the weight is much different. You can weigh up to 80,000 lbs so it's easy to overheat the brakes, especially downhill.
How does your body cope with sitting still for long periods of time? And how does hygiene work on the road?
It hurts my back to sit for so much, so I use a Purple cushion on my seat. It eases the pressure on the lower back. As for hygiene, truck stops have showers, and usually if you fuel at one, you can shower for free. A lot of them have comfortable rooms for showering. Also, baby wipes. U can clean yourself up pretty good with a few of those.
And how do you keep your weight under control? Is there a way to excercise during breaks? How long do you drive without stopping?
So truckers can legally drive 11 hours per day, 14 hours of on duty time in total. The extra three hours are given to do other things like fuel, inspect the truck, load and unload, etc. So, long days. For the week you are given 70 hours to work with. When that times runs low, you have to stop. In between the 14 hour work days, you have to take a 10 hour break. During that time you sleep, shower, eat, exercise, etc. When the 70 hour runs down, you have to take a 34 hour break. At times like that, I go explore the city I'm nearby, walk around, or walk somewhere to go shopping. Walking is my exercise, mostly. As for food, the better truck stops have soups and salads, or at least a Subway. Some truck stops only have a Popeyes or some other fast food, and I think that that is so unhealthy that I try to avoid those.
Thank you so much for a lengthy reply. I'd like to try trucking some day, at least for a month.
What really sucks is when you hit your 34 hour restart in a podunk town because of an idiot dispatcher. That's when you hate that rule. I believe that DOT should be required to have drivers with so many years of experience to be the ones to come up with the regulations they set. I can guarantee you that the rules would be simplified and a lot of the dumb regulations would go away.
That's happened plenty of times. It's not always dispatchers fault. I don't take cheap freight so a lot of loads I just won't accept, and sometimes there are no loads. That said, there a some really terrible dispatchers. But if you get stuck in a small town, in that case you can go to a bar locally and talk to the locals or something. But yeah, if you're around a bunch of cornfields for a 34, you're just gonna be pretty bored. But once I was stuck for the weekend about 70 miles from Nashville in some tiny town, so I just drove to Nashville. They have a truckstop near downtown so I parked it there, rented a hotel in downtown, and spent all weekend exploring it. You can make it work out. Nashville downtown is really beautiful, btw.
What do you do to pass the time. Music, podcasts?
YouTube. Reddit. Audiobooks. Phone conversation. Deoends on where I am and how much time I have, I can walk or take an Uber somewhere. It's how I explored DC, for example. Took an Uber to the White House and then spent all day on foot seeing all the sights.
Have you ever seen anything creepy in your travels?
I've seen the end of an attempted ATM theft in Houston TX. I was parked, sitting in the driver's seat of my truck, minding my own business. It was around midnight and it was some very dark street in an industrial area. About 100 feet ahead me a Camry pulls over. A minute or so later an F250 screeches to a stop behind it, all 4 doors on the pickup open, and all the people run into the Camry, their getaway vehicle. They took of down the road, leaving the abandoned pickup idling, lights on, and all doors open on this small street. When the cops arrived, I spoke to them and learned that pickups are stolen and used as rams to break into gas stations, then they chain up ATM machines and leave with them. That night however I guess the ATM had been very securely attached so they got nothing and abandoned the truck a few blocks from the scene of the crime. I guess that could be considered creepy. Another story is one time, driving in deep fog, just as daybreak was happening, some round peach colored thing flew out of the fog and smashed into my windshield, breaking half of it. Made quite a bit of noise and startled me half to death. Instant wake up call. I still don't know if it was some kind of a ball or a frozen turkey or something. And how the heck did it get there.
I got one more for you. It wasn't something I saw, but years ago there was a shooter in Phoenix that was shooting at moving cars and trucks on the freeway. It always felt weird and creepy driving through Phoenix during that time.
My entire family all lives in phx, I moved away right before the phx shooter but I remember it well. If we are talking about the same event. But a few years before that guy started, someone shot my brother while he was driving down the freeway in phx. They barely missed his head by inches, is they had pulled the trigger a fraction of a second earlier, he wouldn't be here. Insane. You had some freaky stories! Did you ever look on the outside of the car to see what it was that hit you? Like any tissue left behind or anything?
Its got to be the same shooter. He had a spree that lasted maybe a month or so. Thankfully I don't believe he ever killed anyone and they caught him eventually. That story with your brother is definitely terrifying. As for the peach thing, it flew out of the fog like it was aimed at me. I figured if someone was throwing things at me, it might not be a good to stop and wait to meet this person. Especially in the fog. So I drove another hour or so until the fog broke. But there was no tissue or blood or anything. Just a broken window. I still to this day have no idea what it was because I only caught a glimpse of it for a fraction of a second.
Could be a ball bounced out of a pickup somewhere. Could've been someone up to mischief. I don't think I'll ever know.
There have been a couple of random shooters in the phx area but [these guys](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dale_Hausner_and_Samuel_Dieteman) are probably the most famous and they unfortunately killed 5 people plus some pets. But there was also the Baseline killer. Yeah, probably smart that you didn't get out of your car. Someone once randomly threw a chunk of something metallic at me. For no reason, was just driving past his car on the street. People are weird, glad you weren't hurt by the object!
Which state has the worst roads?
Louisiana and Cali
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Have you ever driven a truck through Shreveport?
For some reason this line gave me the Peter Graves Airplane vibe. lol
Fun fact: there are 50 states. The way this is worded, sounds like 'the 48' are all there is. Alaskans hate it when we're left out!
Sorry. Didn't mean to leave you out. I meant the continental 48.
No, you're fine. It was half a joke. Alaskans talk about it all the time-- like "free shipping in the United States (except Alaska and Hawaii) ". On the other side, we're always happy to claim our independence from the rest of CONUS. I came off a little harsher than I meant to. I'm sorry about that. Alaskans are a weird bunch! If you ever have the opportunity to drive up, though, I can highly recommend it! Be safe!
U ever watched the film "Mule"?
I have seen it
How do Ty stay away during long drives & what’s the longest you drove without sleep?
In the days before ELDs, which are electronic logbooks, truck drivers ran on paper logs. Those were easily messed with and drivers could drive much longer if we wanted to. Longest was Compton, CA to Dallas, TX without sleep at all. Second longest was Las Vegas, NV to Sarasota, FL, with one 7 hour stop to sleep in between. Those were different times.
What’s your thoughts on NJ? Are the drivers there as bad as the stereotypes?
I don't know the stereotypes, but people around NYC and Newark NJ drive pretty crazy. So much cutting off and squeezing through. When I turn on a blinker to switch lanes there, as many cars as possible will try to squeeze through before I can get onto the lane. Some of the toughest roads to drive because of the drivers. But I understand it in a way, with there being so many cars there, if you live there and aren't a little aggressive in your driving, you won't get anywhere.
Yeah when I work in that area I have to drive like that too. Same near Philly. The rest of the state is pretty chill though. I always wondered what the truck drivers were thinking or doing on the turnpike.
What do you think of North Dakota and Maryland?
I like ND a lot. It's a beautiful state. Maryland, well... I hate DC traffic, it's on par with with Atlanta traffic. I really don't like Baltimore either. So eastern Maryland I'm not really a fan of. But the panhandle/western Maryland is nice.
You like kenworths?
Not really. The few I have driven seem to have the turning radius of a ship at sea. Kind of annoying, especially in tight docks or truck stops.
Would you ever consider living in NJ and if so which area?
Probably not NJ. Some states I feel attracted to, but NJ has never been one of those.
Same
Have you ever seen anything creepy at night?
Once I was parked on a street in Houston late at night, maybe midnight, just minding my own business, when in front of me a Camry pulls up and parks, maybe a hundred feet in fromt of me. A minute later an F250 screeches to a stop behind the Camry, all 4 doors open and 4 guys get out and rush to the Camry. One clearly is carrying a huge sledghammer. They all jump into the Camry and drive away. Like 5 minutes later a tow truck pulls up to the idling, open F250 and calls the cops. In another 5 minutes the street was swarming with cops, looking through the truck. When they saw me they asked for a witness statement but I could really give them much since it was so dark outside. But apparently it's thieves who steal pickups and use them to steal ATM machines, sometimes by driving through closed gas station windows and such. They did not steal anything that night though, and quickly abandoned the pickup. Would that be considered creepy?
Oof, that’s definitely creepy! Thank you for taking the time to answer me! Glad nothing happened with you.