My Truck Driving Days are Done
- Thread starter jbtrucker
- Start date
I was a Teamster driver for 34 yrs. Started when I was 20. Couldn't even cross state lines legally. I pulled everything from 24' pup trailers to double 48' trailers up and down the NY State Thruway (I90). I planned to work till 55 but retired 1 month before my 54th birthday. A back injury and subsequent surgery made the decision easy. Long days and hard work. 2 million miles with no chargeable accidents. In fact my only accident was being rear ended by a school bus of all things. I was in charge of road testing and training new hires the last 10 yrs I was there. What I saw doesn't bode well for the trucking industry. 90% of the trucks on the road nowadays are automatics. Nobody can drive a manual anymore. Based on what I've seen nobody can back up anymore. Much less blindside a 53' trailer off a city street. I don't miss it AT ALL!!! But I'll keep my CDL.
Lawyers.
I have also seen plenty, after I retired from my pipefitters union I drove CDL delivering building supplies. The auto trans trucks were starting to get popular and it coincided with many drivers not having English as a first language.
I was going to keep my CDL after I retired but as a controlled diabetic and NY rules it would have been very expensive and also a few added restrictions in place.
At 72 I worried about passing my DOT physical, but all went well and was told if nothing serious goes wrong with me, I should pass several times more in the future.
LVSteve
Member
Insurance and maybe even a requirement in some states.Good for you. Certification for a friggin' forklift?
flash60601
US Veteran
Everybody's tour turns out different.
I went to Fort Wayne in 1974 to buy a truck and contract to North American Van Lines. The purchase price of that brand new White Road Commander was $900. more than the house I bought in the Washington DC suburb s four years before, but it also included the price of some awful and interesting experience. Ain't it amazing what you can pick up in a year of focused attention. On the road a spell, and off the road for a while - rinse and repeat - for 45 years and over 2.5 million logged miles (and prob half a million without logs as "local"). All 48 plus Canada and Mexico. Only owned one more truck for a year and a half in all that time.
Finally wound up no more wealthy than I started but with stories to entertain myself and sometimes others, and hung it up nine days before my 79th birthday, a few years ago. Regulations, electronic logs and plain tired of dodging crazed drivers both on the road and in the truck stops.
I went to Fort Wayne in 1974 to buy a truck and contract to North American Van Lines. The purchase price of that brand new White Road Commander was $900. more than the house I bought in the Washington DC suburb s four years before, but it also included the price of some awful and interesting experience. Ain't it amazing what you can pick up in a year of focused attention. On the road a spell, and off the road for a while - rinse and repeat - for 45 years and over 2.5 million logged miles (and prob half a million without logs as "local"). All 48 plus Canada and Mexico. Only owned one more truck for a year and a half in all that time.
Finally wound up no more wealthy than I started but with stories to entertain myself and sometimes others, and hung it up nine days before my 79th birthday, a few years ago. Regulations, electronic logs and plain tired of dodging crazed drivers both on the road and in the truck stops.
FLASH, I think I had it a bit easier than you. I spent the night in my own bed every day/night. Except for about a one yr period where I spent Thursday nights in a Red Roof Inn in Syracuse near Carrier Circle. Although I worked every shift imaginable over the years, and lots of weekends and holidays. It was all about seniority. But the pay was good. It allowed me to save for retirement and invest in some real estate ventures. On my days off I worked harder than my workdays…….. all that said, I've been out of the truck 4 1/2 yrs now. But still can't sleep. Shift work has long term effects on you. I thought I'd sleep like a rock 8 hrs straight. But when your used to running on 4-5 hrs your body gets programmed
Glenn R. McMannly
Member
I have a crippled back and total left knee and hip replacement.
I have tremendous pain that is barely controlled but refuse to take opiotes.
No excuse to not work. Still work 6 days a week 10 hour shifts on a factory floor. I will stop work when IM DEAD
I have tremendous pain that is barely controlled but refuse to take opiotes.
No excuse to not work. Still work 6 days a week 10 hour shifts on a factory floor. I will stop work when IM DEAD
ACORN
Member
Yep!
My previous employer wouldn't allow you to to move one without your ticket.
