Conference quark::mennotes-v1

    Jim,
    My father was a driver and I have friends who are drivers.
    
    1. Do you want to drive for some one else or be an owner operator?
       If you drive for some one you pay scale will run between $10
       and $20 an hour for the first 40 and time and a half after that.
       You could also get a straight 40 and a percentage of load. That
       usually is 1-4% of hauling cost.
    2. If you drive for yourself you'll have to buy a truck etc. A friend
       is an owner operator and makes about $85K a year. He spends about
       300 days on the road, 12-18 hours a day. 50% of everything goes
       to the truck. (gas, tires, repairs, permits) $2000 to his 401K
       35% of the gross to taxes, insurance, etc. That leaves about
       $300 a week net. Roughly 4500 hours at $18.89/hr. 
    
    BTW, I used to do his taxes.
    
    The beating his body takes is incredible. Bladder and kidney problems
    from holding urine for hours. All of the organs in the body are
    bump, tossed. They almost to a man suffer from severe hemoroids.
    They are usually malnutritioned because of fast foods, unbalanced
    diets and screwy eating habits, and are underweight or overweight.
    Many do drugs to keep awake in order to maximize profits.
    
    Wives...most are divorced at least once. Some haul with their wives
    along. Some wives drive too, really making the hauls profitable.
    That way both can drive/sleep in shifts never stopping except for
    gas. (gas/eat/bathroom) When you become accustomed you can push
    500-600 miles every eight hours, then the law says you gotta stop
    and rest for four.
    
    The grass may look greener, but, unless your into tremendous self
    abuse your no better off driving a truck over-the-road than staying
    where you are. You can accomplish the same end by taking a second
    job. Work 16 hours a day and at least get the weekends to rest.
    
    Good Luck in whatever you decide.
    
    Ken

    This job at DEC is looking better. Keep it comming. 
    
    Jim

    I rode with a friend that worked as a driver for mayflower for 2
    months in 1978. The deal was we went to the home and the local packers
    would load the truck while we stuporvised then drove the load to
    the destination. My impression of truck driving as a profession?
    follows the form feed.
    IT SUCKS!!!!! SUCKS!! WITH the greatest amount of vacume!
    I suggest seeking counciling. Even if you like to travel/see sights/
    new surroundings/going days on end without proper sleep/sleep in
    a bed that 1.5 feet shorter than yourself/bad greasey food/being
    isolated from members of the opposite sex(excluding hookers which
    solicit you at almost every stop) I donot suggest it.
    
    I dident like it can you tell?
    
    -j
    

    Yeah, thats the problem, I'm listening to to much Bluegrass and
    Country & Western music. Maybe I'd better start listening to
    classical music insted.
    
    But, actually its the lure to working out of doors that has me going.
    I'm mean the grounds keepers job here looks good, even though I'd
    take a 60% cut in pay. Hunting season starts tomorrow, maybe it
    will be out of my system by the week-end.

    Jim

    Jim,
    
    This sounds very familiar.  As a matter of fact a person who works
    at our facility just took a leave of absence to go through a truck
    driving school.  He's already had three job offers.  He was very
    unhappy in the office environment and needed to be outside.
    
    I have often thought about driving as a profession.  I spent a summer
    riding with a friend who made cross country hauls.  I loved it.
    Maybe after 5 or 10 years I wouldn't.  I think it is a lifestyle
    both you and your wife have to decide upon.  If you make long hauls
    you won't be home for a few days on end.  You can make local runs
    and then you can be home most nights.  The guy I rode with has
    done it for over 20 years and is still married to his wife of over
    30 years.  It can work.  It is definately a different lifestyle.
    He made a career change at around thirty to become a truck driver.
    Most truck drivers we meant on the road were very nice people. 
    Most of them had a family at home and were good family men.  There
    were some dirtballs but there are in every profession.  I've thought
    about the grass is greener aspect and that probably is part of it.
    I worked outside for 10 years before I came to DEC and it was (and
    sometimes ok quite often still is) hard to make the adjustment to
    the office environment.  Good luck in whatever you decide and if
    you decide on the trucking remember keep the shiny side up and the
    dirty side down.  Yeah, that country music has got a hold of me
    too. :')
    
    Mike

    Hi Jim,
    
    If you're looking for a change, something radically different
    from the Hi-tech business, why not try construction?
    
    My husband has been in construction for 17 years.  It is
    his life.  He works outdoors everyday (yes, even in winter -
    his favorite season!).  The pay is excellent, overtime is
    mandatory.  I don't know of a person that I've met in the
    construction field that doesn't absolutely love it.  There
    is variety and a tremendous feeling of accomplishment.  We
    drive by so many gas stations (Richard's field) that he
    has built and he is *so* proud.
    
    It seems as though construction falls into the same niche
    as truck driving - you may enjoy it.
    
    Anyway, good luck with your (soul) search!
    
    Dorothy

    Well, thanks for all the replies. After a day in the field hunting,
    and my wife and I got away to Mystic Seaport Conn. for the weekend
    for our 15th anniversary, I'm back into Hi-tech. For one my wife
    mentioned all the out door work that needs to be done around the
    house. But mostly the idea of spending more time than I do now
    away from the family isn't what I want. It was a great experience
    driving down to Mystic. I checked out the truckers driving on sunday
    an asked myself, is that what I want ?  Also I remembered a reply
    someone mentioned about when you see the nice shiny truck, look
    at the old rusty ones, because thats like the one I'd really be driving.
    That was good advice, because I noticed that few trucks where the
    new shiny ones. It turns out also that I got in a project last week 
    that has rejuvenated my interest in my job as a PC Designer. Now
    with the new crack in the sidewalk at home, my abition for outdoor
    work will be fullfilled and I'll have to settle for driving my pickup
    truck on week-ends more. 
    
    You know maybe a knew pickup truck would be a good idea.
    
    Jim

    
    	RE: .8
    
    	As for construction, I'd have to give it a hands down. My whole
    	family, (brother, cousins, uncles, etc.) work in the field and
    	it has taken it's toll on all of them. While my brother is seven
    	years older than I, he looks twenty. One of my cousins is four
    	years younger and still looks a good ten years older. Sure it's
    	nice to work outdoors at times, but the sun, cold, heat, wind
    	does demand a heavy toll to be paid, that being the condition
    	of your skin. My whole family has rough dry wrinkled skin,
    	that for each and every one looks a good 10 to 15 years older
    	than it really is.  It may look greener on the other side of
    	the fence, but look at all things and you just might find all
    	the green isn't grass, but weeds in the course of life!!
    
    	G_B

    I also have a friend who drives for a living, and a cousin who
    drives coast to coast.
    
    From talking to them, it's like any other job.  You have the parts
    you like, and you have the parts you hate.  In comparing their
    plus/minus to mine, being a EDP Consultant beats the hell out of
    bouncing down I95 in an 18 wheeler.  Not to mention trying to work
    a clutch with 40+pound of pressure on it through city traffic, and better
    yet trying to stop that mother at 55mph with a full load in the
    trailer when some yuppie with mirror frame sunglasses and a I love
    DEC bumper stiker on his BMW pulls out infront of you at rush hour.
    (A direct quote BTW)
    
    The worst, (from talking to Jessie and Wayne)  
    situation is driving empty, or without a trailer at all.  Cab just
    hops all over the road...
    
    I think you should keep the job at DEC.  You can't find a better
    place to go crazy and get paid at the same time and after 10
    years, 4 weeks vacation !!!
               
                            /ray