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I hope you find this interesting. I plan on doing one of these threads every so often until I run out of things to talk about. I take pride in being a trucker and I know the trade is a mystery to some so I'm hoping that people will learn something new about it. So let's talk trucking.
I'll start with some general information about the industry.
Trucking is a trade where men, women, and minorities are treated the same as far as pay and benefits go. There is no disparity in pay. Drivers get paid more for experience and time in with the company no matter their make or model which is the way it should be. Qualifications for being a trucker are: You must be 21. You have to pass CDL testing. This includes written tests and a driving test. Most drivers go to truck driving school to learn how to pass the state mandated tests. You have to pass a physical. That's it. Almost anyone can be a trucker. But just because the trucking companies have got the equal opportunity gig down right doesn't mean we're one big trucking utopia. Racism, sexism, and homophobia are still present amongst some drivers. This usually manifests itsef on the cb radio where cowards will sometimes say things that they would never say to the face of another human being. It's an issue that I'd like to see the industry try to address.
While there are industries that are of equal importance to our way of life, no industry is of greater importance than trucking. That's a pretty tall claim, but think about it for a minute. Just about everything you own has been on a truck at some point in time. Your home, food, clothing, car we're all brought to you by a trucker. Without trucks, we'd be back to the horse and wagon days. From the shortest straight trucks to the 200 foot heavy haulers a healthy trucking industry is vital to our economy. When you see a bumper sticker on the back of a truck that says, "Trucks keep America moving," it is the literal truth.
My first 3 1/2 years of driving I spent over-the-road (driving cross country). I even owned my own rig for a couple of years. While doing that I hauled anything they would throw in the box: Clothing, tires, food, construction material, hazardous materials, paper. I've since got myself a deal where I'm home every night hauling auto parts. I'm currently on a run hauling transmissions to a GM assembly plant in Moraine, Ohio. It's gets pretty boring running the same route every day, but it beats living in a truck.
Thanks for reading. I hope I haven't bored you. Keep the shiny side up and the dirty side down and I'll catch you on the flip side.
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