Todd McCann - Trucking Life: An Entertaining, Yet Informative Guide to Becoming and Being a Truck Driver

By Todd McCann

Smashwords Edition

Copyright 2008 Todd McCann

Revised 2014 Todd McCann

*Link to your free audiobook version is inthe Appendix*

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Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal useonly. This ebook may not be resold or given away to other people.If you would like to share this book with another person, pleasepurchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you're readingthis book and did not purchase it or it was not purchased for youruse only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase yourown copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.Only mean people steal stuff, you know.

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Why are people interested in trucking?

What makes trucking different?

Will you like truck driving?

How can this book help you decide?

What this book won't do

The first of many trucker stories

Our credentials

Introduction to The Evil Overlord

How we got into trucking

Some questions about trucking that we willanswer

Be wary when getting advice

Why should you trust my advice?

Talk to everyone you can about trucking

Tips on talking to drivers

How much money can you make?

Why I never left trucking

The 70-hour work week

Getting paid by the mile

Can you double your pay in a month?

Don't waste your time and money

Have a written plan

The stereotypical trucker

Does physical size matter?

Some considerations to keep in mind

No-touch freight

Unloading

Physically disabled?

Features of a typical company truck

Acceleration and deceleration

How's it handle?

Creature comforts

Safety features and statistics

Personal safety

The two seasons in trucking

The #1 enemy of truckers

Road rage

Being a professional

Time management and trip planning

The advantages of being single

What if you are married and/or havechildren?

Laundry detail

Occupying your time

Layover and breakdown pay

Spending instead of earning

Get a hobby

Rider and pet policies

The many different driving schedules

More home time equals less pay

Short mile weeks

Ways to help you get home more easily

Drive local

Drive for a regional carrier

The difference in dedicated runs anddedicated accounts

Drive for a carrier with a nearbyterminal

You don't have to live near youremployer

Slip-seating

How much time off do you get?

Getting home for appointments

Special events and emergencies

Why you should work for a large carrier

Reasons not to buy a truck yet

The grasshopper story

Tired truckers: myth or fact?

Drugs and truckers: myth or fact?

Ways to stay awake

The CB radio

Music and audiobooks

AM and FM radio

Satellite radio

Wearing headphones

Deep thoughts

Idling your truck

Solo versus team sleeping

Making things comfortable

When you will sleep

America, the fat and sassy

How trucking affected our health

The cursed buffet

Keeping your food cool

Eating healthy

Health problems related to truck driving

Exercising

The Pig-Pen Theory

Nasty parking lots

Trucker bombs

Truck stop showers and restrooms

Driver rewards cards

Littering

Smoking

Lot lizards

Women are vastly outnumbered

Getting unwanted attention

Things that might require some muscle

More personal safety

Women in training

Minimum age requirement

Physical expectations

CDL and endorsements

Hazardous materials endorsement

DOT physical and drug screen

Traffic violations

Have a DUI conviction?

Accident record

Preventable or nonpreventable?

Experience and work history

Criminal record

Driver shortage

Job security

The kiss of death

Better pay

Sign-on bonus and driver referrals

Better benefits

Better home time

Better equipment

More perks

Uncle Stan and Donnie

My virgin run

Do you need to go to driving school?

Finding a driving school

Go to school for free sort of

Beware of CDL farms

What you will learn

Book work

Driving work

Shifting and double clutching

What is orientation?

Where is orientation held?

How will you get there?

Orientation pay

What do you need to bring?

How long is orientation?

Passing the Big Three

What else happens in orientation?

How long is training and what does itpay?

The trainer's job

Listen to your trainer

Our training: Bob and The She-Devil

Getting over "The Hump"

To cheat or not to cheat

Three days of logging

The 14-hour rule

Electronic logs

Keep researching

Giving me some feedback

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If you're reading this right now, it's likelybecause of one of two reasons. Either you're considering becoming aprofessional truck driver, or you just have a healthy curiosityabout what's involved in being a trucker or perhaps your in-lawsare over for a visit, you've faked food poisoning, and you'velocked yourself in the bathroom with your spiffy new mobile deviceto avoid the drool-inspiring details of every ache and pain they'veexperienced since their last visit.

Somehow, in the midst of your fake moans andgroans, you've accidentally ordered my book. Thank you for yourorder. All sales are final. Only kidding. Sheez, I guess if I washiding out in the crapper, I'd be edgy too.

If you are hiding from the in-laws, at leastfind something more interesting than this book; like thatsuper-informative website with a pictorial history of CindyCrawford (or Brad Pitt, to be politically correct) that youstumbled across while, ahem, searching for that educational websiteon Gothic Architecture in Europe. Yeah that's the ticket.

On the note of political correctness

I'm not very good at it, so please bear withme. Ladies, you'll have to forgive me if my writing sometimes seemsto be aimed at men. It's not intentional, but since the vastmajority of truckers are men, I'm bound to goof every now and then.Now that my disclaimer for all those annoying political correctnessNazis is out of the way, let's move on.

If you purposely ordered this book, you'renot alone in your curiosity about the trucking world.

"How many miles do you drive each day?Where do you take showers? Do you have to pay for fuel?" Theseand many other questions pop up after people discover my wife and Iare truck drivers. These people might be construction workers,homemakers, or telemarketers, so I have to wonder: why shouldthey care about trucking?

Now I'm not complaining, and I certainlydon't mind answering their questions. I just wonder how anyonecould possibly want to know such mundane details about being atrucker. After all, I don't ask them how to frame a wall, or what'sthe best way to annoy someone while they're eating dinner. Whyshould I? I certainly don't care, but apparently they do. Maybe youdo too?

You must have some sort of interest intrucking because you forked over the dough for this book.

Perhaps it's more than just a passinginterest. Maybe you've always wondered what it would be like todrive a truck for a living. Maybe you've had this strangefascination with trucks ever since your youth, when you first got atrucker to blow his horn by vigorously pumping your arm up anddown?