Not always. When I was still driving cross country in my Chevy sprint.. which by itself got 62mpg... I would draft trucks, and boost that up to about 80+... Long flat stretches, like west texas, I could cruise at 70mph, and the sucker wouldn't be more than 800rpms, a tad over a high idle.. Yeah... I know it was dangerous and all, but driving from San Diego to Jacksonville on less than $25 worth of gas, gave me much more per diem money to spend on more pleasureable items than gasoline...
Well, I haven't always been a trucker. Actually, I got into it by accident. I used to loan money to my Brother's friends to get trucks and, sometimes, I'd buy one or two for them. At the time, my wife and I had 4 little pizza restaurants and a partnership in a M/C dealership, which is/was my lifelong passion. Well, we got fed up with the politics and gestapo like local govt's and decided to sell everything and move from Cali. About the same time, a guy I had financed on 3 trucks came a knockin' at the door one Sat. morn, and handed me some keys and said he was sorry, but he couldn't do it anymore. Well, I grew up with truckers in the family and I could drive, heck I'd done it for so long to help out, that it just seemed like fate. Sell everything and go truckin'!It took a few years to sell and get situated, but that's what we did. I've always had a passion for tech and gadgets, had some of the first "computers" and had always been the "tech" guy wherever I worked, so, in '98 I turned my trucks over to my manager and I went back to school. Got an MCSE, A+, Net+, CNE, and a few other letters of the alphabet. Then I was working for a local PC and network company by day and teaching at the local college by night when the bubble went boom, the company I was working for went under, and the college went to a bid system for classes...so I took back back control of the trucking and gave up tech. It's really hard to get a decent job when your hair is short and grey and your resume isn't long on tech experience. LOL That's my story, and I'm stickin' to it! :)
Let me be clear about one thing, though, about 10-15% of truckers on the road, belong in jail. Or, at the very least...off of the road. I prefer jail. I understand why the public disdains us and our presence. It's not like your grand daddy is on the road anymore, you know? Some of these kids are just dangerous and don't care, either.
Klutz, you have it right, and you have a good perception of the truckers' life.
Seamoth, you said the ONE thing that I loathe and fear the most...a car cuts in front of me and hits the binders. They do it 10 times a day. Or more. When I see kids in the car, it really scares me and angers me, at the same time. I get a mental picture of a child all cut up and torn apart, it's terrifying sometimes. Enough of that.
Did you click on the link and see my newest toy? It sure is nice and allows me to be very productive away from my pc...which is hardly ever. HaHa
I just got another team member for us...GL_Terri, and her first wu is a big-biggie...5000! YeeHaa!!! She's a real sweetie, and her husband is a great guy, too. Both conservatives from Fl., and in the trucking biz, also. Way to hang, gear grinders!!!
Can you tell, I'm pumped?
Hey, PAULAT, you said "(Hope you don't get tired of the "newbie folder" gush!)"...NO WAY!
:O)
P