The Trucker's Bible

By Gerald Howard

This book is intended to reduce your learning curve if you are new to trucking. It will also help you survive the popular "lease purchase" that so many trucking companies are using to attract drivers. This book will help you save money and reduced stress in your daily life. Even if you don't drive a truck, this book is full of insight into the life of truckers for those who are curious.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Page Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Feb 19, 2019
• ISBN: 9781644249963

Book preview

cover.jpg

The Trucker's Bible

Gerald Howard

Copyright © 2019 Gerald Howard

All rights reserved

First Edition

Page Publishing, Inc

New York, NY

First originally published by Page Publishing, Inc 2019

ISBN 978-1-64424-994-9 (Paperback)

ISBN 978-1-64424-996-3 (Digital)

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

About This Book

So you want to be a truck driver? Before you embark on your journey as a truck driver, I suggest you read this book. This book contains priceless, invaluable knowledge that you may not find elsewhere. From starting truck driving school, to landing your first job, to owning your very own truck, this book contains the knowledge you need to get you there. This book will pay for itself over and over again throughout the years, and it will keep you out of trouble and your wheels turning. Most of all, it will keep you safe and profitable.

Not only is this book for beginning drivers, but experienced drivers will benefit from it as well. No matter how experienced you are at truck driving, you will learn something new every day. When you stop learning, you become dangerous and unsafe. This book contains a lot of material that you may already know, some you thought you knew, and some you may have not even thought about. This book will certainly show you different aspects of trucking and different types of trucking along with the similarities and differences of each.

Regular motorists will gain practical knowledge from the pages of this book also. From how to drive around trucks, to what might be going on in the truck next to them, to what a truck driver goes through in a typical day. Not only do trucks and cars share the various roads that we all travel; we also share the same travel stops and restaurants. Since we intermingle with each other daily, it seems to be a good idea to get to know each other.

I hope you enjoy this book as much as I enjoyed writing it. It seems that the knowledge that we have is passed down from person to person through trial and error and sometimes bad knowledge is passed down as well. We want to give you the best possible knowledge available through this book, Knowledge that is proven and time-tested, knowledge that you won’t get elsewhere. Enjoy.

Part I

Introduction

So You Want to Be a Trucker?

Trucks are everywhere. Trucks are a necessity in our modern-day lives. The food we eat the houses we live in and the streets we drive on are not possible on such a large scale if it weren’t for the trucks that bring the necessary raw materials and finished goods to the places that are needed, when they are needed. I’ve seen the stickers that say, Without trucks, America stops, but the truth of the matter is that without truck drivers, the trucks are useless.

Truck driving is an art and science combined into one. You must learn your craft well enough to perform in all types of weather and varying terrains. You must be well versed in predicting the weather, navigating the vast US highway and interstate highway systems and handling freight. This job is not for the weak; you need physical and mental stamina to endure. If you do well you will succeed, if not you will fail. Anyone with a willingness to strive can make it in this modern-day sweatshop. The strong set the pace, and the others keep up or quit. Which one will you be?

I have been trucking for over twenty years now and it is a love-hate relationship. I have friends who have been behind the wheel longer than that. One thing that’s for sure is that the trucks never stop—if they do, we are in trouble. Most of the freight that moves across this nation is done so in a tractor trailer. Even if you see a bunch of trailers on a freight train, you still need a truck to deliver those trailers to the back door of a store. In those short years that I’ve been driving, I have learned a lot about trucking and about life. I have been to almost every state in the lower forty-eight states at least once in a truck (and to Hawaii and Alaska serving in the military). Trucking is a matter of national security and any interruption of the national interstate commerce system cannot be allowed.

Trucking affects the economy, and the economy affects trucking. If you keep up and pay attention and stay abreast of world and national news, you can almost predict what’s going to happen in the trucking industry. Having this knowledge is invaluable, and many corporate entities pay large sums of money to someone who can predict, with accuracy, what will happen next. Whatever your reason to investigate the world of truck driving, this book will shed some light on the subject. The main motivation for writing this book is to tell you what they don’t tell you in truck driving school or in orientation, in fact a lot of people don’t want you to know some of this stuff.

I’m just keeping it real. Through the years, countless people have asked me all they could about trucking once they found out that I was a truck driver. They would ask me things like I want to drive trucks. How do I start? or What’s it like to be a truck driver? I hope to answer these questions and more through this book.

Chapter 1

Getting Started

Many people want to be truck drivers and many people who were truck drivers at one point have left truck driving for one reason or another. Contrary to what many people believe, truck driving is a very demanding and dangerous job. Truck driving takes a toll on your body, mind, and relationships. In a typical day, the average truck driver spends hours upon hours keeping their selves awake and alert; more often than not, this can prove to be a major undertaking. The travel required for this job means that you will be isolated for days at a time and eat whatever is available. You will sleep in you truck and eat and shower only if you time your movements correctly. The freight you are hauling takes precedence over your comfort or needs according to the person shipping it (your boss.) You cannot let these people take advantage of you or your willingness to succeed. Their main concern is how much money they can make, not you or your family.

On the other hand, there are some of us who know how to play the game well. We know how to juggle a demanding job like truck driving and our own personal lives. This book is about just that, managing your life on the road. Truck driving isn’t for everyone but if you want to try it this is a great place to start. For these first few chapters, we’ll assume that you’re considering a career as a truck driver and have no experience. You’ll be either going to truck driving school or getting a job where they’ll train you to drive a truck, starting from the ground up. Either way, here are some important tips to get you on the right path.

First, find a few truck drivers and ask them some questions about driving a truck and living on the road. If you come across any, they’ll have a wealth of information to give you, and