IamA Homeless(ish) Over the Road TruckerAMA!

Fascinating AMA. I'm much older than you, but when I was little we'd gesture to truck drivers to honk their horn. And much to our delight, they always did! I don't see that anymore. Is it just too dangerous? I mean it's a pretty loud horn probably for emergencies only? Thanks for this AMA! Edited.

Kids are so plugged into their screens these days no one pumps anymore... When I see it I honk. :)

Fellow trucker here. It's DOT regulation that if a child pump gestures for the air horn, we have to do it

Absolutely!

My girls scared the shit outta me the other day. Got a trucker to honk. v proud! No idea where they learned it

Probably school

How do you do the gesture?

Like a fist pump but only with one hand

You fist pump with two hands?

Depends on my mood... Using the left feels like it's a stranger...... Ohhhhh my bad

Is driving a truck as free as it seems, where you can stop whenever something interesting catches your eye, or are you expected to drive for much longer than 8 hours a day to meet difficult schedules?

Was actually not expecting a response so thanks for taking the time to ask :)

It really depends on the load/dispatch schedule, time is super crucial in the type of freight I haul, so I can't always 'just stop'. Also the matter of fitting a 75' vehicle in some spots can be tough!

As for hours of driving, truckers (in the US) are governed by specific Federal Regulations (called the FMCSR). We can drive up to 11 hours within a 14 hour period following a full 10 hour break. We cannot drive more than 70 hours in an 8 day period. There are some other rules governing Hours of Service but they can be a bit confusing.

Did you switch over to the e logs yet?

Been on ELogs my whole career

Is the 'truck stop hooker' a reality or just a legend? If real, are they as scary as they are on TV and movies?

We call them Lot Lizards, they are real, not as common as they used to be but are fairly predominant in the southwest. And for the most part yes they are terrifying. They can also be super young, I volunteer with an organization called Truckers Against Trafficking (TAT) which works to report underage sex trafficking and bring those involved to safety and those responsible to justice.

I used to drive about 15 years ago, when I was 26. I remember going to that big truck-stop in Riverdale, CA (TA truck stop?) and laughing my ass off at how many lot lizards started coming on the CB once the sun went down.

Oh they are still there... Not as many

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My brain did a dyslexic thing... I fixed it :)

thanks for asking my previous question-here's 2 followup questions

-what's the #1 thing stupid drivers do that cause accidents with trucks?

-is there a thing car drivers can do/practice/implement to avoid potential accidents with inexperienced/tired truckers?

That's tough but I would say one of the biggest problems is merging traffic racing trucks to merge on the freeway. If you are merging traffic you do not have the right if way, either accelerate to the speed of traffic or yield until you can safely enter. The truck didn't run you off the road, you ran yourself off the road, most drivers will move over if they can, that they are not required to, and honestly they probably can't see you anyway. Truckers only have about 15-20% visibility on the right side of their rig.

As far as avoiding accidents with new/tired drivers, unfortunately the best thing you can do is be a courteous driver. Just because your rear bumper passed my first bumper does not mean it's the best time to just pull in front of me. The distance between me and the next vehicle is there on purpose. I need that space to stop. @60 mph it will take me more than a football field to stop that rig.

Just because your rear bumper passed my first bumper does not mean it's the best time to just pull in front of me. The distance between me and the next vehicle is there on purpose. I need that space to stop. @60 mph it will take me more than a football field to stop that rig.

This. I did a short time driving and I keep trying to explain it to my friends who don't freaking get it...

Also, fucking Dallas on this point.

FUCK DALLAS!

Have you ever had any close calls with the inconsiderate drivers who want to cut you off?

How nerve-wrecking is it to drive in bad weather and bad traffic?

I have had lots of close calls but I have over 650,000 miles accident free :) and plan to continue on that course, I drive very cautiously and try to always leave myself an 'out'

As for bad weather, respect the road, respect the weather. Drive speeds appropriate for conditions. And you should not have too many problems

is it at all possible to live a healthy lifestyle on the road and not gain weight and if so how would one do it? do truck stops sell enough vegetables/protein snacks meals etc for it to be viable and could you get enough exercise each day in your routine?

It is possible, but super hard, I haven't always been successful, I have finally started to get my weight undercontrol and down, I've lost 30 pounds so far, but we live such sedentary lives behind the wheel. The truck stops are full of garbage, I wish they would carry produce, but I have a refrigerator and shop at a Walmart once a week. I've got some cooking supplies and try to cook for myself as much as possible.

How do you keep your food from flying around.

Also how much square footage do you have in your living quarters and could you describe what's in it and the layout?

Everything in the truck is packed away in boxes and cabinets that lock shut.

As far as the layout I have in the front of the truck there's two chairs obviously my driver's seat and the passenger seat which I use as a filing drawer and my refrigerator goes in front of it in the footwell. in the back there is a lower bunk which I sleep on it's a twin and then there's an upper bunk which is empty and I use as an additional storage Shelf which prevents things from flying off because it's shaped like a well the hold the mattress.

There's a pull-out drawer which also serves as a desk in the back and all of my appliances run on 12 volt power like old cigarette lighters.

The truck is about 9 ft wide and 9 and 1/2 ft deep 13 and a half feet tall. It's not much but it's home.

Do you get "cabin fever" or claustrophobia being in your rig all day?

Thanks for doing this AMA

Sometimes but not usually I try and get out and do stuff on weekends when I'm not running or shut down and if he gets to be too crowded I'll stop at a hotel that will let me park the truck and stay the night in the hotel but that's not common it's a treat

thanks. my guess would be to try and restrict yourself to as low carb a diet as possible ie nothing but protein and vegetables and maybe try and do pushups and run around your truck for 20min or so a day if you have time? good luck

Also super strict portion control, when I park in the evening I get out and walk the parking lot, most places have it measured and I try to do about a mile and a half. Which I know isn't much but I got super unhealthy and have to start somewhere.

yep. eventually you will need to get your heart rate up during exercise though,but you're right,start slow! all the best!

Thanks for stopping in!

At night do you leave the truck idling to keep the a/c running? How much does it cost to fill that bad boy up?

Depends on the temp outside, she's off right now but when it's hot I idle because yes ac

From empty some where around 450.00

Do trucks not have auxillary generators for this purpose?

Some trucks have an APU some do not they are expensive and my company does not have them hooked up on our Rigs.

God, the APU saved my ass so many times when I was parked in AZ during the day. Never do night runs when you're going south. It's Satan's asshole. Literally worse than Hitler. XD

PREACH

What is your opinion on regular drivers flashing to say it is clear to get over? How did you come up with your thank you light show?

Please please please do it and do it often and more. Yes thank you it is SOOOO HELPFUL. My thank you light show is Morse Code for TY - -.--

AAA+++ OP

Some quick fire questions, no need for detailed responses, one word responses will suffice but feel free to expand with anything interesting:

Last time your truck hit an animal?

Last time you saw a dead body?

Describe the unhealthiest truckie you've ever seen?

Ever gotten a free blowjob from a Hitchhiker?

What common illicit drug is widespread amongst truckies?

Will you die an old man still a truckie?

Who would win a bunch or truckies or bikies?

Ever feel like swerving into oncoming traffic?

Is Trump doing good for truckies or bad?

Coolest vacation in another country you've had?

AAA+++ AMA Thanks

Last time your truck hit an animal?last live animal was a deer two October's past damn near totalled my truck, jumped out, nothing I could do to stop it, I think I ran over a dead possum earlier today.

Last time you saw a dead body? Three weeks ago fatal accident shut the freeway down two casualties.

Describe the unhealthiest truckie you've ever seen? Man must of weighed 400 if he was a pound, had a disgusting club left foot. Like his right leg was normal his left was just terrifying to look at .

Ever gotten a free blowjob from a Hitchhiker?Yes What common illicit drug is widespread amongst truckies?honestly? Probably pills of some kind, I'm not sure I don't do drugs I'm a recovering addict 6years clean

Will you die an old man still a truckie?I will die a trucker doubt I'll be old though

Who would win a bunch or truckies or bikies?hmmm tough as I'm technically both, but the bikers would probably take it.

Ever feel like swerving into oncoming traffic?Jesus yes

Is Trump doing good for truckies or bad?bad like awful, the fucking worst. Worst thing that's happened to this country too. People are too gulible.

Coolest vacation in another country you've had? Last year I went to Thailand and visited Angkor Wat

How did the bj come about? Is that something people exchange for a ride (cash, grass or ass no one rides for free) or just something that happens?

It sort of just happened she rode with me for two days from NorCal to Tennessee we hit it off and enjoyed some concensual comforts from each other.

Why are there always cops parked at weigh stations? Is it just a convenient place to park or are you truck drivers up to something?

MANY reasons, it's a good place to stop, if that weighstation is opened they could be chase card for any trucks that might try and pass the scale. Also the scale house is operated by the cops, so how else did they get out there?

What's the strangest load you've ever hauled? If you're allowed to talk about it, that is.

I ran one flatbed run of Humvees for the Marines about two years ago, that was wicked cool. But other than that? MOPAR racing equipment.

How is your health? Do you worry about things like blood clots?

I'm overweight but other than that fairly healthy. They are of course a concern I've started exercising more and have lost 30 pounds! Only about 100 to go :)

Congrats! That's really great. I am trying to start exercising myself. I don't need to lose weight, but I am weak and have no stamina. :)

Just stay off the second floor I hear the Dragon Pox are very catchy

Shout out to you. You are probably one of the first to reference my username.

Hard core Potterhead

You ever play the 18 wheeler arcade game?

What do you think was my inspiration?

I'm probably heading to bed

Sorry for complete ignorance but how do you sleep?

I have a bed in the back of the truck :)

Autopilot?

Only in my brain

I'm not sure where all you drive but based on where you've been in the US, what are the top places one shouldn't miss in their lifetime (go vacation / drive there)?

Moab Utah, The Vale Colorado, and the South Texas Gulf Coast. All stunning.

South Texas Gulf Coast

As a Houstonian, wut?

The southern gulf coast in Texas... Corpus Christi, some amazing charter fishing.

Corpus Christi is amazing.

Truly a great trip

Coloradoan here. Its just "Vail", Colorado, aka "where all the rich people ski." Its is a beautiful place, summer or winter!

I will keep that in mind thanks for the correction

No problem, I saw your answer twice and actually looked up "the vale" to see if I'd missed a great place in my own state!

Being that you've seen it though I think you'll agree, scenery wise, it's one of America's jewels.

What's your pay? I'm curious if you have money in savings due to no housing cost or buy things associated with houses.

I make about 55,000 a year currently I'm due for a raise that will bump me to about 59,0000 with the way my miles have been running. I have a nice little nest egg, diverse investments, and Plenty of money set aside for my travels. I don't use credit cards, and have poor credit to start with I'm planning on trying to build that a bit in the future. But as I'm single and have no home I can be fairly liberal with my money... But I'm not.

Nothing wrong with a credit card if you use it right. A lot of them offer good rewards that might come in handy if you travel a lot. If you are paying everything now in cash you can certainly pay off a CC every month. Check out /r/personalfinance, I have learned a lot over there!

I am subbed I'm looking at options currently

Do you have a favorite state to drive through? Do you have family at who's house you ever crash?

I love driving in Utah, especially the southern part by Canyonlands and Moab, although the prettiest stretch of highway in the US is i70 east leaving Utah going through the Colorado Vale

My license lists my parents address I pop in and say hi every now and then but for the most part it's just me and my rig.

Are you worried your job will be taken by self driving trucks?

I see them as a thing that will be but is not yet, I doubt that they will be fully autonomous anytime soon cars will be first trucks after, the trucks will need a lot more in depth infrastructure to be viable.

Dear lord, I've heard so much complaining on the self-driving trucks and after flatbed, you need someone who can just deal with the load. The route I see things going for a few years is the one on the interstate, which is basically autopilot for airlines, and they still haven't gotten rid of the pilot.

That's about where I am with it.

My pops is OTR, too. The guy loves his job. Always gone, of course.

Where's the real money in trucking? To clarify, is it in fueling, many years of doing it, etc?

When I find it I'll let you know :P i do alright but I'm not rolling in the dough. From what I hear Over size and Heavy Haul is where it's at.

Flatbed teams. Dying breed. We pay out the wazoo. But yeah, double drops and od loads pull money. Radioactive flatbed or Conestoga loads as well.

I tried teams for about a month, I just couldn't get used to putting my life in the hands of another driver.

Do you ever pick up hitch hikers? If so is it out if boredom, company or the randomness?

I do but only rarely, and usually out of boredom/loneliness

What's your ideal or dream rig, are you actually trying to save for it? Do you realistically see yourself ever owning the dream rig?

I think every trucker dreams of a stretched out long nose Pete. But for me I'd be happy if the US went back to o the 70's or to European style and brought the cab over to predominance here. I love the manuverability. They ugly as fuck. But they're sweet to park. I have no desire to own my own rig, too much overhead.

We were just driving at 3:30am two nights ago and saw about a dozen trucks lined up on the shoulders of the highway. Lights were off. This is the first time I've ever seen this. Was this a makeshift truck stop and common practice?

Parking is one of the largest problems in the United States. There is just not enough of it. When your hours run out, then you gotta stop, regardless of where. It's fairly common, but not recommended.

Is there one state that you absolutely refuse to drive in? I used to live in California; and I couldn't imagine dealing with the millions of assholes that the i5 has to offer.

Since starting this dedicated account I haven't run west of Denver. If I never saw LA again I wouldn't be sad.

Ever want to drive a truck in the UK? Got my artic license here, but always interested in having a go in an American truck haha

YES all the time totally want to drive Europe looks so challenging

In the UK it's very busy on the roads, but we only have flat front cabs unlike you guys, do you have pictures of you living space in your lorry?

I'll post some later today. I was sick all last week so my house keeping went a bit shit:) I don't mind the cab overs (you called them flat fronts) the extra manuverability would be amazing. The living space in a conventional tractor is a big bigger I think though. As for traffic, I've survived LA, Atlanta, Chicago, and New York, nothing scares me.

I'm leaving for training with prime early September, I have a couple questions. Firstly: what are the options for internet service otr? I'm an avid gamer, and plan to bring my beloved pc along for the ride(after training of course.) Are these 4g jet packs at all good? Do truck stops have considerable WiFi? And secondly, how often do you find yourself with a day off that you can do with as you please?

I love gaming. But internet OTR is expensive as balls, check out AT&T'S jet pack services. Be careful with that gaming out here though friend. When you're done for the night you should probably spend time exercising. Then going to bed to do it all again, I know it sounds awful, I love to game too, but it's just a word of advise.

As to down time. Some drivers have more some have less. My account keeps me pretty busy, but I generally burn my hours weekly so I have to shut down for a 34 Hr. Reset, which they will teach you about in training.

One more piece of advise. Learn what you need to in school pass the test get the license. Then throw everything you learned in school out the window. Cause it's got dick to do with actually truck driving. YOU KNOW NOTHING learn, pay attention. Seriously that licesne doesn't make you a truck driver. :) Once you go to train feel free to message me with any questions you may have.

Curious, what type of rig do you drive? Dry van, reefer, flatbed, etc? Do you run independent for bokers or with a company?

I run for a mega carrier and have since day 1. Currently I'm in a '16 Freightliner Cascadia, I haul dry van, I'm dedicated to our automotive division, I haul mostly MOPAR parts. I have done reefer in the past

Very cool. Im the ops manager for a 3pl that handles freight for a couple hundred power plants. Much respect for what you do. Out of curiosity how far in advance do you normally have your next run booked? In my previous life at Schneider we were booking trucks 2 to 3 days out. Current job it's always under 24 hours. Feel we miss the marker on engaging quality drivers at time due to short notice.

I've got an amazing dispatcher. I'm generally planned at least 4 days out. This is not common for my company, I happen to be in a great account with a great team!

Would you rather be an O/O, or do you like driving for a carrier?

Fuck being an O/O the miles are shaky, and there is way too much overhead. No thanks I'll stick with my carrier job. Money I'm making isn't half bad and I love comfortably, I'm not trying to be rich and I don't need much, most of what I make funds my international travel, I haven't got much else besides bills :)

Got a few questions,

1. How'd you get internet connection?

2. How do you make money? (I'm not familiar with the trucker job)

3. Where do you sleep & pooping/peeing ?

4. Ever thought of buying a house and settle down?

5. Lastly, do you ever do backflip with your truck?

1. I have a cell phone?
2. I get paid per mile driven
3. I sleep in the sleeper birth of my truck (there is a living area in the back of a semi tractor) I take care of my personal business at truck stops, for emergency pee on the road a wide mouthed bottle.
4. I have incurable wander list I have no intention of stopping what I do, this is the only job I've ever loved.
5. God no, the thought is horrifying.

Have you ever crashed a gate doing ninety-eight since you didn't have a doggone dime?

No thank goodness for EZPass! Also I'm in a truck governed to 65 mph.... 98 just isn't an option, though it sounds terrifying

So for this I have a question, due to a long distance relationship I make the drive from Phoenix to Tucson and all of I-10 is 75 mph for the speed limit and if you have it governed at 65 can you not do the speed limit?

That is correct. I cannot do the limit. But it's the limit not the requirement. Minimal speed on the stretch is 55 I believe

By law how often do you have to recite "Convoy" over the cb?

Only when I need my ass kicked

Has your truck ever broke down? What is the procedure for getting such a large machine recovered and repaired?

Sure I've lost tires here and there, radiator hoses, fan belts, you figure I drive more in a year than the average person drives in about four. That's a lot of ware and tare on the truck. My company has a department dedicated to breakdowns. And it's similar to breaking down in a car... The equipment is just bigger.

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Just wondering what I did to piss in your Cheerios? Its my house if I wanna jerk off I will!

Not something that appeals to me I was engaged but she wanted me to give up the truck. And I love this too much to stop.

Are the sleeper cabs on the trucks a comfortable living/sleeping area? They seem very small, but they don't look that bad in the pictures, but I wouldn't know since I've never been in one.

They are what you make them. Mine is very comfortable. I have a purple mattress, which I love. I have my bobbles and odds and ends. I find it very cozy

Your username... Is it hard to not drive Fri night through Saturday night? The company accommodates this?

My username is a movie reference not a reality for me personally

what does your username mean?

Have you ever seen a film called The Big Lebowski?

They just don't get it, man.

Fuck dude they just don't fuckin' get it... Am I the only one around here who gives a shit about the rules?!

Big Lebowski reference

The dude abides in this one

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This is a hard one, there are so many strange things out here, I once met a trucker who lived in a single truck with seven cats... Gross.

Creepy? Like ghost creepy? There's been a few strange nights in the New Mexico desert.

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It's hard to say/describe, the desert breaths, when you're out there and can't see headlights ahead or behind you but you can tell you're not alone.

I was parked out on some turn off one night. My hours were burnt and there wasn't a Truck stop for another 50 miles, I had to pull off, I shut down and got back in the bunk. It's dead silent. Nothing can be heard, two hours later theres a knock at my head, the side of the truck like someone slapping it with an open Palm. This is a pretty common way to wake a driver up, cops do it all the time. I thought someone was there to bust my ass for parking illegally. I got up and slipped my boots on and kicked the parking lights on so I could see, no one there. Not a damn thing. No footprints in the sand nothing. Well I have an active imagination. Thought i might have been mistaken. I go back and lay down again. Knock knock knock and not light either I jump up and look out... Nothing no one. I say fuck the rules crank the truck and get the fuck out. I make my delivery and am coming back the next day at that turn off there is a cop and two wrekers pulling a truck up out of the ditch, it's totalled, driver had fallen asleep at the wheel. If I hadn't moved he would have plowed right through me.

Jesus, that's some creepy guardian angel shit

You're telling me.

Was the driver okay?

No clue

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Over the road means we live over the road we are long haul as opposed to short or local haul drivers

Another question, do you have any scary experiences on the road? Any cool ones ?

Trucking is a long list of scary experiences, y'all down there in those little cars really have no clue how terrifying ya are (generally speaking). Cutting semis of passing on the right, texting while driving. It's all scary. Big dogs are not perfect either by any means .

Cool stuff? I got to drive under a mountain. Like a full industrial complex built into a mountain. That was fucking awesome. Roads of traffic like a miniature city with thousands of tons of rock hanging over your head.

I want to hear more about this mountain city.

It was an industrial complex build underground, for temperature controlled reasons. It's a government site, due to the nature of that haul there isn't much more I can say :)

Thanks for doing this AMA!

I've thought about driving a truck "part time". I'd be working at one job that takes me away from home for a few weeks, but then leaves me with nothing to do for the rest of the month. One idea I had was to get a truck (and all the appropriate licensing) and do short haul jobs in my down time.

Is this a practical idea? Is there a demand for short haul truckers that are only available half of the time? Maybe some kind of network of jobs that can be taken on an "as available" basis?

Truck Driving is more than just a job friend, it's a lifestyle, there isn't a whole lot in the way of short haul driving that isn't run or contracted through a local carrier.

When you start our you'll need to go full time OTR as that is what local companies want to see OTR experience. At least a year... Most want to see 2-3.

I'm not saying don't do this, but I am saying don't do this with our full thought to the commitment driving ruined my relationship, I happened to prefer my career to my former partner. Communicate and be open with your S/O you will be gone for several weeks at a time, most companies require you be out for at least 3 weeks in order to be home for 3 days.

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I am homeless I live in my truck, there is no time when I'm not in my truck. I take two big "vacations" a year usually somewhere internation, I'm going on a cruise next.

Do you park the truck in the port when you get on the cruise? :)

Nah, because of how long I'll be gone I'll have to clear my stuff out and let someone else take the truck. I'll get assigned a new one when I get back.

Does that take a long time to clear your stuff out? You mentioned having a pretty cool setup in the truck, with the refrigerator and all. Is that something most truckers have in their trucks?

It will take about three hours to pack and move everything, but I've done it before so I have a system of doing it and unpacking it in the new truck so that if I have to move it's easy to repeat :). Yes lots of truckers have a fridge. If not at least an electric cooler

Best random place that you have stopped and it surprised you, not what you expected it to be good or bad?

Loretta Lynn's Country Kitchen, thought it would be some second rate tourist trap dinner. Turned out to be an old school world class southern/soul food buffet. God it was good.

I've always wondered what is it like living in a truck? What do you do in your free time?

Also what model is the truck? :]

Living in the truck is, well like living in any tiny home. I don't own a lot of stuff. In my free time I reddit, crochet, watch Netflix and travel :)

I'm in a 2016 Freightliner Cascadia evolution.

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I don't have a problem with Class A RVs idk about other drivers, I find it a bit concerning that you don't need any special license to drive those monsters. And there are definitely some people who shouldn't be driving them.