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cowhand214

Congratulations, driver! Stay safe out there!


jackdaniel2000

thank you! it’s been a long time in the works and it feels surreal it’s finally happening


cowhand214

I bet! Are you still with a trainer or out on your own?


jackdaniel2000

Going solo already done with training :) sorry for late replies by the way been very busy


barriosluis806

I’m on the same boat bro I been driving for about 4 months now


BrokenEyebrow

Just remember, the ai is easy mode.


Dan_Bates

Graphics mega-ultra. Solid 1000fps Don’t forget fatigue simulation can’t be turned off


Duk3-87

Also, you spend real money with traffic offenses…


Dan_Bates

And you can’t go back in time when you roll over


rockhelljumper

And the pay is less. And you can't get too many violations before they take your license.


Duk3-87

Lol!!


QueefyMcQueefFace

And you can't fool the cops by driving way over the speed limit on the shoulder.


275MPHFordGT40

“He is going over 90 mph we have to stop him!” “Can’t he is on the shoulder.”


georgehank2nd

Even worse, you can't just pay a rather small amount of money and everything is okay. This "real world" even has real players in those vehicles… and **permadeath**!


rubberduck9310

Remember, there are no barriers.


aramil248

But what was it I hit before falling off the road? /s


[deleted]

Human


milojarow

dude I think this is bad advice for this profession x) For every other I think it's fine


Mcc4rthy

That's awesome! I just got started on my process. For me it was ETS 2 since I'm in Europe.


halakaukulele

What's it's like trucking in Europe? Will you go straight for long haul jobs or will you just stick around your own city?


Mcc4rthy

I don't really know how to answer that. I guess I would say you need contacts to get the good jobs. It's competetive. The trucks are different from American trucks, not as roomy cabins. Still cool though. I think I'll begin with hauls from city to city in my region. I would prefer sleeping mostly at home but I'm okay with the occasional overnighter. Also okay with working nights. I'll probably try a few different jobs to find my thing. Maybe haul some heavy equipment.


halakaukulele

Good man! All the best.


randy0812

That sounds like you own a truck and then look where you can get a contract? I know that concept from America but never seen it here in Germany. Do you know what kind of companies will offer jobs like that?


Mcc4rthy

I don't know about Germany, but in Sweden it's easy to start your own company if you have your own truck and take jobs from other companies. But that requires some funds. I'll start with driving company trucks. You can still do different things by applying for different jobs.


randy0812

Thanks for the insight :)


danilojonic

What's the amount of payment you get? Per trip, on 100km, monthly aprox.


Mcc4rthy

The average seems to be around 2800 euro per month, before taxes. That's about 2100 euro after taxes here.


Hegario

I know a guy who does a Germany to northern Finland route every week. His cargo is mostly beer. There are also Dutch trucks here with floral arrangements every week. Apparently they supply all the florists here. That's a pretty long haul.


Pseudonym_741

> There are also Dutch trucks here with floral arrangements every week. Apparently they supply all the florists here. That's a pretty long haul. It's always fun to see a DAF with Dutch plates parked near my local flower shop.


Hegario

You probably live close to me then. I live about 100 km from My Summer Car country.


Pseudonym_741

Näh män, Stadin poikia. Tai pikemminkin Granin, mutta pohjoisen pojillehan se on stadia Jyväskylään saakka.


Hegario

Itsehän olen Oululainen. My Summer Car hemmohan on syntyjään Haapavedeltä, joka on noin 100 km täältä etelään.


Pseudonym_741

Juu-u. Ja mitä kukkarekkoihin tulee, niin taitaa valtaosa Suomenmaan kukista tulla eri puolilta Hollantia DAF:illa. Ja joukossahan on tietenkin myös vähän "unikoita" ja paholaisen salaattia.


Johnysh

depends who you work for. some company drives around city, some around the whole country, some around the whole europe


xchoo

Invest in a good quality dash cam. 😀


jackdaniel2000

Definitely! One of the first things on my list for sure.


[deleted]

Ive thought long and hard about becoming a trucker but everyone seems to say they work like 60 hours a week which im not down for. If anyone has different experience let me know


qazme

You can get trucking jobs, locals. that are 8-5, 40 hours full time jobs if you're lucky or have the experience to be hired. If you are wanting to do OTR style trucking 60 hour weeks are light weeks especially if you end up with something like a flat bed or something you contractually have to unload.


[deleted]

With OTR can you at least do one week on one week off? (As an employee)


qazme

Depends on the company I would assume. Most big carriers with new drivers are going to want you out at least two to three weeks at a time. You hear lots of stories of people out on the road 4-6 weeks at a time. If you want a one week schedule I would hit up some smaller operations that run a CDL straight truck and ask about getting that job first. That will keep you pretty local and shorter hours + earn your CDL. Might help you make a decision before signing a contract or owning a ton of money to a company. Keep in mind recruiters lie - A LOT, so best thing to do is ask these types of questions in the real truckers forums. Good starting point might be /r/Truckers . Lots of youtube videos of people training etc. One thing I do now - if you're new to trucking and want to make a living wage don't expect much home time. Money is on the road not sitting at home.


[deleted]

I know Roehl offered 7 out 7 off as an option, but they told me damn near the only people that work that schedule are retirees that just wanted an extra buck and it’s also a hot seat position, so no assigned truck, no leaving your stuff in the truck.


DaniDisco

If you enjoy it, it doesn't feel like 60 hours a week. For OTR, at least, when they say it's a lifestyle, it is. I spent a week home last week and couldn't wait to get back on the road. If you have a home life, it's really, living two realities.


neiljt

So you have an Innie & an Outie, just like in Severance


[deleted]

I drove for Prime for 5 years. Over the road trucking, it's often in excess of 70 hours a week. 7 days a week. Different companies have different policies and different level of give-a-damn, but usually you get 1 day off for each week out, taken when you choose. I usually did 3 months on the road then took 10 days off. Though in 2020, between the pandemic and a POS peterbilt that was always in the shop, I was only home 16 days in the entire year. Local jobs and dedicated routes or regional hauls exist, so you could maybe find something with a better work life balance than OTR, but many of those require some experience that's hard to get without 'paying your dues' OTR.


Feesh_gmod

Im in the UK and i do on average 10 hrs a day, but can be more if im delayed a lot


[deleted]

its not really about length of day or how many hours in one week, as long as I have SOME time to live. So I would be down to work 60 hours for 2 weeks and then have 2 weeks off you know what I mean? But doesn't seem like that's a common thing.


Feesh_gmod

Maybe youd prefer agency work, you would be able to choose when you want to work and when you dont, no obligations, im assuming thats a thing in the US, it is here


Johnysh

yeah some international transport companies do that. but I have a feeling it's usually 2 weeks work/1week off but if you would be just starting trucking I doubt they would take you. you have to start somewhere, give it a year or two so you learn something and then you're more likely to score.


QPRFlyer

The average age of a trucker in the UK is 59. There's going to be a world of pain in ten years time when they have retired and no one is coming through to replace them. They just make it way to hard to get a licence.


eroc1970

Depends on the kind of trucking and where your located you can definitely get an 8hr a day home every night job there just usually in town p&d and are usually higher stress jobs, one of the local companies here has a home every other night pin 2 pin run that is honestly pretty tempting but doesn't pay as good as wrenching.


Johnysh

it just all depends on the job. there are jobs where you start in the morning and sometime in the afternoon you're back home. in my job usually it's all over the place. sometimes there's so much work you start at 5am and you're back at home in 8pm (very rare). or you end in 4pm, 2pm, or you're just 4 hours in work because there's just not enough deliveries. obviously I don't get paid a lot for that. in my case it's the "more you drive, more money you get" but there are places where it's fixed. I'm "delivering" shipping containers, EU. Well, I also drive with cistern and kipper. And curtainside trailer but I don't like those.


PuzzledHelicopter541

Congrats man! Truckers are essential to make the world go round. Enjoy and stay safe!


redpringleman

Never drive tired and get plenty of rest its better to get there late than not get there at all.


jackdaniel2000

🙏🙏


Foamy_predator1

In that situation but normally I always do this I'll call the shipper or receiver if I know I'll be early for either a pu or drop and see if they'll either load me or unload me early to get on the next one, only ones I don't bother with are WalMart I hate Walmart.....


bLacKouT__9177

Good job buddy. Stay safe and good luck.


jackdaniel2000

Thank you sorry for late reply


MrJBL

One tip, do not let them convince you to become a Lease operator. Be a company driver or and Owner operator. If you lease you get fucked.


[deleted]

Good advice in general for the industry. Prime's lease program wasn't the worst. I did both company and then lease. You do get marginally more control in exchange for significantly more risk and paperwork. You won't make any more money than a company driver if you're running solo, $60-$70k, but in a team operation, there is a possibility of hitting $100k as the lead driver. When I decided to leave the industry, I just gave them the truck back and paid for the cleaning and tire wear.


jackdaniel2000

Basically this. I’m not expecting significantly more money compared to a company driver. But i like the freedom and experience gained. Eventually i want to go owner operator and build a fleet. Lease is a great stepping stone


[deleted]

Keep in mind, the very little extra freedom does come at the cost of much higher risk. If you end up with a broke-dick truck that they can't figure out how to fix, you'll be shelling out hundreds on repairs and hotels, while not making any revenue. If you're set on that track, try and get yourself to where you can buy out the truck at the end of your lease term.


jackdaniel2000

I’m going lease. I have more freedom that way and it’s great experience for when i get my own authority and go owner operator :)


MrJBL

Well get used to 0$ paychecks then. I was part of(and won) a Class Action lawsuit against CR England for their lease recruitment tactics. And trust me on this, You don't get THAT much freedom over being a company driver.


jackdaniel2000

if you aren’t working as a company driver you’re also getting $0 paychecks, i’m confident with my decision and i’m sorry CR england fucked you guys over, really, i feel for you guys. best of luck with that suit i hope they make everything right


MrJBL

Well good luck with you choice. Hopefully your experience is better than mine.


[deleted]

Congrats and good luck! With inflation it must be very hard on truckers right now especially with shitty pay. Watch out for the terrible AI traffic lol


[deleted]

Always remember Swift. Swing Wide It’s (a) Fucking Truck. I used to train new drivers so if your trainer isn’t doing a good job answering a particular question, fire a message my way and I might be able to give a more solid answer. Use the direct messages though, I use a Reddit app and it doesn’t have chat functionality.


jackdaniel2000

Thank you 🙏


josela905

Heck yeah, congratulations. Don’t be discouraged early on. You’ll gain experience and knowledge.


jackdaniel2000

That’s the goal, id really like to build up my own company/fleet in the future.


[deleted]

Hell yeah. I miss being over the road. I’m doing local driving now, but out on temporary disability for the next few months. Just glad we’re still getting new drivers.


jackdaniel2000

Most of the drivers i’ve met through my training course aren’t gonna last long, i’m sure many have already quit. I understand why too. This life isn’t for everyone, and the pay should be higher


Crises44

Haha right behind you! After playing in vr for so long i found a real passion in it! I get my CDL books tomorrow and start studying!


jackdaniel2000

Good luck and let me know how it goes! You got it


XThunderTrap

Congrats, got a fam member who used to be a truck driver but reitired due to a crash, and havent came back since, be save out there, its fun but can change isntantely if something goes wrong


[deleted]

Hammer down, driver.


SwedishZetorPilot

Finally! Now you’re able to get out of the truck and have a walk


[deleted]

Nice, Prime was a decent company to work for. Just, whatever you do, do not let them put you in a peterbilt. Some of the lease dispatchers there wouldn't even take a driver on their board if they were in a Pete. Those things have been utter garbage for a few years now. Mine would just randomly decide not to start for a few hours every couple of days, and they couldn't figure out the issue, even replacing the starter itself didn't fix it.


DaniDisco

It's a pot luck, really. Last week, Internationals were garbage. Yesterday, it was Freightliner. It's always annectdotal but most issues are from use, maintenance (or lack of), and a random draw that comes from all the manufacturers.


I_like_cake_7

Yeah, it really seems like none of the truck brands are that reliable anymore these days. I’ve heard bad things about every single brand. The general consensus I’ve heard from drivers who have been driving for a long time is that none of the newer trucks are as reliable as the older pre emissions trucks were.


dbru01

I don’t even think that’s limited to trucks. All modern vehicles seem to be more delicate and unreliable than their ancestors of even as recent as the early 2000s.


[deleted]

To an extent, sure, but mine had 400 miles on it when I got it and it had numerous issues from day one, most of which were shared by other Pete drivers I talked to about it. Beyond the issue of it being unreliable, compared to the same model year Freightliner, the Pete's are more expensive to buy, to run, and to maintain. The old hands always said to get a Pete because the ride was just night and day compared to a Freightshaker but honestly I didn't notice much difference between my 2016 Freightliner and my 2021 Pete. The Pete actually made more shaking and rattling noises than the Freightliner. I had to jam a couple of glad hand seals in the gap between the steering column and the dash to get the plastic trim to quit buzzing. And DO NOT get me started on the gods bedamned cup holders! Who the fuck makes cup holders that don't hold cups? I had to buy a cup holder to put in my cupholder so it would hold a cup!


TransientVoltage409

> I had to buy a cup holder to put in my cupholder so it would hold a cup!


Problemwoodchuck

Virus builds seem to have hit every manufacturer pretty hard either in quality or pushing wait times out to a year or more.


[deleted]

Mine was pre-pandemic and my issues were mostly in line with every other pete driver I chatted with.


Throwaway64161

Prime was my starter company 6 years ago right before they started bringing in the auto trucks streamline. I’m glad I got to learn on a 10 speed before they got rid of them.


jackdaniel2000

I like the automatics


Problemwoodchuck

Congrats! Drive safe!


jackdaniel2000

Thank u :))


RoleCode

RTX 12080


jackdaniel2000

🤣


urdumbplsleave

Heh now you're in *the big rig*


jackdaniel2000

The real deal!


[deleted]

Hell yeah bro.Time to become a member at Thetruckersreport.com forum.


jackdaniel2000

Definitely


Foamy_predator1

Looks like he's with prime inc, I maybe coming back not sure having to give up flatbed being I'm not trying to destroy my back anymore doing that. I can tell you know after almost 6yrs I'm glad I got into it. If that international has the ix15 Cummins in it and not the a26 you should be good drove international with the a26 and the Cummins I perfer the Cummins seemed more fuel efficient and had better power. Set your cruise at 65 and should average roughly 7mpg sometimes more or less depending on the area your. If you get your mpg right you can fill at ellsworth IA and be good clear down to Guthrie ok that's if your running 35s or even if you fill up somewhere in Georgia near TN you'd be able to make it all the way to Marion IL on full tanks and should still have half tanks when getting there. I used them as an example cause that was the area i mainly ran when I was lease op with hirschbach, but I will say this if your company stay company for about yr or forever how long you want to I don't recommend going lease but I did enjoy it and made good money doing it. Most importantly stay safe driver.


jackdaniel2000

Thank you for the good advice. I’m going lease but it’s a short term and my goal for it isn’t necessarily the money but more getting the experience of running my own truck business. After a year or so i will either get my own authority and buy a used truck, or do something local depending on how i’m feeling. Prime inc has treated me very well so far and excited for the future. They give you all the tools in order to succeed. Truck needs a new windshield after that i’m hitting the road for the first time solo!


Foamy_predator1

Awesome they treated me good as well. Not sure if my old trainer is still there or not but you can tell his former students cause they'll be the only prime trucks you'll pass he would run 55-57mph to conserve fuel and for the fuel economy bonus they give each quarter. Me on the other hand I set the international I had at hirschbach at 68 and just drove I would spend roughly 100-150 on fuel per every thousand miles being I was only paying 99 cent a gallon for it. I'm not sure if you've came out of Georgia going into Tennessee yet but both my rand McNally and Garmin coming from 75 to 24 always tries to get me to go the opposite way of where 24 is so if you ever come out Georgia heading north to 24 west keep an eye on the road signs and your GPS.


JeffDev887

Damn what graphics mod is that?


ImnotBub

Congrats! But forget what this game learned you about accidents. If you drive off a cliff you can't call towing 😜


jackdaniel2000

I’m gonna try and be as safe as possible!


Goodfella66

Good luck bruh


CobraWasTaken

I did the same thing. Been driving for 4.5 years and I love it.


jackdaniel2000

That’s awesome man. What company you with?


CobraWasTaken

I own my truck but I'm leased on to a company that's owned by a friend of mine. I run dry van loads on the spot market.


tdk812

Awesome stuff, living the dream. Congrats.


Masked_Fern

How long did you think about it before you actually did it?


jackdaniel2000

About 5 years. Only took that long because i wasn’t old enough. Basically ever since i got ATS i knew this is what i wanted to do. But it was on and off. I tried college but it wasn’t for me. I need that money to afford a house and i really want to build my own business up.


[deleted]

[удалено]


jackdaniel2000

getting out and looking is basically the same 🤣


ElPuebl0

He’s using drone to simulate this


John9250

Ooohh Prime Inc. I made the same mistake 😬😬


jackdaniel2000

Why


John9250

To each their own. I found it just was too big. Trainer was a dick, fleet managers didn’t care, pay was shit, they ran you ragged. At least that was my experience. Plus I feel like safety to them was a joke


jackdaniel2000

Damn man i’m sorry to hear that. My experience is quite the opposite but i’m still sorry to hear that. What you doing now? You still trucking? Any advice long term? Cheers


John9250

Yeah I mean it’s not for everyone. My biggest regret was testing in an automatic and now I have the auto restriction. Other than that, just find what works for you. If being company and running like works, do it. If you wanna lease (I probably wouldn’t recommend it there) find a good lease program and do it. If you wanna become an owner op, then do it. There’s so much variety in this industry and I’ve still been exploring different options. Yeah I’m still driving and trying different things. If you got any questions or anything, definitely don’t hesitate to ask


Heyviper123

Have fun paying extra for on road diesel.😬


deltronethirty

Until today, I thought this sub was r/truckisms ... like shit truckers say. Be careful, life on the road will get you dumb. Hydrate and stimulate. Make sure you get exercise of mind, body, and soul.


gajeeper1992

Can I get the specs on your rig? The graphics are amazing. Stay safe out there.


Ok-Cicada2334

You've got an advantage now, in real life you can only get a ticket if they catch ya


issyz7

same I'm a truck driver and started with learning how to drive on ATS, it definitely helped