Get Your Vision Board Iphone/Ipod App and start moving toward your dreams today! Books by this Author "So You've Got Your Cdl...Now What?" The book that New CDL Drivers have long awaited for and so badly needed. So many times CDL Students are so enthusiastic about getting their anticipated CDL license, that when their goal is finally achieved, they are bombarded with all the questions Newbie Drivers are faced with...and then exclaim...Now What? Allen Smith has written this book for the New CDL Driver, answering their many questions...with the same honesty and frankness that he is know and admired for.   The Best Truck Driving Jobs- A State by State Guide Allen Smith's extensive resource guide for locating and choosing the best trucking companies and truck driving jobs in America   The Truth About Trucking A book designed for the success of truck driving students and new CDL truck drivers. Reveals the best types of CDL trucking schools and best companies to drive for.   The Truth About Trucking by Aubrey Allen Smith on Audio CD's "The Truth About Trucking" by Aubrey "Allen" Smith. Two Audio CD's reveal the highest quality truck driving schools and best trucking companies to drive for. Every aspect of the inustry is discussed...including "how to avoid the scams" and be successful doing what you love....Driving a Truck!   Truth About Trucking / Allen Smith's Trucking 3 Book and CD Special Allen Smith of TruthAboutTrucking.com and AskTheTrucker.com presents his most popular 3 Trucking Books received as both immediate Download AND in CD ROM. Written for those serious about a successful career in trucking.   Feature Articles Compassionate Business in Action... Fast Track Your Journey to Home Business Succ... Simplify Your Holidays,Stuffing is for TURKEY... Money Can Be Made on the Web... How To Use The Socratic Method To Create And ... How Does A Business Goddess Make Decisions?... Rebrand Your Company to Boost Your Bottom Lin... Cinnamon Rolls, Breast Cancer and Your Busine... Click here for more >>

In my fourth month with the business, suddenly things changed. In 1982, President Reagan was talking about something called "Deregulation." Two weeks later, the oil boom of Elk City, Oklahoma had literally disappeared. Oil rigs that had darted the horizon were gone. The big oilfield money was gone. I had gone from making a very large amount of monthly income to a "new" job that only paid $740.00 per month! Needless to say, things were bad. But, who or what was at fault? Looking back, all the signs were there. Eventually, I was able to come to terms with what actually had gone wrong . . . I had been driving with blinders on.

There are always two sides to a story. Several people around town had voiced their opinions about this as "not being a good time" to start an oilfield business. My banker had asked me, "Are you sure you want to do this?" A close friend who owned a hot shot service at the time, casually stated, "Just be careful." On the other hand, there were those business owners who could not stop talking about how great things were. They were always there to tell you their success stories. There were even those who could not stop talking about how their business just kept growing and they were expanding! I took all of this information in, but I never really processed it. Why? Because I had made up my mind that I was going to start a hot shot service, and that was all there was to it.

Today, I relate this story to the trucking industry. As in any industry, there will always be those who are doing well. If everybody failed at an industry, there would be no such industry. For one driver to tell a "newbie" to trucking that there is big money to be made in OTR driving, only because he or she is successful, is very misleading. For 1000 drivers to tell a "newbie" to trucking the same thing, is also misleading. How can that be? Because there are eight million CDL drivers in the United States today . . . will all eight million tell you the same thing? Just because "success" stories can always be found in any industry, does that tell the entire story about that industry? Are you hearing the "other side" of the story?

For my hot shot service, I chose to "listen" to the success stories, and decided to ignore the "failures." Within the trucking industry, there is a 128 percent driver turn over rate with the OTR companies. This clearly shows that for every one "success" story, there are 128 "dissatisfied" stories. I want to reiterate my belief that you can make a decent living with over the road trucking . . . there are those making a good living at it, and yes, there are success stories. However, you MUST keep in mind that there are MANY others who are not successful. You have to know the entire picture . . . you have to hear both sides of the story . . . any story. It is the only way you will be able to come through with a clear and accurate decision process.

For those who want to let their success stories be known, they fail to understand that by only giving their side of the story, they could be leading you down a road that you do not want to travel. What works for one person, does not mean it will work for everyone. By having both sides of the issue out in the open, it can only help in making the right choice. Take for example, these trucking companies that experience a high turn over rate. Why? Do you think that maybe there is something wrong? If there was nobody willing to give the "other side" of the story, what would ever change? If students and new drivers are aware of any scams and lies practiced by a company, this will bring about one of two things:

1. The student or new driver will not bother applying for a job at that particular company . . . and 2. The trucking company will either go out of business or better yet . . . CHANGE!

Would it not be best to bring about "change" to these companies and schools which would benefit all drivers? Or should we all remain silent and pretend that all is well within the entire trucking industry? The problem lies with people who take every "negative" thought, opinion or comment to mean that ALL companies and schools are "BAD." They are still missing the picture . . . they are missing the message. That message is to provide the truth about the trucking industry . . . the OTR industry. All one has to do is check the trucking forums on the internet. Sure, you will find "success" stories . . . but DO NOT overlook the thousands of "negative" stories. They are not negative . . . they are truth . . . they are the "other side" of the story!

If all drivers just sit back and never say anything "bad" about trucking, then thousands of students and new drivers will come into the industry expecting success at any company or school. How is that helping? But, by voicing the truth about the problems drivers face on the road, with their particular carrier, with the truck driving school they attended, and so forth, things can change. Those companies who abuse drivers by adding false information on their DAC report . . . those companies that promise .34 CPM and then only pay .24 CPM . . . those companies that say you will be home every weekend, but you're out for three weeks on your first run . . . those schools that give a price of $3500, and then in the end hands you a bill for $7000 . . . those schools that promise guaranteed employment, and then fail to deliver . . . all of this can change. If both sides of the story are known, it can force change.

We can all sit around and "talk" and complain about the poor practices within OTR driving . . . we can all lean back and tell a "newbie" that, "Yea! Trucking is great!" .....or . . . we can send a message to those companies and schools that practice poor policies that we are going to educate newcomers to the industry . . . we are going to tell them the good side of trucking AND the bad side of trucking . . . we are going to let these students and new drivers know what to look out for and which companies and schools have a great reputation and those that have a terrible reputation. Hopefully, they will take notice and either change their ways or we will close them down.

Or . . . we can keep driving with blinders on.