Road warriors: Superior rigs, more time home give trucking mass appeal p1 - Military Transition - Military Times EDGE

Eric Schultz won’t let his trucking career get in the way of his home life. A former Army major, Schultz separated in 1992 after 10 years, and he’s been driving for Schneider National for 15 years. During that time, he enlisted in the National Guard and spent all of 2006 in Iraq. But Schneider National held his job for him, and after his deployment, Schultz went right back on the road.

Despite the geography and the time apart from his wife, Donna, Schultz said his marriage is a priority.

“My time at home with her is precious,” Schultz said. “I’m out 10 to 12 days, home three or four. I call her four or five times a day. I know when she gets up, and I call to tell her good morning. She calls me several times a day, so we’re never far apart.”

Donna Schultz sees their marriage the same way.

“When he’s home, our lives revolve around each other,” she said. “We learned how to communicate. Everything we do is for each other. I work 70 to 80 hours a week as a manager for a manufacturing company. I may see friends during the week, but I’ve never allowed my life to be so comfortable that I’m satisfied when he’s gone. I don’t have a life that doesn’t include him.”

Big possibilities

Jerome Smith likes quiet evenings under the stars, listening to smooth jazz. He has a taste for good books, particularly American Westerns and mysteries. A connoisseur of gourmet foods, he spends hours planning menus and choosing the perfect spices. He spends time talking with friends — professionals who have worked as doctors and nuclear physicists.

All this from the cab of an 18-wheeler.

“I’m out on the open road, sitting up so high, seeing everything before it happens,” Smith said. “It’s peaceful. In my life, I can think about all the things I need to do or problems I need to solve. I have big silence when I need it. And when I come home from work, I come home stress free.”

Smith, a former Army sergeant with a background in logistics, served in operations Desert Storm and Desert Shield. He left the military in 1992. When he initially looked for a second career, trucking wasn’t in his plans. But he gave it a shot — and now he’s giving it a lifetime.

“I worked for several trucking companies, but once I went to J.B. Hunt, I found a company that worked for me,” he said. “I’ve been driving 11 years and recruiting for about a year, talking to soldiers at Fort Hood. I tell them you can make it as good or as bad as you want it to be. Look around. Every single thing in your house was at some point on a truck. That’s how big the possibilities are for a career in trucking.”

Wheeling, and dealing

Trucking.

It’s a term that evokes the image of a massive piece of machinery with a guy at the helm. But that misses the nuances. Trucking is a job. It’s a career. And it’s a lifestyle.

“I’ve made lifelong friends on the CB,” Smith said. “You talk, maybe meet for a meal, exchange numbers and visit when you travel through their towns. When the wheels are turning, you’re making money. But my company makes sure we have a life, so we’re on the road two weeks then home four days. And we can take companions. I’ve taken my son.”

Inside the industry

Family — or the need for one — is why many companies limit the time a driver can stay on the road. Without enough down time, drivers can get road weary, burned out, and worse, find their home lives suffering.

The Labor Department reports about 2 million truck drivers traveling the nation’s highways. But there’s a shortage in the industry — a major one. The Truckload Carriers Association estimates 80,000 new trucking jobs each year for the next five years.

Industry recruiters are working to fill those jobs by targeting specific markets — among them, former service members.

“Service members make great employees,” said Rob Reich, Schneider National’s vice president of driver recruiting. “About 20 percent of our drivers were in the military. We offer an apprenticeship program that allows them to use their [Montgomery GI Bill] during their first year of driving and training. Eighty percent of all goods are delivered by truck, and you can’t outsource for that. So as a career field, we let them know it’s stable and isn’t going away.”

It’s also an easier life than it once was, and that’s another selling point.

“Trucks are easier to drive,” Reich said. “They have power steering, satellite communications and more technical power than the lunar modules had. They’re more comfortable. These factors make driving more appealing.”

So do the benefits. Most large companies offer standard medical, dental and vision plans. Some offer 401k plans and legal assistance. Most offer ongoing safety training. And there are always opportunities to earn more money. As for salaries, first-year interstate drivers can expect to earn an average of $36,000 to $42,000, depending on the company and the work load, and about $60,000 after a few years.

Given the caliber of education and training that service members have before they become drivers, they increasingly consider themselves professionals.

“My office is this truck, and I like where I work and what I do,” Schultz said. “I’ve been down every interstate in this country and learned how this country works. It’s been an adventure and an education. I didn’t know how plywood was made, but I do now. I know how paper is made. And I know how cheap liquor is made — and you don’t want to drink it.”

Reality of the road

It’s not all “Smokey and the Bandit” out there.

Drivers get more socialization than people may realize, finding friends on the CB and familiar faces at favorite truck stops. But truck stops aren’t necessarily great venues for finding a date, and plenty of meals are eaten in solitude. The food can get routine. And even though most cabs are equipped with beds, the majority of drivers curl up at night alone. They get homesick. And they meet their share of drivers in cars who boldly show their tempers if they perceive truckers to be impatient or simply in the way.

“There’s not a trucker out there who hasn’t been flipped off, yelled at or cut off by some guy who thought you did something on purpose,” said Richard Garcia, a former truck driver. He enlisted in the Army after high school, left the service in 1990 and worked as a mechanic until he started driving. He’s been off the road for more than a year but has plans to get back on the road in the next few months.

“I didn’t find the right company, I guess,” Garcia said. “Some of them promise you one thing, but the way you have to work for them is another. We call them outlaws. They keep you out too long.”

While the benefits and bonuses are better than ever, driving is hard work.

Federal regulations limit consecutive driving days and specify the number of hours that must be spent off duty after being on duty. There can be heavy lifting, nighttime travel and holiday shifts.

Still, as Smith put it, “Once you get into it, it gets into you. Like being a cowboy. You’re always going to want the open road.”

(Originally published Dec. 3, 2007)