New To Trucking Do you wanna drive trains or trucks?

Sam McCloud

Well-Known Member
Have you thought about driving either?

Here are some samenesses and differences to ponder.


Trains and Heavy Commercial Trucks



Sameness


1. both are land vehicles that are self-propelled and roll upon wheels; both railroads and trucking are modes of freight transportation over land

2. both are large and heavy

3. both are commonly fueled by a petroleum product called diesel in modern times

4. both commonly haul freight, large equipment and commodities

5. both often require at least one personnel on board the vehicle to operate it

6. both often have loud horns

7. both often consist of two or more inter-coupled vehicular units

8. both often employ complex airbrake systems

10. both industries require their operators (drivers or engineers) to spend long days away from home

11. both modes of freight are dangerous to work around so cowards need not apply

12. both offer good pay and benefits but many people think it sucks to enjoy little or no social life and have to be on the road for long periods of time: the transportation industry is absolutely not for homebodies


Differences

1. trains are guided by a network of tracks consisting of two steel rails and mechanical switches called a railroad: trucks are free-steered over public motor roadways - trains use dynamic braking (electrical resistance) while trucks use engine-compression (or jake) braking

2. trains are much larger and heavier than trucks

3. trains have steel wheels: trucks have rubber tires - many modern train locomotives are diesel-electric with a simple 8-position throttle control while truck tractors have a complex clutch and transmission for gear shifting

4. trains often run over private railways (right-of-way): trucks often run over public roadways or off road

5. trains have been in existence longer than trucks

6. virtually all railroad employees in America are under union shops have special federal retirement benefits: many truck drivers in modern times lack union representation and only get normal social security upon retirement

7. becoming a truck driver requires a CDL and a few weeks of training and then getting hired by a carrier: becoming a locomotive engineer requires working hard-labor jobs (brakeman, switchman, conductor) to get to that position

8. RR jobs are much tougher to land than trucking jobs: the trucking industry is usually about 50.000 drivers short in America but too many people want to drive trains and locomotive engineer turnover is low in railroads: there are so many more trucks than trains so employees for trucks are in high demand
 
What happens if the locomotive catches on fire? Do they have emergency escape hatches on the sides?
:scared:
They do have one or more cab doors but no crewman sleeps on a train engine anyway. They used to sleep on the caboose but since the caboose vamoosed, I don't know exactly where railroad men sleep nowadays.
 
Talking to my finance guy right now about purchasing four engines than I can lease on to BNSF. You need at least four if you are going to be pulling loads through the mountains.

If the deal goes through, I will be doing LTL (less than train load). It's more work having to connect and disconnect box cars at different companies throughout the country, but the pay is worth the extra hustle. It's kinda like car hauling, only cooler.
 
Talking to my finance guy right now about purchasing four engines than I can lease on to BNSF. You need at least four if you are going to be pulling loads through the mountains.

If the deal goes through, I will be doing LTL (less than train load). It's more work having to connect and disconnect box cars at different companies throughout the country, but the pay is worth the extra hustle. It's kinda like car hauling, only cooler.
Are you looking for conductors?
 

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