background: part-time teacher, 12k/yr no benefits, 40 single no kids with g/f, looking into trucking. called local schools, ranged from snake-oil salesmen (and women) who wouldn't tell me tuition over the phone, to pretty stand-up advice...found truckersreport, contacted a few co's. have been talking to roehl about flatbed or van and studying for cdl permit.

the somewhat patronizing schneider rep told me that co. does not take students into their training program from new england...something about "3rd party training not recognized in your state." called local trucker assoc. and was told that's a line of b.s. thought schneider was stand-up, so got me confused about who to believe...

maverick looks outside of my region.

told my folks about idea, they're disgusted. stereotype of the industry it seems from educated family...even i'm trying to keep open mind.

driven coast-coast twice, and other 1000 mi. trips, camping in my pick-up. i know that otr is going to be a major wake up call with serious adjusting, and that living in a rig with a trainer with 20 days will be intense. i like adventure and being physical, staying active. i'm pretty clean cut, like people, but more independent than most. i need consistent decent income (40k+). my g/f's cool with one year home only 1-2 days a week. we don't live together. she's got a h.s. senior teen at home. figure after a year might get a job being overnight only 1-2 nights a week.

should i do this? flatbed or van?
any advice/impressions appreciated...thanks!

The Schneider thing is true, I am guessing you live near PA, or in PA. They legally cannot get you to sign a year contract for some reason or the other. So while 3rd party training is legal, they can't keep you at schneider to fulfill your contract.

If it was me I would go with Roehl........flat or curtain side.

__________________

Yeah, when I was kicking around the idea about getting into trucking I told one of my friends about it and his response was "why would you want to be a dirtbag trucker?"

The only way your gonna be happy is if you try the things that appeal to you and not worry about what other people think. Your the one that has to live with yourself, not them. I'm certainly not gonna keep a miserable office job just so I don't have to worry about my friends and family
'approving'. And if your only making 12k per year, its more than just a lifestyle change for you, its a pretty good fiscal jump. If after deciding that you can live with the negatives aspects of this job you are still wanting to do it, then I would say go for it man, its your life.

You sure you don't want to teach? You sure you don't want to
make this woman your wife? My point is that I am going to
school part time and driveing full time and its not easy.
Driveing a truck can be stressfull. If you get into it
and later decide to teach it will take a while to get your
brain back in shape. Driveing at night and sleeping during
the day is tough on your concentration and a relationship.
Being a substitute teacher must be rough, but my point is-
how close are you to a real teaching gig? What if you moved
and became a full time teacher? Wouldnt you like it better than
your present job? Some states are importing teachers
from overseas cause they can't find them here.
Plus if you like camping and being fit, don't be a OTR
truck driver. Its one of the hardest things you can do to
your body.If you can teach full time and not be miserable
I would suggest you do that and camp during the summer.

thanks for replies--as a 10-year part time college english instructor with a master's degree (= many years of school) i could go get certified 1 year to teach public school and get about 15k in debt. so i'm looking at other options where i'll be earning an income over $10-12/hr. which is what i end up doing a lot (fish processing/retail/construction).

the best teaching jobs are in math and science, not english, unless i'm willing to work in the inner city and get my education re-imbursed, which i'm not.

the more i work for an hourly wage, the more i see owners of businesses making their 6-figure incomes off of plebes like me. kind of sick of it. in the help wanted ads, seems nursing and trucking are two careers which offer "bonuses" to hire, and both in the 50-60K range. some sales jobs offer that too, but when contacting them it's pretty easy to see it's mostly b.s.

as far as being active, isn't it possible to take a 2-hour break from the road and swim at a beach or go for hike?

With your education it will be possible to find a company that will let
do that. Just remember that when you have been driveing all night
in the north east that stress will be like a hundred pound rucksack
on your back when your finnished. I used to jog for an hour after
sleeping in a dirty bunk room during the day working for a LTL
company. I was the only driver I knew that did it but with my
military experiance Im weird anyway.

Your doing the right thing by being on the forum. I suggest at least
10 more hours of reading here before you put in your aplication.
Plus 10 hours of talking to your girlfriend if you ever plan to marry her.
My Ex wife seemed ok with my interstate east coast trucking job.
The resentment did not come out till the money started getting good......

thanks man i appreciate your advice...i'm reading and talking to a lot of people.

seems that ex might have liked it better once you started making $$$ ??

i'm sure a year or more otr is hard on any relationship...any advice on how to deal with hookers and drug dealers when settling in for some r&r?

Most of the time you don't get messed with. At least I never have.

I never had much problems with da ho-s, and no problems with the crack dealers.

Ignore the ho-s
tell them you are married
tell them wifey/gf is in the sleeper
tell them you are BROKE and in general what ever they ask you tell them the opposite

example they might ask to use the CB..... tell em its broke

You'll actually have a bigger problem out of panhandlers than the ho-s or drug dealers. I always tell them that I am broke, completely tapped out and waiting on my next paycheck... thats still another week away. They'll start to feel sorry for you.

__________________