OK here goes nothing. I have to start somewhere and after 3 months of reading other peoples post and trying to figure out what was real and what was b.s. I have decided that it is best for ME to get trained and be safe rather than make lots of money. Not that I don't want to make money I am a big fan of money but I just want a chance to learn my craft and to do it safely.So after an interview with Wade the recruiter.I used the Questions to ask from this forum and he didn't try to b.s. me (Thanks for that post) I put an application in with Schneider.I have to give them 18 months. Heck I did seven years with Uncle Sam so 18 months is nothing for me.

I have no idea what will happen next so if anybody is interested I will do my best to tell you what has happened to me along the way.

Just a brief history about myself I have worked in hospital operating room as a surgical technician all my life and after celebrating my 50th birthday I decided that I have had enough of all that and it was great when I was young but now I am burned out.Trucking was my dream job when I was young but family and kids kept me at home. Now the kids are gone and it is just me and my girl.So we will see how it all turns out I will keep you posted.

Welcome and good luck! I would love to travel with my husband, but still have small kids (youngest is 2) at home. You and your wife are lucky people - live your dream, just make sure you study so it doesn't turn out a nightmare! LOL

Good luck to you. Hope it works out for you.
I my self, went to school on my own and after research on this site, went with Crete and have been loving my new career path.

I think I know how you feel! I turned 51 this past Wednesday. I will probably be heading to Green Bay to train with the pumpkin guys at the beginning of August. I am making the career change after getting burned out in the computer programming field. Mostly from the office politics stuff. Perhaps I'll see you at training! Do you have a school start date?

Tricky Nick I almost went that route but I would of been forced to sell my 1982 280zx that I restored to pay for my training it is the one on my avatar and I just couldn't bring myself to do that, but Crete was real high on my short list.

Vicegrips I am out of Little Rock AR so they are sending me to Dallas.I do not have a start date yet but I am hoping for the middle of august.I really am at step one still waiting to hear back from them.I just filed out application on Thursdaythey have there own forum for Schneider drivers?They gave me kind of an idea what to expect.

Love that car man. I used to own a '81 ZX. Was my favorite car I ever owned. The early 80 ZX's don't get the respect they deserve. Those cars can move!

Hopfrog Yeah it does go fast it is a six cylinder in a light frame so it can really move.It was the first car I ever tried to restore so it holds a special place in my heart. Sure would be hard to part with it is an Arizona car (my original home till a year ago)so it has no rust on it.Better to give Schneider 18 months of my life than to try and sell it to pay for school.

OK I just got off a phone with recruiter she said none of the jobs that they have listed on-line are available for my area. The only thing they have is OTR national since I had done my research here I wasn't surprised and suspect that I am being steered where they want me.

She set me up for a telephone interview with some guy on Thursday at 9 am I have no idea what that is all about since she asked me a lot of questions and took more personal information.

She want me to go to Dallas on the 20th but I told her I have to give two weeks notice at my current job and wouldn't be available till the 27th.

(If I left sooner I would be forfeiting pay and burning bridges behind me and I don't want to do that since I will not see a paycheck for at least 3 or 4 weeks from them). So we shall see what happens next I will keep you posted.

Well here goes step three despite all the jobs Schneider said it had on its web site for Arkansas (Dedicated,Bulk,Home time) the only thing they where going to offer me was a national van.

Since I would be committed to them for 18 months at a low rate of pay and very little home time that didn't appeal to me. We pulled the plug on this.Maybe I just got scared but the way they where rushing me I just didn't feel right about it.I don't mind being over the road but I don't want to be be out for two weeks before I would get back home that is what they where offering me.I guess at least they where honest about it they could have told me anything. So I am back to plan B going to ASU at Newport august 13 th and paying my own way.I will keep you posted

OK here goes the next step I scraped together the money I need for school then I called Newport ASU reserved the august 13th start date for school and I gave my two week notice at work(Yeah Me).

I have been talking to Maverick Recruiter he told me to submit an application one week before I start school. So I will since they are only twenty minutes from my house and right now I don't have any objections to flat bedding and tarping and I would like to get home 90 percent of the time on weekend(We shall see).

However I am not to sure I will like the automatic trucks. I hate to learn a skill at school and never get a chance to really learn it over the road. All my cars are standards and I am not a big fan of automatics in cars, but if I cant learn to shift a truck I may be a big fan and just not know it.You can read so much here that it gives you too much to worry about so now it is time for me to just go do it.