I'm new to posting, but have been reading these forums for a couple of weeks now. I have learned a lot about different companies to start out with and I am trying to get myself mentally prepared to apply for truck driving school.

Maybe this isn't the right place to post this so if not I won't feel offended if someone moves it, but here's the story with me.

I'm 25, have a small family and house, but no career. I work at a dead end job, been to college twice, but never finished. I see long haul and local truck driving jobs in my area all the time and one day at work I got the gears turning in my head. Why don't I go and get my CDL and do something I always thought I would love as a professional.

I've always loved riding in big rigs with my grandpa and have some of the best memories on the road. He is now since passed away and I'm starting to wish maybe instead of wasting money at college I should have asked him to teach me how to drive a semi.

I've been on the road with him so many times I don't remember, but we would go for days at a time and I can recall one time when I was 15 we were hauling soy beans and corn in Iowa locally and he pulled over and let me drive. It was nothing too tough at the time, just a straight gravel road, but it was definitely one of the best experiences. Along with that i helped load and unload his truck. He even had me trained when i was young so that every time a semi went by i would know the make of it by the emblem. (Pete, Kittiewhomper, Freightshaker, Etc.) Every time i smell diesel it makes those memories come back.

To make an already long story a bit shorter, I want to give this truck driving gig a try. I've been on the road as a kid, but not as an adult with a family and kids at home, but I'm hoping to adapt and get a regional route so I'm home every weekend. I'm going to apply for Roehl after doing much research on here and since I'm already in WI. I am also going to see if there are any smaller companies closer with a dedicated route that perhaps would help me get my CDL.

The only concerns I have as of now are what if I don't get along with my trainer on the road. Not the one for the CDL class, but the one that we go on the evo's with. I'm a fairly easy person to get along with, but I don't like being messed with. Also, what happens if you invest your money and time into a program and either you can't back up right or maybe you fail your CDL test. What do you do next? Will they help train you more or can you take the schooling again? Or are you out money and a job?

I plan on doing this course ASAP, but I have to quit my current job first and get my financial situation straightened out first. I'm not much of a job jumper so I hate to quit and be asked to leave school for some unapparent reason and have to jump from job to job to find one that will pay the bills. Although I have no experience driving even a truck and trailer except that time with my grandpa, I feel confident if I just knew someone who had a big rig and could take me out and show me a few things i could handle it.

Also, one last thing which is going to help me is that I have a clean record, excellent credit, 2 minor tickets (Open intoxicant-passenger and child not in proper restraints--long story) which are years behind me. No accidents either.

Any input or thought would be greatly appreciated and thanks to anyone who took the time to read my novel. I'll see you in these forums and hopefully maybe on the concrete sea.

Good luck to you. Make sure that you really talk things out with your wife first. This is not just a job change, it's a lifestyle change. I would imagine that your kids are small. Some women can't handle being home alone, or alone with the kids. Do your research first before committing to anything.

i agree with leanna.I went to C1 driving school and some of the guys failed and they let them retest.if you don't get along with your coompany's trainer some will let you request a change.if you are inn WI check out WH Transportation out of Wausau,WI 1-800-xxx xxxx press whatever button for recruiting and talk to Mary.I'm not trying to recruit for them but I drive for em and like em just fine.thinking of buying a truck and leasing to them.anywho talk it over with your wife and write down EVERY question you can think of to ask at CDL school and the company you choose.some companies will pay for your school if you sign a 1 year contract stating you will drive for em but if you leave b 4 1 year you owe it and it cann be around $5k.good luck with it all remember GOAL (get out and look) when you back up,keep the greasy side down and I hope to see ya on the road!I'm inn wi all the time so I probably will LoL

Thanks for the advice leanna and torque. I already talked to my wife about this and she said she could handle it as long as I'm home once in awhile. My kids are 9 months and 6 yrs old. I'm hoping to give them a more enjoyable life if I make more money. My salary now isn't even comparable to what I could make on the road. I will also check into WH transportation. Thanks again.

Have your wife get on here and read too. Like stated, this is not an easy lifestyle, been doing it for 4 years and there are times I ask myself why. Your wife will be responsible for just about everything. In my experience the kids respond pretty easily to the changes, but your wife, charious her and thank her everytime you get the chance -sometimes hubby's forget all that we do, forget that we're human too and that's were the trouble starts. Good luck and best wishes to you and your family - Make it what You Both want!........................Lori

As to your concern for failing the test, I wouldn't worry much about it. CDL schools make money by giving CDL's to those who earn them. They want you to pass at least as much as you do. The school I went to in the St. Louis area would let anyone who put forth the effort take and retake the CDL test as often as necessary without any additional fees to the test taker. When I was in attendance, there were quite a few people who had to retake the tests. Some more than once. One lady had been at that school for nearly two months (and it was only a 3 week course). If you do your research properly, you should have no problem finding a similar school in your area.

As far as getting along with your trainer, again I wouldn't worry. My trainer was a real hard ###. There were countless times when I literally wanted to hit the guy. What kept me from doing so was keeping my eye on the prize. Four weeks is NOT that long, and I wasn't going to let anyone or anything keep me from getting behind the wheel of my own truck (actually it was PAM's truck, but I was the driver of it by God!). Stay focused and set goals for yourself and you can be a success with any company.

I can certainly appreciate your desire for wanting home time with your family. Also, I can see where your wife might be somewhat apprehensive about this endeavor. With a 9 month old baby and a 6 year old starting out could be rough. All y'all will have to make lifestyle changes. There's a slim chance that you will find a local company that will hire you with no experience. Again, do your research. This is a major decision that will require a lot of thought. Remember that your family is the most important thing. Yes, you most likely will be able to provide for them quite nicely as a driver, but you also will miss out on a LOT of things. I made a post about that a couple months ago, but dangit if I can remember where it's at.
The point I'm trying to make is this:

There are a lot of things a guy can do to better himself, just make damn sure that trucking is going to better you and your family in all aspects of the word.

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Keep that diesel burnin' and those tires turnin', but get there safe to keep on earnin'!!

I was checking out WH transportaion on the web, but I didn't see anything about them having their own school. They sound like an awesome company though. I do have one question though. Does the regional fleet only run in WI and OH? Or am I totally looking at that wrong. In any event, thanks for the reference. I will be trying to find more info on them

Hey there. Knowing nothing more about you and your situation than what you wrote in your post, I will try to help.

When I started driving, I had a wife and two children. She was a stay at home mother.

I went to school, got my CDL, and started driving.

As soon as I couldn't get home every single weekend, the trouble started.

She didn't realize how it was REALLY going to be.

She was under the impression that I was going to be making around $1,200 or so per week take home, and be home as much as possible. She didn't realize that it cost money (even when I did it on a shoestring budget) to be out on the road.

So, I came off the road.

Worked a "regular" job for awhile.

But, when the money got real tight, even though I wasn't able to make what she thought I would be making, she wanted me back in (trucking that is). So we could bring in more money. Of course. So I did. Then she wanted me out. Then in.

I allowed this to happen WAY too many times!

She essentially wanted the money, but not to have to, for all intents, raise the children "by herself".

Now............What I would like you to get from these ramblings is this. (and any one else who reads this post for info)

Make sure your better half Knows what you are both getting into!

I say this because it's not easy out there. You will not always be able to make it home for the kids milestones. You will not always be able to make it home for the birthdays, anniversaries, church (if you are a churchgoer), etc......

One thing you need to know right away is, Christmas, birthdays and any other important days happen when you are home. Not on the day they are "supposed" to take place. Can't get home on December 25th, but you CAN be there on the 27th? Then Christmas is on the 27th that year! Get it? I hope you both do.

It will get lonely. It will be hard on your wife. It will be hard on your kids.

It will also be very rewarding. If you do it right. If you do your research. If you and your family can come to an understanding!

Driving truck is easy. Don't let any one else tell you any different.

It's being able to balance everything else that is difficult.

Watch your ### and COMMUNICATE! Both with your wife and with whomever you end up driving for.

I believe any one can make it out there. Just know what you are doing before you get burned.

(BTW, I am now divorced from the wife I wrote about. Part of it had to do with what I am warning you about. I did NOT communicate with her. I did not ever come to an understanding with her.

I am now married to someone who I do communicate with. And I believe that we have an understanding. I return to driving next week. I sincerely do hope she understands. I don't want a repeat of what happened before.)

Stick

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Imagination is just Intelligence having Fun!

I too went to college on several occasions. I graduated, but my degree turned out not to be worth the paper it was printed on. I wish I had gone to trucking school when I was 23 instead of at 29.

you won't fail any tests unless you don't study. you probably won't learn how to back in school, or in training. I didn't think I'd ever be able to back worth a flip, but after having my own truck for 3-4 months, it becomes as second nature as backing a car. I've had trainers ask me about my backing skills when at a shipper. they told me that where I was going was tough to get back out. after I got there, delivered, and left, I couldn't figure out what the devil they were talking about.

you might get an ####### trainer. if you do, you won't make it. you have to demand another trainer, and let them know why. don't take any #### from them. just keep in mind that they're just another dumb ### truck driver, NOTHING more. a trainer or "experienced" driver is just as likely to flip a rig as anyone else.

in a regional job, you wouldn't just be running 2 states most likely. but being home every weekend isn't a bad deal. if you work local, you'll work your ### off. if you do long haul, you'll be gone for weeks at a time.

good luck to you in whatever you decide to do. but don't assume that just having more money will make your kids happier. also, you shouldn't have to quit you current job to go to school. you should be able to find one that you can attend around your work schedule.

You know you hear all these horror stories about trainer's but mine was awsome. We had a great time and still talk almost weekly. By the way, if your in Wisconsin check out deBoer. I'm from Cowtown and they got me home every two weeks religiously, and that ain't regional. That's pretty much the standard. Being in Wisconsin would only make that easier. Man your oringinal thread could have ben my life story, I worked at night and went to school that's how I got through, however that may not be an option for you. Apparently, deBoer pays for school now, check out "the secret deBoer files" thread in this section. I've also heard good things about WH eiether way most Wisconsin companies are good. Good luck, and don't believe everything you read in here, some of the stories would make good Sci-fi movies. Trucking ain't all that bad.

One more thing, are you a Cowboys fan as in Dallas Cowboys?