I've decided to go back to school.

Many, many people say these words and many people jump into trucking for quick cash and jump back out to head to other pastures. Thinking school is the answer, for few it is, for most it isn't and creates more debt; paying tuition, for books, lodging etc. Most don't realize what they truly have as a driver who drives for up to 6-11 hours a day/7 days a week.

From my perspective this is invaluable time to spend learning new things and about new subjects. I've come across countless podcasts, videos on YouTube and many audio books on audible that if learned and applied and thought upon while driving for hours a day lives can be changed and made better for countless generations in a family due to this time spent in "the classroom" behind the wheel of a 18 wheeler.

To waste this time could be detrimental to one's life if this time isn't used to better self for the long haul. Learning while in the truck could be priceless and in some cases way better than going into a large sum of debt if not set up for school costs after starting and then quitting trucking. Alot of people have degrees and no job and or no job in their field of study and yet have mountains of debt keeping them bound and hostage for years and maybe even their whole lives. And then this is repeated in their children's lives and or family.

Breaking the cycle now and learning about things such as personal finances, small businesses, how to start and or run one, how to file taxes, learning about maintenance on vehicles, such as trucks etc. The list goes on and on depending on one's self and what they are interested in.

Paying for truck school and then deciding to go back to college to learn something that as a driver, one can learn for virtually free can harm years that could have been more productive and changed a whole course of one's family generation. Thinking long term can set one for life if they understood that as a trucker education during driving time is within reach and they can keep their job and paycheck while learning something for a fraction of what it would cost one to leave trucking and attend college after all the work was put into the trucking career already.

The way I see it is I don't have to go back to school in the sense of leaving trucking. I see myself already in the classroom and I'm learning so many things that according to how I'm planning on putting everything into action will have life set for the rest of my life. And none of its complicated. May be difficult sometimes but not complicated. Smart work is better than hard work any day.

 

No, to answer your question there are apps that have podcasts listed by category. Learning about a subject someone is interested in to better themselves has never been easier. And since you brought up watching while driving I'll clarify:

1. Podcasts come in more than video form. There are audio podcasts.

2. Audio books are audio thus someone can't watch them while driving.

3. YouTube has audio books uploaded and are free to listen to rather than buying said audio books from audible or another form.

I really hope this isn't the only thing you took from this thread. Because that would be unfortunate. Thanks for reading.

 

Thank you for the story about this driver. This is exactly what I was thinking about. If he would have quit trucking he would not have found his passion, lost his income and would probably be still down. I love this story.

 

I agree, the sad thing is letting this time slip by and not take on a new subject to learn and continue down a one way road with the same thinking of needing to go to school to be successful.

I have nothing against school but going into debt and leaving a paycheck and potential career to do it like "most" do can have a bad impact on one's life. Especially if they got into trucking already in a bad situation. Now with college debt they just made matters worse. All one has to do is look around them and open up their eyes to other avenues. Driving is prime time where your mind needs to be stimulated, and remain active for hours, to learn things that could possibly have one escaping the rat race.

 

I agree, and many congrats, but if done right plan B doesn't have to have debt attached to it as many who get into trucking, do it for awhile and then decide to go back to school with nothing in savings, and I suppose at that point, no plan C just in case going back to school doesn't work out for them as A and B did not.

With research and studying and proper planning on Plan A one significantly increases his or her chance the first time around than without. I'd rather read, and listen to other people's experience when things didn't work out for them than experience the pain and failures etc, wasting time in a place I knew better than to get in in the first place. From life experiences I know I rather do it this way than the other. I'd rather follow the advice of successful people succeeding than be so-so thinking that this or that is how it should be. I rather succeed more than fail.

That is the point of the thread. To open ones eyes to not approaching things with the mindset that they, we, I have to stop doing this to start getting an education, skills, and life experience. I can accomplish all where I am. In trucking, while it's available to me.