I just read the thread on "Why did you become a trucker". I am wondering if there are many people out there like me that are just wanna be truckers? I always wanted to be a trucker and 3 years ago I trained with a company got my CDL and went with a trainer. I had taken vacation time from my old, well paying, but hated, 32 year now job. I loved driving truck but only lasted a couple weeks of driving. It seemed like that anything that could go wrong at home did go wrong. My wife backed me 100% and wanted me to do it and see wanted me to stick with it, but I didn't. I chickened out and went back to my old job. Now 3 years latter I am still a wanna be trucker. I come to this web site everyday to see what is going on. It is just driving me nuts thinking what it would be like if I would have stuck with it. I have a well paying job, the kids are all but moved on in their lives, I have a wonderful wife, but it seems like I am missing something in my life. Sometimes I think I should stop whinning put this computer away and be happy with the job and life I have. Other times I think I should try it again. I have stopped talking about it to my wife bacause she said she is tired of me talking about it that I should just do it. Don't know if I will get any response from this but after reading why did you become a trucker I had to ask if there are any more people like me that are sitting around being wanna be drivers.

for a lot of us it was a huge shift - for me, I was leaving a former life/career/education and everything I had worked for my first 28 years of living...

dunno - fate/destiny or whatever - but I dug in and found my niche in a truck.

I often wonder what would have happened to me had I not had good experiences with my trainer and had I not had the support of my friends
(I was not married then)

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TEAMSTERS LOCAL 100


Faster than a 60 MPH bullet....

BJohn920, if you read a lot of these posts, you'll find more disgruntled drivers than not. When you read these, take the experiences, but leave the attitued. I, like you, wanted to drive truck even when I was a kid.
After high school I went to college because my 'guidance' counsellor told me I was too smart to be blue collar. After 5 years, 1 break and $1000's of dollars, I quite school, worked for a guy driving little dump trucks. That lead to getting my CDL and driving semi, hauling construction equipment mostly around Wi, then going to work for a regional flat bed company. The point of all this is I ended up doing what I wanted to do in the 1st place.
I'm getting back into it again after about 10 years of doing other things. I'll be hauling construction equipment and supplies for a nationwide contractor and pipeline company. I'll admit, as far as trucking goes, I found a nice deal. I'll be paid by the hour off the logs, be put up in a motel while on the road, and have evening meals paid for. Much of what I'll be doing is going to be flying to jobs, picking up a rig and driving it to a different jobsite, then flying back. All paid.
I guess when it comes down to it, don't let yourself die without at least trying to experience your dreams. Trucking can be very frustrating, you might make great money one week and squat the next. You may not get home as much as you like. If all that is good with you, and your wife, then by all means go for it. You live only once. If you are in a position that you won't jeapordise your retirement, or marriage, then hammer down!

hoppy - I agree with most of your post - but a job in trucking does not have to place your home life and relationships in jeapordy...


there are niches - you just have to find them...


so many new guys get caught up in the loop the big carriers pump out about long haul being the "pinacle"...

it is not.

there are a lot of special high paying trucking jobs that offer a lot better pay than what an OTR company offers you..

(without the running illegal and BS associated with OTR)

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TEAMSTERS LOCAL 100


Faster than a 60 MPH bullet....

If I were you I'd look for an early retirement from that company then go on the road. You could even take your wife with some companies. But even if you hate your job I think you'd be foolish to throw all those years away. You're still young enough to drive and all you need to do is keep your CDL current and then maybe go through a short CDL school to get back on the road.

My story may be similar to yours in ways. My Grandfather owned a trucking company in PA. All of my uncles drove, my father drove and was a mechanic. I learned the mechanic side and the driving side while growing up. I joined the Army to do something different for a while, and 18 years later I am 2 years away from retiring and driving is calling me back. I actually have the opportunity to learn to be a commercial pilot (I am currently in a flying job as a sensor operator in the Army). As much as I would love to be a pilot, everytime I see a truck on the road, I want to be in one driving. So time will tell which path I take.

LB

The company I work for got sold so my years of service started over 3 years ago. I will get my pension from the old owners. Staying there now is just a pay check. My wife works and loves her job. She is the reason I started looking into trucking because I thought it was so cool that she liked her job. I wondered what that would be like.

I hear you BJohn, you are NOT alone. I've been at a management job with the same company for close to 15 years, BUT have always wanted to be a trucker thanks to my Dad\Grandfather doing it. Just my life took a different direction after college. Now 15 years later I'm just getting my life to order to take that leap. My problem is I read too much and question choices too much like what if I fail test, what if company sucks, what if I wreck? Blah blah!!! My wife on the other hand is ready to go tomorrow! We balance eachother out lol. I think I just need to make up our minds, quit reading and just do it and have a positive attitude through out and it will work out. Good luck to you. Sounds like you just need a nudge like me. Take your wife with you!

funny thing - when I was in truck school 9 years ago - even the staff told me I would not make it...

I was the only one there that had made it out of high school - and college and grad school... hhehehehhehehhehe

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TEAMSTERS LOCAL 100


Faster than a 60 MPH bullet....

I know one of these days I will do it. And I'll bet when I do I will wish I would have done it years ago.