Well hello. I am currently at a transition in my life and I am looking for a new career. I am at current a SSgt n the Air Force. I have been enlisted for over 7 years and I have an opportunity to get out in 8 months. I like the Air Force and all they have done for me but I am not happy or satisfied with my job (jet engine mechanic). I dredd going to work everyday and I have been that way for most of my 7 years. I almost got out 4 years ago to pursue a career in trucking/transportation. If I do get out I plan on using my GI bill (money the government gave me for school/training) to pay for trucking school. Maybe attend Sage drivning school in Montana. Id want to start out doing something regional untill I get some decent experience and then maybe go OTR. My dad drives propane trucks and makes deliveries and he absouletely loves it. I also have many friends that drive regional and they like it and seem to be making a decent living. I am single, no wife, no kids, and have no baggage what so ever. I guess a few of my questions are:

1. Is it easy to get your foot in the door with a CDL from an accredited school like Sage?
2. Is it better to get the training done on my own terms rather then some company?
3 Can I get hired for OTR as a "rookie" driver?
4. How much can I expect to make my first year? round about
5. How long do I have to be with a company untill I can get full benefits?
6. If I go OTR how long will I expect to be out before getting a day(s) off?
7. Is truck driving a pretty open job market?

Those are just a few of the questions I have whirling around in my head. I am seriosuly considering this. I just want to make sure I am making the right choice before I decide to get out of the military. Thanks for listening to my sob story and any information is greatly appreciated......Thanks

Welcome. I got out of the Navy (I was a jet engine mech also) and went into trucking. It is a great field to work in.
You are already accustmed to unusual working hours
You are self disciplined
It is a nice change not to have people looking over your shoulder.
There are a lot of companies that you can hire onto that will reimburse you for your driving school. You can use the new GI bill and get Uncle Sam to pay for it then the Company you hire onto will reimburse you for that.
There are a lot of companies that will hire you out of school. In my oppinion the best is Crete. Call them and find out what school they would want you to go through, because there are only certain ones they will accept. Most companies give you benefits after 90 days. The health benefits are not going to be as good as military but they are something. Your first year depending on how hard you run and how much time you stay out will vary. Figure between 2500-3000 miles per week times 50 weeks times the mileage pay and that will give you an idea. It is a lot easier to get hired on to an OTR company rather than a local one in my opinion.
If it were me though. I would stay in the Air Force. Trucking along with the economy has slowed down lately. But, if you are not happy I can surely understand that. Trucking is a great career and it is a great life if it suits you. You not having kids or any other baggage will make it that much easier. Plus, you can store your stuff at a friends place and live out of the truck (which you will do most of the time anyways) and you can stash away some serious coin. Good luck to you brother. Feel free to ask any questions you can think up.

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Even if I have to live a nightmare, it is still my dream to drive.

Good Luck Be Safe and Welcome to the forum

There are plenty of companies that hire rookie drivers. There are even a few companies that are doing something specific with retired military people, but I can't remember who. Hopefully, you get a good trainer. That is a real key. You can expect to be out at least three weeks at a shot. Each company has their own policies on when you get benefits - with some it's only 30 days, with some, it can be 6 months. 90 days is a pretty common waiting period for that. The market is pretty open as there are always drivers retiring, getting fired, quitting, etc. You might want to start OTR, get some good miles under your belt, and then go regional, but that's just personal opinion there. I think you get to experience a wider variety of situations going OTR than running in the same few states all the time. Also, driver recruiters are about the same as the military recruiters - they will usually promise the moon - try to get them to talk straight with you, as you can get all the sunshine you want just by stepping outside!

I've been in your shoes more than once. Every time my enlistment came up I talked about getting out. The big difference was I liked my job in the service so I stayed until I had 20. I have met alot of people that say they wish they would have stayed in. In fact the ratio is about 100 to 1. I completely understand your willingness to get out because you don't like your job. However, you can not base your future on what others like. What they like you may not. There's alot of drawbacks with trucking along with the good. I believe the major drawback is the pay. You won't be making what you make now for awhile and you'll have just as many regulations (if not more) than you have now.

In your situation I do believe there is a need for a change. I had an old salt ( and I mean old with 40 years of going to sea) tell me you stay as long as you like getting up to go to work. Since you hate your job the change would be justified even with 8 years invested. But in my opinion, and it's only mine, I think a change in the service would be better. I know all about how they don't want to change your job but I did it and there's more than one way to do it. The reason I suggest this is because it's much better to start trucking after you've retired from the service. You'll have some income coming in to cover the times when you don't and the benefits if you have a family by then.

You have to look at what is going on in the trucking business. There's tons of jobs that are being eliminated and alot of these out of work people are seeing the commericals that tell them they can make good money and see the open road. I believe that truck driving schools are making more money now than ever. If you get out you'll be just like everyone else and you'll be at the bottom. You'll have no pay until you've completed your training (or none to speak of) and you'll be stretching the money you do have to cove your living expenses. Of course my opinion is based on the average because there are some jobs you can walk right into and start making more but you've got to be lucky or know someone.

I would think that you're coming up on a promotion pretty soon and you know the job changes big time when you're a supervisor. It did in the Navy anyway. Why not talk with the E-6's and E-7's (the ones you can trust) and ask them about their job? You're not going to have "hands on" very much longer so maybe you might like the job then.

Whatever you do make sure you've done alot of reserach before you make a move. This board is one source but not the only source. Go out and talk with some drivers. You can find them even on base. There's good and bad in every job and don't get locked into one side. Good luck and stay in touch.

Thanks for all the usefull information. This is definetly a dilema. If I go through with this I will be giving up alot in the short term but with a successfull couple of years driving, I think it will be best for me in the long term. I dont mind giving up early retirement to pursue a career I am passionate about. I figure driving id be able to save up a good ammount of cash in the long run. I do have one more question though....something I kind of forgot about. When I was 18 I got a DUI but I was never officially charged. The charges got deffered until I graduated basic training. However, DOD was able find out about the charge when I was getting my security clearance. Will this be a deal breaker? This was 7 years ago and I have a good driving history since. I was thinking about ordering my driving record online to see if its still on there. Thanks

I seriously doubt this will be a problem. They do not dig as much as the DOD does. If you were not convicted of it then it is a nonissue. You can goto your DMV and pull a copy of your driving record and make sure that it is not on there. I doubt you will have any problems.

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Even if I have to live a nightmare, it is still my dream to drive.

It really depends on the company. There are some that won't touch you no matter how old they are. My hubby had two 16 & 21 years ago, and he was officially charged. A couple of the companies he talked to wouldn't touch him because it was 2. With only 1, you should be ok, especially being over 5 years ago. Don't omit it on any applications, even if you were not officially charged, as if they do find it, it will look worse, since you did get the ticket at least.

Definitely get a copy of your driving record, just so you know what it looks like. Their system is not perfect, and they may have screwed something up. I had that happen once, and got it cleared up very easily. All it takes is for someone to hit a wrong number when keying something in, and "whoops, wrong record, who will know".

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Originally Posted by ruffstff 1. Is it easy to get your foot in the door with a CDL from an accredited school like Sage? 2. Is it better to get the training done on my own terms rather then some company?

Regardless whether you get your CDL from Sage, a community college, or a trucking-company sponsored program that requires you to pay little or no $$ up front, the training you receive is only the bare-bone basics. Trucking schools only teach you how to pass the MVD (motor vehicle department) written and driving test. They often do not cover duty-related topics, such as

1. How to avoid becoming the victim of truck hijackings. Part of the risk of being an OTR (over the road) trucker, is getting a knock at the door when you're parked in a secluded area, and looking out the window to see a masked gunman pointing a gun at you. The gunman will tie you up, while a 2nd hijacker will climb on-board and drive the truck while the gunman keeps an eye on you as you're lying tied and blind folded in the sleeper cab. A 2nd common hijacking occurence is parking your rig to get something to eat at a truckstop, coming back out to find the truck and trailer are both gone. Truck hijackers are renegade licensed truckers who work with organized crime. The truck and trailer is taken to a warehouse, unloaded, then the equipment is abandoned somewhere within 10-miles radius of the warehouse that's stocked full of stolen merchandise. Go to any swap meet, and observe the presence of uniformed and plain clothes police detectives, questioning vendors on who their wholesale sources are, and do they have reciepts to prove their merchandise are not stolen. The presence of these police & detectives at swapmeets is a clue to how prevalent truck hijackings are.

2. What to expect at the shipper-receiver docks. Loading and unloading can take up to 4 (or more) hours, which you're not paid for. As an OTR trucker, you're only paid when the wheels are turning. OTR drivers average 30 to 35 hours a week, waiting to load or unload.

3. Delivering to the dreaded grocery distribution warehouses. At grocery warehouses, the merchandise needs to be restacked. Some companies will guarantee "no-touch" freight, which means they have established accounts with lumpers. All grocery warehouses will sub-contract with a lumper service who provides personnel to unload the trucks. Personnel often speaks little or no English, which is why we truckers call them "illegal alien lumper service." Trucking companies who don't guarantee "no-touch freight" means the driver is expected to unload the freight. When they say "driver assist" or "driver expedite," they really mean driver unload.

These are just a few topics trucking schools are forbidden to ever discuss, because these topics may prompt driver trainees to get up and leave, and decide not to become truckers after all. Trucking schools only cover 10 percent of what you need to know, which is why you're assigned a trainer for the first 4 to 6 weeks, before you're assigned a tractor to go solo by yourself.

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Originally Posted by ruffstff Can I get hired for OTR as a "rookie" driver?

After you clear a background check, yes. You'll need to furnish a 10-year employment history, including any gaps of unemployment. You'll sign a legal disclaimer and liability waiver, giving permission to be entered into a national databank of commercial drivers. Once you're on this databank, any trucking company you apply has access to your file, and they use this record to verify the accuracy of the employment history you've written on the application form. Federal law says carriers are suppose to perform a 10-year background check, but it also gives them the option of contracting with a databank company to do the investigating for them. A company called DAK had a monopoly on keeping databank records of all commercial drivers, but I heard they were sold to another company, and are under another name now. [LINK POSTED BY MEMBER] Only Members Can View This Truck Forum Link. The disclaimer/waiver you're signing says you agree not to sue the databank company if personal info somehow falls into the wrong hands (identity theft), and you have no legal recourse for the consequential damage that will follow when your identity is stolen. As a newbie driver, you have no choice but to start OTR. Local hourly-paying positions require at least 1-year of verifiable driving experience.

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Originally Posted by ruffstff How much can I expect to make my first year? round about

You're paid by the mile. Factors such as how fast you can get reloaded and back on the interstate, and how much dock delay you encounter (which means you're loosing $$ because you could've been on the interstate, making $$ instead of putting up with warehouse BS, and not get paid for your time) will determine your pay. Your question is very vague, and you're vulnereable to driver recruiters who will exagerate the annual income of newbie drivers. To research this topic properly, you need to personally talk to other newbie drivers at the truckstops. Some of the drivers on this forum are also driver recruiters, so its in their interest to exagerate the figure, and convince you to become a trucker. The $$ you earn will depend on whether you're willing to falsify logbooks or not. Most drivers will report they're in the sleeper berth when they're loading/unloading the truck. If you're honest with your logbooks, you run out of hours sooner, and you force dispatch to make you sit for 36 hours to reset your logbook. You get more consistent miles if you report you have hours available on your logbooks.

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Originally Posted by ruffstff How long do I have to be with a company untill I can get full benefits?

Until you get pass the probation period, which is usually 30 days, but some companies may require up to 90 days probation, just to save $$ on not having to pay an additional overhead expense on a newbie driver, who may likely quit when he/she realizes OTR trucking is something they're not cut out for.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ruffstff If I go OTR how long will I expect to be out before getting a day(s) off?

Depends if you're regional or 48-state. If you're regional, which is either 11-western or the eastern half, you're out 2 weeks, then they route you to swing by and have quickie-sex with your wife or GF. If you're 48-state, it's a month to 6 weeks, but they will schedule a chance for the truck to pass by your residence so you can have quickie-sex with your wife/GF. Trucking companies prefer you don't stay overnite with the wife/GF because she's likely to complain the absence is hard on her, and she begins to express she wishes you come home everynight. When she broaches this topic, you begin to give serious consideration into becoming a local, hourly paid driver. To discourage you from taking too much time off, trucking companies require you to clean out the truck and remove all your personal belongings if you plan to take more than 2 days off. Companies know that the longer you take time off, the more likely you're submitting job applications to find another job, so they mandate 2-days-only-or-clean-the-truck hassle policy.

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Originally Posted by ruffstff Is truck driving a pretty open job market?

Yes; the trucking industry has a tremendously high turnover. Most OTR drivers will stay for a 1 to 2 years, then quit and settle down to an hourly paying driving position. To address this driver shortage (turnover), the federal government had legalized the Mexican license, and given Mexican-domiciled carriers full access to the continental USA. They have also allowed companies to recruit drivers out of 3rd-world nations like the former Russsian Republics, India, Pakistan, Vietnam, etc...and issued working-visa greencards to any immigrant who wants to come to the USA and drive a semi. They are required to show they've never committed a crime in their native country, and the federal government is naive & guillible to believe police and government bureucrats in other countries do not accept bribes to conceal and delete criminal records. This is the reason truck hijacking had become more common. Victims of truck hijackings report the armed robbers speak with either a Latino-hispanic accent, or a Russian or Eastern Europe accent.

I'm a former Air Force veteran myself, and if I can turn the clocks back, I personally would've made a career of the military, and serve 20 years to qualify for retirement benefits. I know you're probably tired of the Air Force BS and all the crap that comes in being with the military. I urge you to reconsider. The economy is going through a downturn. Look at the high foreclosure of houses as people across the country are defaulting on mortgage payments. Type "job "cuts,".... "layover,"... or "economic downturn" on the news search engine, and consider if this is related to consumer spending. OTR truckers rely on consumer spending. When the economy is strong, people spend $$, which forces retail stores to re-order from the warehouses, which creates the demand for trucking service. When the wareshouses are running low on stock, they call factories and wholesalers to re-order, which again further creates even more demand for truckers. When the economy is slow, it's a domino or ripple effect. Both merchandise/retail warehouses, wholesalers, and factories are all cutting back on orders, which creates less demand for truckers, and drivers are finding themselves sitting idle at the truckstop, calling up dispatch every 2 hours to see if they've found a load yet.

In my opinion, trucking is no longer a viable profession, now that the federal government had passed NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement). Under the guise of free trade, they've thrown the borders open to Mexican truckers. From a shippers' perspective, it doesn't make sense to call an American trucker, when a Mexican can do the job for less. If you were a shipper, are you going to call for trucking company USA, who's charging $1,000 to haul the freight, or Viva-Mehico Transport, who charges $800, and you've got 200 (or more) truckloads scheduled to go out in the next 2 or 3 weeks? On top of Mexican truckers, the government is issuing working visas like they're free cookies-n-candy samples at the grocery stores. If you become a trucker, you have to work along side cheap labor. They here to send a subtle message from the US government;

"These immigrants can do the job for less, and you're hurting the economy, and creating high inflation by demanding you're entitled to the American-dream !! If these immigrants can do the job for less, why can't you ??"

Instead of leaving the Air Force, consider this career plan. Stay in the Air Force, serve another 13 years to qualify for retirement pension, then get out and go into law enforcement, or any other city, county, state, or federal government job. After you leave the Air Force, serve another 10+ years with a government agency, and qualify for their retirement pension. When you reach your late 60s or turn 70, you'll be drawing on three retirement benefits. You'll have your AirForce pension check, your 2nd chosen government pension check, and your social security retirement check. You'll be receiving 3 monthly retirement checks. While most senior citizens (like me in the near future) are working to supplement their social security checks, you'll be making enough $$ to worry whether you should go fishing, spend time with your grand kids, or work on that hobby in the basement. OMG !! that is such a tough decision; hope you don't get a heart attack from the stress of indecision. Furthermore, while the rest of us are paying $300+ a month in medical insurance, as an Air Force retiree, you get full medical coverage (no deductible) provided by the nearest Veteran's Administration hospital, or any military base near you.

Unlike government pensions, private companies offer 401K plan, which are not protected from embezzlement by company executives. When private companies are having $$ problems, they'll borrow $$ from company-sponsored 401K retirement accounts, and later put that money back. This is the ulterior motive as to why companies had abandoned pension plans, and gone into 401K plans. Pension plans are forever; they keep paying you until you die. In contrast,
401k-plans are good till the balance runs out, and its an interest-free loan they can dip into to borrow $$ when they need it. Pension plans are protected by federal laws to assure the $$ can't be used as an interest-free loan, while 401K plans are not government protected. Today, only federal, state, county, and city governments offer pension plans, and they're funded by taxpayers. All private companies had gone with 401k-plans.

You're making a serious mistake to leave the Air Force; you're going to regret this decision 10 years into the future. I know I did

Well, passingtrucker took awhile to get to it, but it is a personal decession. My brother-in-law is in the Army and was thinking about getting out, but then he met a girl, got married and had a baby. I talked with him and told him about the same thing that passingtrucker said, other than this: If you put in your 20 yrs with the AF, you are done at 38, then put in 20 yrs with the USPS (Post Office) and retire at 58 with 2 full government pensions with full medical bennefits. Then at 63 you can take early SS or wait until 67 and get full SS and never have to worry about having to work in your senior years. You do what you think is best, but, think long term (retirement). Good luck and God Bless you for serving our country.