I have been reading this forum for about a year now. I would really like to try truck driving. My problem is I am 40 years old with a wife and 3 kids under 12 years old. I have been working the same job for 18years and can retire in 12yrs. I get 12 paid holidays and 3 weeks vacation per year. Common sense would say stick it out for 12 more years and then try trucking, but I am severely burnt out and am totally bored with my job. I can't get trucking out of my mind. It's all I can think about. Some I talk to say "go for it, life is too short" but then I think..what if I "go for it" and hate it and find myself 12 years down the road saying "Man, I could be retired by now if I would have just stayed with the job I hate".

I am debt free and we rent our house so I am not tied down there.

I am thinking about taking three weeks vacation and go to a truck driving school and getting my CDL. Then I would see if I think I may like trucking or not. If not then I am only out a few thousand dollars and I can quit thinking about it once and for all. If after going through the school I have a gut feeling I would love the profession I could reconsider changing careers at that time.

Thoughts, opinions, or advice?

Do you have a friend or relative that drives? If you do, maybe you could take a couple weeks off and ride along with them to see how it really is out there. The three weeks vacation to go to school doesn't sound like a bad idea. I'll warn ya though - once bitten by the bug, you will have a hard time getting it out of your system!

How does your family feel about the idea of you becoming a truck driver?

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I didn't say it was your fault, I said I was going to blame you.

Dynamite comes in small packages, Nitro comes in smaller ones, take your pick!

I would suck it up for the next 12 years, sounds like you have a good gig. If you go OTR you will miss a lot of your kids growing up. You can always try it when you have a retirement income and the kids are grown...Thats what I would do if I was in your shoes....

I think you'd make a mistake to through away a good job to go to one that's not going to pay that great with long times away from your young family. There's plenty of time to drive after you retire and your kids will be grown. Maybe you can set yourself some goals to advance in your current job so you won't be so bored. Look at your advantages and disadvantages.

Advantages are you're making a good living and your home for your kids. You're building a retirement. Once you retire you can go driving if you still want to and you'll have a huge advantage most do not have. An income while you're training and just starting out. Your kids should be on their own so maybe you and your wife could both go through the training and become a team. You won't have to worry about medical or dental if your current company has good benefits. You'd be relaxed knowing if you did fail it wouldn't be the end.

Disadvatages are you'll need to make money right off the start to support your family. Your retirement will start over again in most cases. You'll be gone for all your kids activities and your wife will have to take care of the home front all by herself. You'll most likely be making less money which means you'll need to be gone even more. And you'll be saying I should have stayed where I was all the time!!

Of course I'm just guessing about your facts because I don't know you. But I can tell you it's a dream when you don't have to worry about money when you get your training. The driving jobs will be there when you're ready. Just think about your family before you make any moves. Good luck.

Just to simply say that I doubt that going to a three week truck school is going to give you much sense of what trucking's really like. Better to more carefully consider everything before spending the dough, than going with the notion that the mill's going to somehow make up your mind. Know what I mean...?

My hubby has always had dreams of driving a truck. I often thought that it was just a passing thought for him. I would always say, "Maybe later." Back at the beginning of the year he started on the truck driving trip again. After much discussion, I told him that it was time to spread his wings and fly.

No, you aren't gonna get rich driving a truck these days, you do have to sacrifice a lot including time away from your family unless you get lucky and score a great local run and you have to admit you have it made where you work now.

Now, it sounds like your heart may be on a truck. It's time to sit down and do some soul searching for what YOU want. Talk to your wife and kids about it, let them have some input. Then decide what you want to do. I regret ever holding my hubby back from his dream. If I would have known how much it meant to him 5 years ago, I would have never held him back. It's just in his blood to drive. Never let an opportunity pass you buy but at the same time make sure this is what you want because you will be leaving a good thing.

Make friends with truckdrivers if you haven't already. Hitch a ride with someone if possible....this will really be the only way to know.

As far as schooling, you may find it better to do a truckdriving school on the weekends. Doing weekends, a school would take about 8 weeks. If you go to a private school, you may be elgible for a state grant also. Just search around your area and see what is offered there.

I wish you the best of luck in whatever you decide to do!

Make sure that you really talk things over with your wife. Your family will never be the same. Are you prepared to be away from your children for that long? To miss seeing them grow up? You are right, life is short. Their young life is short too. Only you know what is right for you.

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Everyone has mentioned some of the good points.........my 2 cents

When considering career change.....LIFE cahnge.....(this is a life) it sounds like you have alot to consider.

1. You still have somewhat small children. What has your relationship been and how will it affect them. How active have you been in their lives (it might damage you as much as them)

2. Your significant other..........same aspect.....how does she feel......do you both understand what you will have to do for at least the next 12-14 months to get your experience to be able to have better career choices in this field.

3. Your financial situation.........Consider your current income against what you will make your first year...........again12-14 months before better choices.

Do you know aht it is exactly you want out of and from driving......

If you have considered these matters you are very close to being in a good position to make that leap...........

You are in the right place for help and advice.........their are alot of good people here that are glad to help..........
Good luck.........................J

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Just my few words-----or not................J

Life is too short, try to enjoy it.....
Maybe we should drive buses

Milby I'm exactly in your same situation,I've been at a papermill for about 15 years now and getting bored with it.
My plan is to go to weekend school to get my CDL and see what happens after that,we have one around here that takes 12 weekends to get your CDL.
Besides it's always good to have a CDL in your pocket to fall back on,I think trucking will be around for a long time unlike the papermills in the U.S.
I think a person can get burned out with any job though in my opinion.

I would listen to common sense, and stick with your current job for 12 more years. Will you receive a pension after 12 more years? If you are, don't throw that away just because you have the desire to be a truck driver. You can pursue truck driving after retirement. That's what i'm doing. And even though you have no debt, you still have rent and three kids to raise. What if you don't like truck driving...then what? Stay with your current job, get a pension, watch your kids grow, then go trucking.