Diesel mechanics get in here.

Probably better to ask in the mechanics section, I can't get it to link.

 

Didn’t you post something like this 2 weeks ago ? You can’t make up your mind to be a hotshot driver, CDL, or turn wrenches…..

 

Been full time wrench spinner for well over a decade. Anyone who says the job is hard on the body doesn't work smart. I get more beat up doing stupid crap on weekends lol.

You'll typically spend anywhere from $10k to $20k in tools to get a decent collection in the first 2-4 years. After that it tapers off. I might blow a couple hundred bucks on tools once in a blue moon. More or less just replacing worn out air tools and the odd cool gadget now and then.

Pay is good. With experience and a good rep it can be a 6 figure job if you're willing to work for it. Best part is you're home every night and usually 2-3 days off a week depending on shift structure.

 

You've got cranes, hoists, jacks etc. No reason to let your body do the work when there's tools available to do the heavy lifting for you. Very rare I lift anything weighing much more than 60-70 lbs. Even when I weld, paint or work with chemicals I wear a respirator. Eye protection at all times and hearing protection when I need it.

I don't plan to spend my retirement couch surfing so I look after myself best I can now.

 

Money is good but hands always dirty and cold. Gynecologist can make same money and have hands clean and warm.

 

I was in IT for almost 10 years. There's things about doing that you need to consider. You need to have excellent people skills. The HR department will always be breathing down your neck just waiting for you to say something that hurt some other persons precious feelings. Yes, you can make good money if you can navigate that #### storm, and you are able to think creatively to solve problems that haven't been solved yet. There's A LOT there to think about. Yes you can make money, but in my opinion it's just not worth it. It sucks your identity away from you. Anyone that tells you IT is a good profession for introverted people with an appreciation for tech is lying to you. There's more to it than that.

Truck driving is a lot more an introverted person's job than IT. I can tell you that from experience doing both.

In IT you can't just google or necessarily ask someone for the answer. You have to think about it. If there's a problem, there may not be a known answer yet. You have to use your own tools you have inside your head to come up with an answer. If you want to make the big bucks, that comes from years of reading books, talking to other folks, and learning new things generally. And also navigating political landscapes, which for me was the hardest part, and I never figured out. I never figured out how to navigate office life.

My personal opinion is that best money for the best quality of life is driving. You don't have to worry about any of that ####. You just safely drive. You will get paid the same amount of money and you can be yourself.

 

Another thing about trucking that I appreciate is people that talk to me in less than proper ways. Because I grew up only understanding one way of being spoken to. And in an office environment that's the only way you can speak to people. But when I started driving people were allowed to speak to me however they want, even if they wanted to yell.

After working in offices over 10 years and in IT for under 10, I can tell you it's refreshing when someone is allowed to just speak to you directly. Because you know where he's coming from. And you can still have a beer afterwards. It just feels more natural all around.

 

The best part about mechanic work is when they put you on a service truck and your out in all types of weather working on nasty oily diesel engines while it rains or snows or is 95 degrees. Oh yes, looks like my dream job actually. An older mechanic told me this when I did auto mechanic work, a doctor burries his mistakes, a carpenter covers his mistakes, but a mechanics mistakes just come back to bite him. That’s true too.