Career path advice?

Once you start reading the many posts on here you will learn all there is to know. Follow the ones which drivers started from their time in the classroom to going solo.

 

http://www.thetruckersreport.com/tr...ing-company-here/146336-going-with-swift.html

http://www.thetruckersreport.com/tr...company-here/142659-follow-me-with-swift.html

something like that so many of these on here you will have weeks of reading.

 

Well first of all Thank You for your Service!

As for career, a young single man could make a fair chunk of change in oilfield trucking. Then save every dime and invest it wisely.

 

You should reenlist 12 more years and you could retire then follow your dreams to be a truck driver. I served 4 years in the marines also and wish I would have listened to my old man when he told me to reenlist. But if you do separate don't waste your gi bill on going to a trucking school. When you first get out you will be on unemployment and your state state should have a program to get you into job training at least that's what I did when I got out in 97

 

Unless your from a broke ### state like Illinois and the grant money has run out. Imagine that.....

 

Sounds like you have a lot to think about.
What I would do:

Get my cdl, if thats what you REALLY what to do.

Get on with a company that will give you something nice to drive so you can be comfortable.

Get a year or two behind you as a co driver.

Then think about buying a truck for yourself. Or maybe even leaving the business.

Either way, you need to think about what you want and how to get there and what steps you need to take to make it a reality. Baby steps....

Your in a good situation....don't take it for granted. Trucking is a great business but also a risky one.

Good luck to you and what ever you decide to do.

 

It's a whole different ballgame now. Folks are being told that those without their **** together will be put out at the end of their contracts (or earlier if you are really a shatbird). The Corps is in the process of a monster contraction. No money left.

 

Well you seem to be in the perfect position to become an otr driver. I would give it a year or two before thinking about buying a truck though. You may find you will make more as a company driver then an O/O. Schooling and driving is going to be tough but can be done. My wife took online classes while we drove and she did fairly well with it. Downside is that she missed classes here and there do to where we were at the time. Internet is hard to get if you are out in Needles, CA for the night! That's awesome though that you have your goals lined up ready for attack! I suggest maybe taking some business courses and such and maybe even some Owner Opertor material to study and learn while you are out there. This way when the time comes you will make a great truck owner! Check out the OOIDA website. They have a lot to offer as far as learning materials and books on CD's and such in which you can study over the road. They also have lots of good links on there!

If you are going to do it, I suggest jumping in now. You want to be able to get some training time in during the winter. This way next year you will have no worries coming down those icy mountains!

Good luck to you, any questions feel free to shoot em at us!

 

Yeah that seems about right when I was in the guys who wanted to stay in were forced out. If all these guys come back from afghan and Iraq and are looking for jobs where are they going to find them. Unemployment is bad now wait till everyone gets back to the real world.