Should I become a trucker

If you have to ask, No..

 

Id trade my cdl for your bachelors degree

 

No, if you're not committed to sticking with it long-term, you probably won't make past the first 6 mos.

 

Try never to get into something just because you can't do what you really want. Passion is the only reason to drive. It is too time consuming to look at it just as a way to make money.

If you do though, I would look at over the road, and see the country. That will be worth more than money. To me local driving is a job, OTR is an adventure.

The industry is chocked full of drivers the last 20 years, who sit in the big seat, only because they can't find anything else, so you will not be alone. Back when I started in the early 70s, most of the drivers, that is mostly or all that they wanted to do.....

 

Oilfields , Ice Roads everyone thinks they can get a CDL and head out to a GREAT job.

Lots of drivers went and came back worse off $ wise than they started out.

 

Go bang your head against a wall for 14 hours straight, and at the end of it, if you can say it felt good, then perhaps you should continue forward with trucking.

 

maybe
also you can make money in the oilfields without a cdl
I wish I would have done this from the start instead of spent money on college.

 

I was in the same boat you were. These guys are telling it too you straight. Only go into this career if it's something you really want to do LONG TERM. Now do I have my bachelors yes I do and my CDL. I am sticking in this field because I really like driving the truck, the lifestyle (don't forget this part) and the security that comes with driving for a good LTL carrier.

 

With a BA in Business Administration you may start at $30k per year to start this is true.

With a CDL class A you could earn $60k per year this is true too.

Here is the difference, we fast forward your life 10-15 years from now and look to see were your life has ended up:

BA :

Making $90K-$100K or more depending how good you are.
working 40 hours a week with weekends, holidays, sick days, personal days, vacations off
Happily married
Couple of kids and a dog who know who you are and love you.

CDL-A:

You will still be making $60k-$70k
You will still be working 60-70 hours a week, working most weekends, paid peanuts if at all for holidays & vacations, no sick or personal days
Mostly likely divorced cause your wife got sick of feeling like a single mom so she became one cus the benefits are better
Your kids will hate you if they even know you cus some family court judge assumed you are a scumbag just cus your a trucker and awards your ex-wife everything and 1/3 of your gross income until your youngest kids finishes college.

My family has been in the trucking business since 1940 and this is how 90% of the drivers have ended up that I have ever met in my life. The other 10% get good local union jobs, get lucky and have a great wife, or just get out of the business all together before it is to late to save their families.

Take the business administration job, save your money, and get your MBA on-line or by attending part-time classes.

Good Luck!