Need advice please

Hey everyone. I first want to thank everyone for providing a lot of great feedback throughout my adventures of starting in this industry. I would like to mention that I recently got my class a cdl. I have been working for a local ltl company for a few months now but only working the docks. I like the company and people I work with however due to my family I don’t think this will work unless I can get different hours, it is a union job and I’m sure many can understand that I am at the bottom. I have young kids and don’t want to miss out on time with them. I am a very hard worker and daily people say to me please don’t leave, just hang in there. It seems like a lot of people are retiring and a lot of the new people we got are all gone. My wife has told me that she wants me to find something else since this will not work for our family. We are blessed financially and I could choose not to work if I really wanted to, that’s just not my cup of tea. I have always done things to the fullest and I chose this career as a challenge to myself and to jump into an industry that’s totally new to me. I could either stay at the company I am at and hope the hours get better. I could look for a construction company job that would require me to drive a dump truck and most of those jobs are early morning and done by afternoon, that would be perfect. Another option is to start my own 3 car hauler company using a 1ton truck. I can work with local dealers and auctions, should be home early most days and I can also choose the hours I want to work. I have a passion for cars and that might be something worth looking into. I can pay cash for everything and don’t need to make a lot of money each year, I would be happy with around 50-60k. Please let me know your thoughts everyone and thank you in advance.

 

Hello. Thank you for saying this, I completely agree with these thoughts. I wanted to be a part of this industry and I knew I could stay local and sleep in my bed each night. I will speak with them and get some thoughts cause they have treated me well and I do like the company. I do like the idea of working for a construction company or maybe even a equipment company. With not having any experience I’m not sure who would be open to hiring and training me. Than again people tell me a lot of companies are needing drivers in almost any sector of trucking. Thanks

 

The problem is that soon I will be gone from the morning and sometimes won’t finish till around 10-11pm at night. That’s five days a week and maybe even Saturdays in the future. It’s not very accommodating for a young family. I totally understand that I need to put my time in and the people that have totally deserve the better shifts, I just don’t think that will happen for me for about 5–6 years and my wife just doesn’t think it’s worth it at that point. Like another member mentioned on here it’s not worth spending that much time away from the family. The way I see it is that most construction jobs or jobs focusing on moving material are typically in the mornings. I also can do my own thing with a car trailer and work a few days a week, during the winter I can do other things like plowing. Just not sure which will work best for my family. Thanks

 

So I decided that I will make this work at the current job, I hope I can move up the ladder soon. Maybe things will open up that will allow me to work the earlier shifts. I think I see a lot of good with this company and some things Like my start and finish time will hopefully get better with time. Thanks for all the great feedback.