What a great forum...

I've been hanging around here for the past week or so, anonymously, so I figured It was time to register and say hello. So, howdy!

What a great site though. I just happened to stumble upon this place, more than a few times, while Googling for various bits of info on obtaining my CDL and a career driving a truck. This place has quickly become one of my strongest resources for gathering useful information and helping me make some informed decisions. I've quickly grown to appreciate all this place has to offer.

As I said, I have yet to even begin school. I'm 30, have been making a living for the past 8 years as a freelance illustrator/comic book artist -- Doing very well some months, doing horribly in others, but since the economy has taken a nosedive it's been nothing but bad. My bread and butter gig was canceled in December and it's been tough finding a good replacement since then. It's a constant struggle to find work, then once you find the work it's a constant struggle to get paid on time, or at all, in many cases. Of course, there are so many other reasons why I'm anxious to let go of this career, but money is easily the biggest factor.

I'll always love telling stories through pictures, but the business of commercial art is something else entirely, I do not love it at all. I just wish I would've been able to make that distinction 10 years ago.

Anyway. I'm calling it quits this year and the only thing that came to mind as a new career path was to look into trucking. It's always been in the back of my mind, but I never paid much attention to the idea until now. Once that decision was made, it just seemed natural. Of course, I spent about a week teetering back and forth a bit, second guessing my decision, sort of wondering if this was a wise choice, but that has passed. I would imagine that's a normal process for anyone to go through who's decided to make a major career change.

So yes, before this drags on for too long... I've done a lot of research and note-taking, have an appointment with a driving school this Thursday, have my financial aid application already processed and have made a list of carriers I want to apply to after getting my CDL. All of which I feel pretty confident about, due in large part to this site.

If you read all of that, pat yourself on the back. I'll see you around the boards, and hopefully, out on the road one of these days. And of course, may the force be with you.

-JT

 

Thanks for the advice about the FMCSA site, Rick. I had a safety instructor from a small trucking company point me to that site last week. It's definitely been a useful database.

Thanks for the welcome, guys.