New guy here (17 yr ld)

the more you learn the better i have been learning all my life my dad is a trucker 2 or my uncles and my grandfather retired from trucking a few years back and when i get home from Iraq im gonna start my travels to become a trucker but i dont know how good you are with tools another thing is you can become a grease monkey for trucks and get some EXP driving in and outta shops thats how i learned how to back up trailers gettin a 53 footer into a shop door with alot of rigs around is fun your frist couple times

 

Words to live by young man!

 

Leroy which biggest city are you nearby. I ask as I can see who is hiring near you and could check out the requirements and pm them to you.

KH

 

I know you most likely will not want to hear this but the best advice anyone can give you is to stay in school. If not, the best thing you can do is have many options for a career. If you narrow that down to trucking then you'll want to go for the jobs that are in demand. Become specialized with transferable training. Anyway you look at it it's going to take research and you now have the luxury to do that. You want to be in demand and not the other way around.

If you do decide to drive then I suggest you make a list now of what you expect and what you want to achieve. And keep updating it. Just don't look at a company for pay or what they have to drive but take a look at all of the benefits. You may have a family by that time and your health benefits will be major. Plus if you get lucky and find a company that you can retire from you can invest in that company then retire a millionaire. It's not that hard.

In trucking, any job that is worth anything will not touch you until you're 25. Some may say different but that's what I've seen and some may think their company is the best when I don't. So you've got time to make your decision but make the right decision that you can live with. That's why you'll want other careers if you need them.

When I got out of the service I was a fully trained equipment operator for everything except a crane. I already had 7 years experience OTR ( commercial not military) and I also had experience in the radiation field. After awhile I had three jobs that opened up to me and gasoline hauling for a major oil company was the best job. It allowed me to retire early and I still make the same amount of money when I include my investments. So be sure to think long range and include retirement. Good luck and stay with us.

 

Leroy, the first question that my very first employer asked me was "Do you have a drivers license?". That man owned the trucking company that I was applying with for a job washing trucks.
He wanted to know, in case he needed me to move a trailer or tractor around the yard, at my age then (15) I had to say "no".

Starting that way (washing trucks, doing yard work, and small maintenance tasks) would be a great way to get a good start in the trucking industry.
As well as build a solid, stable work history.

 

I need to find a place like that. You at least have to know how to start it and move it around.

 

I see two things that may cause you problems in trucking...

 

I have a son who is 17 also, and is thinking about doing the same thing. After having done it for over 20 years myself here's what I tell him... It is a love/hate relationship. You will make money doing it, but some times will be better than others, and you will never get rich. You will work many, many hours, and rarely see your family. If you work a local (home every night job) most likely when you get off work every day you will be so tired that all you will want to do is eat, shower, and go to bed. If you run long haul you will be out anywhere from 2 to 6 weeks at a time which is fine if you don't mind being around loved ones, but down the road if you have a wife and kids you will miss them terribly, and they will miss you. You will only get 2 or 3 days off between your weeks out (average is 2 days off for every 2 weeks out) and keep in mind that on those days off you aren't making any money which is especially important if you are an owner operator with a truck payment, fuel costs, insurance, etc. You may have to go days without a shower if you are running hard with time sensitive loads. You will hear things on the cb that would make your mother cringe. You will get to see the country, but never have time to stop and really enjoy yourself which is hard especially if you happen to be passing by say Disney World or some other cool place. I could sit here and fill you with all the good things that we drivers like about the job, but instead as a mother I am giving you the hard facts so that if you do decide to get into it you won't be duped into thinking it's a glorious job. Chances are that if you do it for 20 years you will end up with back problems. I could go on and on, but dear child make a wise decision before you jump in, and decide if it is really something that you want to do. Honestly, I would say keep your options open and go to college.
Fellow drivers- did I give it to him straight? What else can I add?