Career choice, get my CDL at 20?

The reasons are as many as the day is long.

- Some simply flunk out (for lack of a better term) due to accidents, incidents, can’t manage their time, or trip plan, etc…

- Some can’t adapt to the lifestyle. This is NOT a 9 - 5 job. It’s not getting paid to RV vacation across country.

- It causes family issues for a lot of younger guys.

- It causes mental issues for some such as loneliness (some feel like they’re literally a prisoner of the Highway).

That’s just a VERY small sample. The list goes on and on.

 

I was on this ship for awhile. Worked right there between the two bow catapults as a checker. Wore green jersey with white vest that had black checker board stenciled on it.

 

Crazy life back in those days.

 

Home - KLLM Transport Services
Submit short application on opening page and a recruiter will contact you.


"To speak ill of others is a dishonest way of praising oneself." --Will Durant

 

Trucking seems to require a certain level of mental "grit"...or toughness...that many new(er) drivers just don't have. I think that first-year learning curve is a lot steeper than many bargained for. You're picking up a lot of new skill sets in a hurry -- not everyone can hack it.

I did not leave former CDL employers due to the job itself -- I left mostly due to people issues (clueless dispatchers, etc).

Fortunately -- I was pretty much a stranger with the safety depts.

-- L

 

Another big reason not to be overlooked there's a LOT of BS going on in trucking which drivers put up with that people in other industries don't or wouldn't.

Drivers are mostly paid by the mile and our time is worth nothing so it routinely gets wasted. It's not unusual at all for 20-30 hours or more of a driver's time to get wasted in a typical week. All uncompensated. Companies expect you to just deal with it. It's understandable why most people walk away from that.

 

Still at it -- just renewed my hazmat endorsement, & also the TWIC card.

I've got over 40 months in it now...

Your first year to 18 months will pretty much suck (in all probability).

Especially if your first carrier is a reefer fleet.

-- L

 

Good point!