Thinking of changing careers

If you have kids still at home , I’d advise against trucking.

yoire gonna be gone all the time , as you know .

as for the pay increase , it’s gonna be about the same hourly pay your making now , but you’re gonna be working 70 hours a week instead of 40

 

THERE IS NO TRUCK DRIVE SHORTAGE.
Find the employer BEFORE you decide about going to CDL school.
Ignore trucking company web sites.
The CDL school will claim you are perfect for CDL school even if your driving record is the worst in the country, you have 8 recent violent felonies, you use illegal drugs daily, you are legally blind. The CDL school makes money whether you ever get a driving job or not.

You are the only person on the planet with a special interest in you succeeding. NOBODY else will protect you, but you.

 

Imagine being bored and tired and making a lot less money with zero time off and never seeing your family. That's trucking.

 

Most carriers love to hire veterans (that is, those with an honorable discharge) -- because they have demonstrated they have the moxie & the true grit to survive & handle the trucking world's challenges.

Assuming they have...at least, for the most part....maintained their physical conditioning -- Army & Marine vets (in particular) make great potential candidates for flatbed-type duty.

Your first year to 15 months in....as a new driver....will truly test your mettle.

You will soon learn why the wash-out rate for new drivers is so high (80-90+%).

But....since you're a vet....it will be somewhat easier for you....than somone else who has not been in the military.

Being out on a trainer's truck....with a really good trainer....can of course make a huge difference.

Later on -- don't waste your time applying to carriers who don't have dedicated, established training programs for brand new drivers.

Most all the carriers listed above have such programs.

Of course -- some will be generally better than others.

One thing that is majorly in your favor -- Texas is arguably one of the best general locations to start out in trucking.

So many freight types....so little time.

-- L

 

Just get in your car/truck. Drive about 550-600 miles. Sleep in your vehicle. Get up next day do the same thing. about a week.
Ohh and get into an argument with anyone. At the pump, in the store, whatever.
If you want, explain you wanna be a truck driver and are practicing for some shippers/receivers/dispatchers so you need a good argument about nothing that really matters.

 

With trucking....there are jobs where you can be home:

• daily
• more than once per week
• weekly
• monthly
• or....less often than monthly (OTR)

The home-daily jobs usually either:

• involve quite a bit of physical labor
• involve a lot of potential risk
• are highly competitive...with a large pool of potential/qualified drivers
• some -- or all -- of the above

Carefully assess how comfortable your spouse/family are -- with you not being at home each & every nite.

Several years ago -- I got into trucking....in part, becuz:

• no spouse
• no significant other
• no kids
• no pets
• no family
• no real health issues
• no criminal history
• no drug history
• no traffic citations/accidents
• NO kidding!!!...

For me -- getting a CDL was a "no brainer".

I also had a bad case of wanderlust....a track record of being something of a "gearhead"....& also...a naturally introverted personality. I would rather work/be alone -- than with an office full of narcissists & idiots.

Because of most of the above factors -- I had the freedom & flexibility to pivot (later on) into hauling fuel.

Thus -- trucking is NOOOOTTT for everybody.

But....for those with the right blend of the above -- trucking can be a good fit.

-- L

 

You know, I tell people that all the time. Let's say, they HAVE to go somewhere 3,4,5 hours away, and come back all tired and upset, I say, yeah, now go do that tomorrow and for the next 40 years. I still think they don't get it. Trucking is a hands on deal, you learn as you go, or at least you better. Years ago, help was all around, now you have to rely on a YouTube video,,,

 

Most of the time they are watching it as they drive though