Stress

Any where you go, there will be stress. Maybe not as much, but always expect for that one day to come up and bite ya. Sure getting away from kids who weren't taught on how to be courteous by their parents. Their so called "No Discipline" policy has grown to work hasn't it? Parents have become blind to misbehavior. Growing up, my parents beat my ### when I did something wrong and trust me, never made the same mistake twice until I was a teen, even then they beat my ### more then I can remember.

Sorry got off track, but anyways man go into it with a open mind and you will be fine. I aswell hope to be starting school soon to get my CDL and running OTR. But I can relate, I've loved trucks when I was younger and now that I am getting older this is the best time for me to get into it.

 

The "trucking industry" has several facets. Here's quick overview of the common three and their stress levels. For low stress, drive for someone (company driver). For medium stress, become an O/O and pull for someone. For HIGH stress, own several trucks and own/run your own trucking company. If stress is an issue, don't go anywhere near number three.

 

I think teaching is one of the most important jobs, most underpaid and it must be one of the most frustrating. Depending on the age of the students, I'm sure things can get out of hand.

You should certainly weight the pros and cons of becoming a truck driver. Since summer is coming, if you don't work at a year round school, you may want to consider driving cross country alone. Do you feel lonely at all during the process? Are you able to stay awake on long segments of your trip? And also look into different companies and their policies. You may even want to sign up for a trucking job within your state to get a feel for it before going for the long haul. It's important to work in an industry you love because we work more than we do anything else. If teaching isn't it, maybe get away for a while and do a little soul searching. What winds your clock? I like film production work but also love doing journalistic work. These give me the most amount of satisfaction and a creative outlet. Good luck!

 

Trucking has it's fair share of stress.
Backing into a tight spot is stressful.
Being stuck in rush hour traffic when your work clock is ticking and you're on a deadline is stressful.
Getting caught in a freak snow storm or heavy downpour is stressful.
City driving is stressful.
Going to a new area and looking for the street you have to turn on to is stressful.

Crawling into bed after a long day and enjoying an 8-10 hour much needed rest...that's not stressful.

 

It's getting better for me after a few weeks alone now. The first ten days, day 1, 1st delivery, got lost, was late. day 1 1st pickup after being late for 1st delivery, missed the turn, tryed to turn around in a small car wash, 30 minutes later i ended up backing back out into the road, held up a heap of traffic, got turned around got to the pickup, late. had to blind side back across a frozen lot losing traction, ect. THAT took 40 minutes, and consiquently was late for my next delivery. BUT, it got better, I got better, still have my moments, I don't back all that well yet, but yesterday I hit a dock in one shot in a tight yard. So far a lot of stress but I'm digging it, just getting better every day is a huge reward. For the last two weeks, early for every appt. I have a long way to go, i am very aware of that. SO MUCH to LEARN! But every minute has been worth it. More than I wanted to write, I guess what I mean to say is it's hard at first but it gets easyer, and your days fly bye. Good luck, Keep with it, don't get discouraged, and Give it heck!
Stay Safe, Happy trails.
b

 

Can you recommend a good read on Trucking? I am in the learning stage before going to CDL School.