Trucking with a college degree

There are people who have learning as a hobby. They enjoy enriching their minds and expanding their views simply for the sake of acquiring knowledge.

Whenever someone approaches me with a conflict of what career to follow (money or passion), I always tell them that it is better to be poor and happy rather than rich and miserable.

With the cost of living soaring by the day, I can assure you that no amount of money will ever be enough. Let the work be it's own reward.

 

Well said!

 

With a college degree, you can move into management jobs such as fleet manager, safety, operations, carrier relations, recruiting, etc.
Many outifts will hire from within the ranks of their drivers rather than hiring off the street.
I know JB Hunt is big on hiring from within.

But that being said, I'd stick with police work over trucking.
Alot of baby boomers are retiring, and this will open up many positions in police departments across the country.

 

Your family is right you are wasteing your time becomming a driver I love driving but the sad fact is this industry is horrible and getting worse there is no money in driving take your college education and go be a cop.

 

McDonalds Mangers get $50,000 a year and you can eat the food.

 

Will any of the big trucking companies even touch a 20 year old school graduate? I'm out of touch.....I'm curious.

I'd also chase the law enforcement job instead of driving a truck. Yes, you'll initially make more money driving a truck, once you're off of training status, but your income will never increase substantially after the first year or so you drive. You also give up any type of normal life with most companies.......put in 70 hours a week, spend lots of money on the road while doing it.

I did the same thing 28 years ago. Thought I'd get into trucking long enough to bank some money to go to graduate school. Back then, the opportunities weren't so great, or at least it was difficult for a new driver to get on with a decent company. I held out for a couple of years, stubbornly waiting to make the 'big' money I'd heard about.
Ok...I made it a few years out of 28. less than a quarter of my time driving a truck.
I don't consider $50,000 a year 'big money' for spending 310 days or more a year away from home, being treated like dirt by your employer, and many customers, and watching normal life pass you by.
I enjoy it sometimes now, but I'm mostly sick of trucking, and the limited prospects out here.
You may consider drive a truck for a year or so, seeing parts of the country, seeing where else you may like to live that has opening for police officers, and set up residency there.

Frankly, if I were your age again, and you are capable of passing the physical and background requirements of various law enforcement departments, I'd move my butt to an area that's hiring cops.....get any kind of job that is hiring, apply and test for whatever department is hiring...and wait it out.

Don't overlook some of the federal cops, and I'm not talking U.S. Marshalls, F.B.I,etc.
There used to be openings for the GSA police, which is a sworn law enforcement position. Border Patrol?

 

AA, BS, and began my MBA (didn't finish it) before going back out into the world. Worked for myself in sales, climbed the corporate ladder, ended up in an executive position in SoCal doing just under six figures before the first layoff of my life. I realized later that the layoff was a huge favor. I realized how miserable I was sitting in that office wishing I had a belt-fed weapon.



I started driving because I had always wanted to try it. I am out of a truck now because I am running a small insurance brokerage and my 8-year old "payback" needs me at home for the time being. I do ok, but the road keeps calling.

For the record, I moved to Charlotte in early 2008. The Charlotte/Mecklenburg Police Dept was hiring like crazy. They were willing to pay me.... get this..... a whopping $38,800/year.... to get shot at by MS-13. Those without college degrees got less. This does not include overtime, just base salary.

I can do much more than that in the cab of a truck. Either way, you'll find later on that the amount of money isn't going to matter much if you are completely miserable doing what you do. I have met former Attorneys, college profs, cops, business owners, sales people, chef's, photographers, retired military officers, and almost EVERY former profession in a truck. There is a reason for that and it's NOT because it is "all they could find".

You will never waste a college degree once you've earned it, no matter what profession you end up at.









ETA: Be careful, because once you start driving, you will become addicted and you will NEVER EVER EVER be able to completely strike the idea from the back of your head. Diesel gets into your veins. I didn't believe it when a driver friend of mine told me this before I got my CDL. Boy.... was I mistaken. It is an addiction, trust me.

 

McDonalds eats their young, no pun intended - I have a good friend with 4 McDs franchises... out of 100 manager trainees he gets started, he keeps about 2 a year.

Then, he jokingly says that they eat the food, gain 200 lbs, have a heart attack and die at 43.