Trucking with a college degree

LOL... I was going to teach, actually. Got interrupted and never got the degree and now there's no jobs. Did customer service and hated it. I'd love to edit books, but that's a tough field to get into. By driving a truck, I at least get to listen to books all day.

 

Fixed it for ya.

Yeah, I hear ya. Degrees have become so specialized nowadays, so have most professions. There are still plenty of places around though that will take a look at ya even with a degree in something completely different.

 

i done school and got my agriculture technology degree and i drive a grain truck and going back to school next month to go otr getting a bit tired of hauling corn and soybean around the state

 

I hear you there. Mine is, too. I've done the teaching thing for a while, and pretty well had my fill of doing a "proper" career. Finally decided it was time to stop letting what classes I took define my place in life and just go for what fits and makes me happy.

Besides, when you've got this degree, what some consider crap for miles would equate to top-of-the-field pay.

 

I have a double Bachelor's degree in Sociology and Psychology with an Eduaction minor. I could have, I think, three more degrees in a semester or two.

I bartended in nyc and made 80k. I owned my own bar and made a killing for a few years and got with so many women I couldn't keep count.

I was a car salesman and made over 70k for three years straight, through a Chrysler bankruptcy and the virtual collapse of the American car industry.

All in all I was happy for a little while doing those things. Well maybe more than a while when I was with the women while in the bar industry! lol

I always wanted to drive a truck. See the country. Feel free. I can always fall back on my education. I don't regret doing any of the things I have done, but the one thing I would regret is not getting my cdl and driving a truck. I got my class a license two weeks ago on Thursday. I am waiting on getting picked up by a trainer right now. There is good money to be made driving. Fracking jobs, oil fields, fuel hauling, so I know I can make the big dollars if I want.

I have told everyone, school is a business. There is no job police handing out jobs when you graduate. They sure as hell are at your door wanting their student loan money back though! lol. They just caught up with me too. Basterz!!! lol.

A someone earlier in this thread said, you will never waste the education you received. You will however waste your life if you don't do what makes you happy though! My dad died when he was 51. I was 17. I bet you my life he would have done something other than what he was doing if he knew he was going to die at 51.

Bottom line, do what makes ya happy!!! Live for today for tomorrow who knows!!!

 

My husband and I each have a Bachelors of Science in Electrical Engineering. We have worked in the Patent and Trademark Office (where we first met) and at a Patent law firm as Patent Technical Consultants (where we met for the second time and started dating and got engaged). We had to leave the Virginia area because we could not afford to live there with only him working and my needing foot surgery and my having a small child with asthma and food allergies. Since then I have worked as a clerk until I had to quit in 1999 due to developing disabling conditions. Since we left Virginia, my husband has worked as a construction worker and an armored car guard and is currently running with his trainer at Maverick - says he might be getting his own truck in about 2 weeks since his trainer is pretty confident that my husband will be ready then.

 

Reading this thread reminds me of something which I find amusing about this job: don't you love how many customers, the general public and (oftentimes) even people from our own companies (dispatchers/fleet managers, etc) often treat the average driver as if we were all some sort of second-class citizen, 9th-grade education-having, knuckle-dragging neanderthals?

I really believe that most of these people are thinking something along the lines of, "you're driving a truck for a living - you must have screwed up somewhere" or, "you're just driving down the road - your job can't possibly require that much intelligence". It never seems to occur to them that quite a few of us are out here because we chose this lifestyle.

Nor does it ever occur to them that some of us could do their job - and would probably be better at it.

 

QUOTE:

Nor does it ever occur to them that some of us could do their job - and would probably be better at it.


Amen Brother!

We are just smart enough not to do their jobs. Thats why they take out their agressions on the drivers!

 

Become a driver if that is what you want to do. It isn't like policework won't be there later. Plus you may learn a lot from driving that can help you in your LE career.

 

Like I posted earlier, you'd be absolutely amazed at some of the previous careers I've found behind the wheel of a rig. There are plenty of former airline pilots right here on this very forum, either current drivers or student drivers. Thing is, I've investigated that profession and trust me.... you make a LOT more money as a truck driver than as an airline pilot, at least for the first 10 or so years.

Police officers
Teachers
College Professors
A Lawyer (Yeah, that blew me away too)
Insurance agents and brokers (like myself)
Former corporate execs (like myself)
Construction trades
Sales
Real Estate agents
Mortgage brokers
Ministers
Tech support
IT Professionals
A Chef
Military (that almost goes without saying)
Nurses
Customer Service Reps
A Dog Trainer
Coal Miners
College Asst Football coach
Personal Trainers


I could go on and on. It has always fascinated me what led people to trucking, so I always made it a point to ask when I met people at truck stops, shippers, or receivers. I like to listen to people's life stories. It's fascinating and if you aren't careful, you just might learn something.



Point is, truck drivers are not "losers" by any means.