Are we cut out for trucking? Opions/Advice needed

I'd say forget it and keep your jobs. You will most certainly take a substantial pay cut. I completely understand getting the "trucking bug" as it were. The romance of a life on the open road wears off quickly and you are left with the hard realities of what a tough job it really is.

 

he dosent need to go OTR to drive a truck. you are happy with your current employment etc. dont change that. If you have a choice i would say no.

 

At the beginning he will learn less as time goes on he might make more it is not unheard of to make 50+ k a year as a solo driver

Where do you two live

 

well honestly from what i have seen and done. i obtained my CDL class A's via working for a local beer company. When that ended i worked other places till about 3 years ago when i got onto my current place. REally didnt want to use my license to drive unless i really had to because growing up with a dad that drove i barely saw him and wouldnt want that because you really dont enjoy your family and loved ones that much. But i got hired by a local company that hauls seeds and chemicals for farmers around here and been doing it for almost 3 years now. Well i enjoy it so much of driving that i really want to go over the road.

Only problem is, Because i went and studied and obtained my licenses on my own no major trucking company that deals with over the road would touch me unless i go to a trucking school first. Found one that is willing to allow me to take a "refresher" course to show what i know and then head out on the road with them afterwords. alot of trucking schools cost too much for someone to quit their job and go to it just to find out hey its really not for them. Im wanting to go over the road because more pay doing that then what im getting now. Family is moving away from here. Not married, not dating anyone no kids so single all way around and nothing but my dog here and mom uses him for protection and wants to take him with her when she moves. (also trucking company doesnt allow dogs. [i own a golden lab] big dog about 80 lbs) Also i enjoy driving. But if i was in your husbands shoes. depending on where you live. keep the jobs you two have and only use it as a backup in case something falls off.

 

Pay cut for sure 10 years into it you may make 80 k but not starting out. Company's will abuse you till you get time or miles under your belt. Tell him to work a local part time gig to get his feet wet. I think trucking is like farming you got to love the job cause you arenot gonna get rich. This is the most regulated job that the employees take all the heat.

 

The only real question you need to ask yourself is can you handle being stuck in a truck with your husband 24 hours a day for weeks at a time? Seriously think about that before anything else.

 

well farming done right can make you rich. but you got to know what your doing first of all. haha and seeing alot of farmers around here change their business names each year apparently they dont. best way to figure out if you wanna drive professionally. Next family vacation do everything in the family car figure up driving at least 10 - 14 hours straight to get across country stopping at Truck stops for rest room breaks and gas breaks see the countryside (through the windshield) in heavy traffic in some places. Or Imagine yourself in one of the 18 wheelers and try imagining getting around some places like that. Look at maps to find out what roads your legally able to get across weight wise, height wise. where scales are speed limits. Just imagine yourself doing it day in day out and get into the mindset. To help imagine. lock yourself in a closet like i read someone else post on the forums before. Can you sit for hours on end driving usually by yourself listening to the radio or CB. talking on the phone to your loved ones would run up minutes so you got to be careful on that. texting while driving will get you a nice reward from the DOT.

You get with the right company you can make the money. Nothing is fast and guaranteed though so dont expect to make alot of money the first year or so. Best thing to do is research before you actually quit a job and go driving. Alot of people get out of it because its not something that they really want to get into. A lot of people on the forums here have said that usually the first few months to year everyone enjoys it then it starts to set in that its no longer fun and start regretting getting into the business.

Rain sleet snow or shine truckers continue to keep it between the lines.

 

As a team, you can make 80k in your first year with decent company. You have to find the companies that treat their teams well and give them plenty of miles. As a solo driver, he'd be lucky to make 40k the first year. No matter what though, it is all about the company you hire on to.

I ran team when I started driving 11 years ago. We averaged $950+ per week. I was with Covenant. I do believe they train husband/wife teams in the same truck, or used to. Good luck.