Major Career Change to Trucking

Hello to all,

I'm a 42 year old guy from Mid-Missouri. I've been in a family business here since I was 14.

Started out with my folks at a resort running a guided horseback stable, video game room, rental mopeds & touring carts (Four seat golf carts), mini-golf, go-karts, waverunners and ParaSailing. I learned just about everything for the business by experience. I can fix video games & two stroke engines, I can shoe horses and perform basics as worming and castration and I learned much about hydraulics from our ParaSail boat that used them for the winch to let sailers out and bring them back down to the boat.

I have an FAA Private SEL Pilot's License and my USCG OUPV (Six-pack) License.

Over the past 10 years our business has dwindled down. The resort we were contracting with stopped renewing our contracts in favor of running our operations themselves. We moved our retail & cafe to a location in town to keep it running.

Over the past 3 years, due to our wonderful economy, our cafe slowed to the point it was costing us money, so we shut it down and auctioned off the assets.

In February of this year, my father passed suddenly. He was the man behind the finances for our retail business. I tried as best I could to keep this store going, but all I've done is drained my investments to the point I'm close to bancruptcy. He told me that we just needed to get over this hump, but I don't think he realised the hump in the economy was more like the Andes mountains.

So, I'm in process of shutting down a long time family business and find a new career to carry my family and my self forward. This Saturday, the 22nd is our auction for all our leftover inventory and display fixtures.

Monday the 24th, I start at Ozarks Technical College in Springfield, MO in their Truck Driving Program. After that, looking towards either Con-Way Freight or Schneider National for work. I want to start by driving company trucks. I don't want to get into any kind of lease or purchase of a truck at least until I know this is a long-term career I can do.

 

My only other opportunities for money fell into working retail for a company here. To do so, I'd have to start fresh as a retail clerk and make roughly $7-8 per hour with no benefits. Most likely, I would only get part-time as well. There's no telling how long I would be in that position until I could move up to supervisor and then into management. So, not much money there either.

The lifestyle change is what concerns me the most. I have a 'schedule' for things and hope that when I am riding with the 'finisher', I can make it work. lol

I know it'll be a year MINIMUM before I start making 'decent' pay. Currently I'm working with my home loan agency to either modify or short sell our home. I don't see how we can keep it. It's not a real big deal as my mom has PLENTY of room at her house. My father passed in Feb, so staying at her place makes me feel a little more at ease about her as it is. She'll be helping to care for my boys as the wife will still be working her three part-time jobs. We'll be able to save MUCH better without a house payment too.

I will most definetly miss my family, but I'll have my cell to keep in touch. If I take a laptop with me, is it easy to find Wi-Fi spots to keep in touch that way?

I do believe I have a great work ethic. I've worked for my family for years, but I've also worked with other companies as well and thought my work ethic was higher than most of the other employees. I tend to see things from the company side and understand why they push and I push myself as well.

I don't think there are a lot of freedoms with owning a business anyway. I think most people think there are, but I have only taken one three day vacation in the past 15 years. I never felt I could leave.

Thank you so much for the welcome and advice so far! It's most appreciated!!

 

All depends on if you want to spend the money or save it for yourself. It's more of a business decision. I do admit I felt bad for them too, but if you don't, they can be mean at times and that's not good for a stable that does guided horseback rides for families. LOL