Here I go, don't know where, but I AM GOING!!!

Hey Geo, welcome to the forum!

You sound like you are in the prime position to become a driver! No wife, no young kids, personally I would say to go for it! You really have nothing tying you down to home, except the fish!

The reason truck driving is in high demand and pays well is because it is a very unique career. Very high stress, fast paced, no typical kind of schedule job. Its very hard especially for the family folk to be away from home for any amount of time and living in a closet on wheels for months at a time can be tough to get used to. Besides this the industry is very strictly mandated and its tough to remain squeaky clean even for the most professional driver. A simple marker light out on the trailer could earn you points on your license. Among the stress of driving, operating a huge vehicle in and out of traffic, dealing and avoiding everyone else on the road who does not know how to drive, driving long hours, etc... Your schedule also changes from day to day in that sometimes you sleep during the day, sometimes you sleep at night, there are times you can only sleep a couple hours etc... This really puts your body out of whack. Then there is the lack of exercise and very bad eating habits. As a new driver this is easily over looked and doesn't take long for you to put on those 50lbs and become a prime heart attack candidate. After driving 11 hours straight it is really tough to force yourself to get out and exercise especially since you only have a certain amount of hours to eat, shower, do your laundry, paperwork etc... oh yeah and sleep too! As a newbie you will also have a lot of added stress due to getting lost, making appointment times, extreme weather and also rapid climate changes. This is why it is a career in high demand. Very few newbies fresh out of school make it past the one month mark out on the road.

If driving over the road or being a trucker is for you then you will most likely thoroughly enjoy it and soon become addicted to it. There are many perks in being an over the road driver. Of course everyone says the scenery and you are being paid to see the country, the freedom, blah, blah, blah. For me its the fact that it doesn't really feel like a true job. I also like the fact that it isn't a 9-5 Mon-Fri job either. When you are on the road every day is the same. Monday mornings aren't dreaded and Friday afternoons aren't praised. Every day is just like the previous and next. You may actually find yourself liking the weekdays more than the weekends due to high volumes of weekend warriors and their campers!

There are many ways to get yourself into the biz. Personally I would recommend going through a trucking company that has their own school. They will pay for everything and you don't have to spend any money upfront. Yes you will have to sign a contract but I would rather be on the hook with a trucking company than a bank or financial institution or worse yet the government! If you default on the contract they aren't going to come take your house. They can't take your license back either! So overall it is a pretty good opportunity to get your foot in the door.

 

Geo;
I understand what the fiber is all about I use to fiber glass remote control vintage planes on the side for my buddy, I plan on hooking up with Con-Way truck load CTL, I've heard a lot of good about them. I'll probably go team, solo is great but it's better to have an extra pair of eyes, brains, and a body when unloading a truck if needed. I spent time in the military and I'm used to adapting quickly with personal. As long as they are ethical, moral and of good character. Good luck maybe we cross each other at TS.

 

check with crete / shaffer. they aer up in New Kingstown. Sounds like you will be going to school somewhere that they will hire out of . i worked for thme jsut over a year til i screwed it up but i think they were really good to me. have fun

 

Glad you got in, but from my experience that WIA program is full of fraud, no wonder the country is still broke! I went to a driving school here in Dallas, that had a "week end" program. There was one other student besides me. I paid cash, and he was on the WIA grant! As I got to know him over the next 9 weeks he was going to keep his construction job even after getting his cdl, he was there just for the grant money.

Good luck Geo, this is not a career for everyone, but you wont know til you try! Me, I absolutley love it. It is hard some days and difficult on others, but I feel like a paid tourist and the freedom I have I would not give up!

 

Good luck Geo. Really hope you get your CDL. I can't wait to get done with school and get on the road. Best wishes!