Need Advice/Opinions On A Career Change

Married , engaged , kids , ....If no to any of those go for it..... if yes I would talk over the time spent away from the family that you will have to sacrifice.....

 

I'd pass on OTR, and find a regional/local driving gig. Make more, home more, less headaches.

 

I start training jan 7 for Stevens I have small kiddos , but how realistic is it to find a local decent paying gig after my year is up with them?

 

yes, sleeping in your own bed every night, watching your kids grow up,and spending time with family, and i almost forgot having a life of your own. is a big price to pay for a little bs at work. read some of post about how the drivers are treated and see if you want that to happen to you, also have you talked long and hard with your wife about, being without you, taking the kids to school functions by herself, and a host of other things she will have to do herself. lots of luck

 

Is the pay steady?
OTR can vary wildly - it's feast or famine, mostly famine in the coming months.
What if you made $300 one week and maybe $650 the next then $450 then $210?
And figure in $100 more a week for eating on the road...plus about $140 a month for health insurance that you'll never have a chance to use. And there will be nonsense and bs galore everyday, believe me.
Now if you're lookng for a little adventure and don't have a family and steady pay don't matter much - go for it.

 

If they're young enough to not remember that dad was ever gone for weeks at a time then I'd go for it.
Wouldn't make it a permanent career change but a few years won't hurt.

 

well I have a 3 yr old and a 3 month old ,Im a small home improvment contractor and its been feast or famine last 2 years so Im looking for steady pay for awhile to get another house ect,long term goals. I owe just a few yrs on my current house but would like something better for my kids before they start school,so this is one reason.
Ive done my current occupation for about 13yrs now and had some good years,latley theres just far more comp,regulations,costs and inconsistencey.Ive always been a gearhead was a mechanic for years and a car builder for yrs as a hobby,Rigs seem like the next progression for some reason Ive always thought they are ######,,I hear theres good money in it,then I hear there isnt lots of conflicting stories,,I know nothing about the incatracies of it all but I hear frequentley an O/O can make some great pay so this is where I am. I keep goin back and forth,my wife is ok with it,will suck to not see my daughter ,Im supposed to leave jan7. My plan was /is to go otr 1yr for experience then try and find a local gig,i know they are hiring here in san antone ,but they all want 1-2 yrs otr expereince...

 

Don't rule out local jobs. Ignore the "experience required" and apply anyway. Check Craigslist & Careerbuilder for the local stuff. If you see something interesting, APPLY!!

As for OTR, where do you live? Look for companies that can get you home & hiring areas. Get your endorsements, TWIC, Passport; so you can be prepared; many of the better paying companies will require this. Try to avoid the OTR dry van & choose reefer/refrigerated; the reason being, you can haul dry van loads on a reefer, but can't haul refrigerated loads on a dry van so you can keep running more with the reefer trailer.

 

Im in San Antonio,supposed to start with Stevens in Jan. all they do is Reefer...Ill apply locally they are hiring just havent attempted because they all advertise the otr requirment or 1-3 yrs exp depending on the company.