Well, it took me awhile but I finally registered here. I've been lurking in the background doing research and following some pretty good and informative threads for several months now.
A little bit about myself. I'm a 37 year old trucker wannabe from the upstate/western NY area. Post high school I spent time in the Navy, factory work (from production through supervision), cooked and sold cars. Recently I started thinking about getting my CDL. My thought process is, people are always going to need their stuff and the stuff has to get there somehow so, even in a down economy there would probably be a bit more job security than in other fields. I'm not expecting to get rich doing this but I'm not looking to get rich doing this. Provide a decent wage for myself and family (getting married in January).
I've looked into several different CDL schools as well as the "sell your soul" route of a training company. Financial needs have kind of narrowed down my options and I hope to start my school early next year and, with any luck, sign on to one of 3 local companies that run regional with some OTR by spring.
Well, I guess that's enough rambling for my first post. I'm looking forward to the continuing learning experience this forum offers. Maybe I will start a "story" of my own once I get things rolling.