Wanna Be Drivers

My first post here outside of the Welcome Wagon so hope I'm doing this right.

I've been working for the same company for the past 21 years. I, along with about 100 associates, recently received word our jobs will be ending. Thankfully I have about 10 months to decide how I want to move forward on my trucking career. I drove semi briefly 21 plus years ago and have some low boy experience in the military but no longer have my class A CDL. Thankfully, there are a few ways I can go about getting that back without much, if any, out of pocket expense.

I've always enjoyed driving but, as so many have written, circumstances change and opportunities were presented to me which allowed me to provide for my family while being home most of the time. Now, once again, I face another opportunity to not only provide for my family but to do so while doing something I truly desire, that is, to get back in the drivers seat. While others are quite fearful, and understandably so, about their jobs coming to an end, I face this time with more excitement than fear. This is my opportunity. I understand that I will pay my dues in this industry, but, I also understand the doors of opportunity that will be open to me in a few years.

I will be attending the Mid American Truck Show at the end of the month. I was planning on attending the show even before I received the job cut notice but now I will be looking at the show in a whole different light. I will continue to do my research on trucking companies the best I can. I believe some of my best resources may be those I know who are still driving.

Best regards,

Sandy

 

Gazza and Hitman - I think you're right. I also know that you have to pay your "dues". We're both willing. Just ready to get out there and start practicing what we just learned in school! I can't wait to go!

We are both travel nuts. When we're bored and sitting around the house on a Sunday afternoon, we're known to run to LA, a couple of hours away, to go to Starbucks for a cup of coffee. Just to get out of San Diego county for a couple of hours.

 

Hey bjohn...my story is something like yours. I drove (with my wife as co-driver) OTR for about 5 years or so, back in the 1970's. I worked for an ###&*(^ company and averaged 4000 miles a week. I burned out, went to college, got multiple degrees in forestry, and took over a local college forestry program (but kept my cdl and my medical card current). Did that for 20 years and was tired of all the political (read political correctness) crap at the college. Retired from teaching and gave up a six-figure income. Started driving again last summer working forest fires driving water tankers for $300 a day (lot of fun, not many miles per day though). Now I drive two nights a week for a local company...500 miles per night ($250 a night) and love it! I get to drive through the mountains on back roads with no scales and no traffic. Between my retirement and what I make driving, we do just fine. My goal is to get my wife driving again after my last kid leaves the house (maybe this year!). Try to find a niche like that...you will love it. OTR is hard on your family...and money isn't everything...life is too short to work a job you don't really like...no matter what they pay you to do it. My old man was right: Find something you like to do and you'll never have to work a day!

 

I talked to 5 of our "new hires" that came to us last spring with fresh ink on their CDL's - I asked them what they thought - one guy was kinda "iffy" - but the oither 4 all agreed that they had the best thing since sliced bread...


kinda makes me feel good to see guys new to the industry step into a strong career.

 

im planning on going to school soon. ive been driving a cargo van for a company here for a short while to see how i like driving. and even tho its just a cargo van, ive done a little over the road driving with it. the longest ive driven at one time was 20 hrs straight. and i still like driving. but i want to drive a big rig SO much more. i love everything about them. and, i have no strings here at home. no wife or kids. got a lot of good friends tho that are behind me 100% to do this.

 

im hoping ill be able to step into a strong career. theres 2 companys close to me that i really hope i get a job at one of them. one is called Dick Lavey. the head quarters are only 10 miles from where i live. and the other company is called Baylor. my uncle works for them and told me hwo much he makes now, and told me about what i could expect to make my first year with them.

 

Hi, This is my first post. I have owned my own business for the last 18 years. I have have had enough of the b.s that goes with it. My job keeps me on the road about 65k a year. I have since I can remember wanted to drive a truck. When I see a tmc flat all cleaned up and loaded I wish that was me behind the wheel. Well the wife said go for it. She also in a couple years will be going with me and wants to drive. I am lucking to have her. I hope by this time next year I will be in school and get my cdl a and be on the road. Good luck and be safe.

 

Hello all, this is my first post on this thread. I am very excited about getting into truck driving. I am currently wrapping up my last few months of about eight years in the military and hopefully starting CDL school by the end of the spring. I have no reason why but i just love Trucks. I read a lot of threads on here where people just b***h about there jobs and some that love it. Kinda sounds like the military.