Am I outta my mind?

I'm glad somebody brought this subject up. I have been struggling with this for some time now. I have a steady job, salaried, 50k a year and 5 weeks vacation. Home every night with weekends off. So why do i have this desire to drive truck?

 

Because you want happiness in life and you've gotten to the point where you realize that is the most important thing above all else.

 

I understand your struggle, same here. My job is pretty secure, for the most part I do my job and I am left alone. Like any job it has it's days. But like you, once I leave I doubt I could come back.

It really doesn't make sense to me. I have one kid left at home (Freshman) then it will be just me and my wife. Something I have been waiting for, for a long time. The time that we can get back to knowing each other with out chasing kids around. So to go trucking seems like throwing that away. But, just when I talk myself out of it, I get pulled back in and want to do it.

The safe thing to do is stay where I'm at, but.....

This is starting to sound like a therapy session.

 

Well it sounds like it will take a lot of thinking about for you two, and many others in the same situation. Fortunately my decision was relatively easy in comparison. I'm about to give up an apprenticeship for General Machinist to get into trucking. I'm so miserable now (and have been for quite some time) and have no family of my own, amoung other reasons for choosing trucking over other choices, it turned into somewhat of a no-brainer.

 

I can relate! I quit trucking 30 years ago, earned 3 college degrees, made a lot of money and worked with the @$$holes! I should have stayed trucking!!

 

Yup. I walked away from a $76k/year salaried job that allowed me to work from home most days (M-F) with weekends off. Two weeks vacation a year, good 401k matching, good health insurance, etc. That being said...I ******* hated the work, the consistent drama at work (females in the workplace), and hated dealing with my customers. i.e. EVERYTHING that came up was the most important thing in the world. The false sense of urgency (it was comical at times) really got old.

I gave that up for ~$45-50k/year (first year) working on a dock and doing P&D driving. To put it in perspective (how much I hated my old job)...I've worked the dock in -5* temperatures with tractors sliding on ice, riding on a forklift with -15* wind chill, difficulty disconnecting from trailers without them sliding away from the dock on ice, etc. I'd take that over my old job any day of the week. Money isn't everything.

Edit: I will most likely never get back to my former salary...and I'm ok with that. Don't be that guy that's too focused on chasing after another penny or two at another driving job. Find somewhere that's a decent workplace, has a good bunch of guys to work with, and pays you a fair wage and just try to be content.

 

I'm another one you can add to the list. Got into IT 30 years ago. Grew up on a farm and still living there. Was laid off in 2002 and drove OTR for 2 and half years. Was offered a local job where I worked before for more money and being home every night. Kids were small 9 and 11 years old and also allowed me to do more work myself on the farm. I enjoyed being around for my kids growing up. They are almost on their own now and been trying to see how I can get back into trucking without going broke.

 

Always been my backup career, as much as I HATE shippers receivers and the unpaid waiting time - it's awesome to be in Laredo tmw, then phoenix on wed. And a HT in SFO and get paid for it

 

I don't think I'm crazy but crazy people never do. Thanks for posting this thread.