I was a _________ before trucking....

This is an AWESOME thread . Don't stop now . Unfortunately , due to the statute of limitations , I can only reply , LEGALLY , that I have shucked clams ( google it ) , worked construction , used my bachelors degree in a white collar job in NYC ( for 3 weeks ) , worked as a compliance officer , cooked in quite a few restaurants and finally , I found nirvana by piloting the finest highways on the planet , surrounded by the politest motorists , in a large contraption with many gears that spews baby seal , polar bear and tree-killing smoke . And I would not change a flipping thing .

 

i live here in the North East, where clam shucking is done at a good pay rate.

but i'd rather buy my clams shucked, rather than for me to shuck my clams, as shucking takes times, if one wishes to keep his fingers and palms intact.

so to shuck a clam here, shuck a clam there, shucks almighty man, i'll be shuckless and enjoy the shucked clams.

 

ROFLMFAO ! I am still laughing a day later . Thanks brother . I can tell you are a fellow North Easter

 

Lol ! Those and also the crabs are better . Man , I love me a soft shell crab sandwich ...

 

I dropped out of high school at 18 when I was in grade 11 and worked up in the oil sands in Fort McMurray, AB. I later on did the adult graduation program and got my diploma that way. After I got laid off twice in the six months I worked up north I moved to Calgary, AB to try and find any job that made me a lot of money.

I'm 23 now, you know what I learned in the past 5 years? FIND SOMETHING YOU ENJOY DOING! Not LOVE doing, ENJOY doing. Just for now. The biggest mistake I made was finding work for places that made me lots of money, not finding work that made me happy.

A good friend told me.. "Do something you're good at, and down the road make something out of it" Meaning you should work a job you're good at, stick to it, and down the road start a business with the experience you have.

I became a Truck Driver at 22 years old, 4 years after I dropped out of high school. My thoughts on trucking are: Yes it's lonely at some points, sacrifices must be made though you've gotta work hard to be successful! But if you work hard and save money you can do something great with it! I'm gonna be busting my ### for the next how many years before I can move up the ladder, it's about saving money to find opportunities to make more money! It doesn't have to be in the trucking industry but you could for example start up a Bar/Restaurant business. I enjoy trucking right now, driving is a skill i'm good at and I'll use that skill until I find something better.

That's my story!

 

I was a small business financial adviser with a Fortune 50 company. Basically tried to help small businesses fix cash flow and reorganize lending to post a profit. I loved my clients, tried my dangdest to help keep them in business when times were hard, and hated having my hands tied by the powers that be. (Tell them to do this instead, it makes *us* more money.)

How about no? Gads, talk about stress.

So I was 36 when Mr. Elvee and I began driving. (Yep. We're old. Lol.) We actually moved our wedding up so I could get free tuition at trucking school.

 

I was born a trucker. Will die a trucker.

 

I was a Combat Medic in the Army, and worked part-time in a civilian EMS. After A-Stan, I finished my contract, got out, and couldn't find EMS work in middle of ####ing nowhere, Mississippi. I got my CDL. After a tour in Iraq with the National Guard, I lost all aspirations of remaining in any medical field.

 

Dad was a body & fender man so he made sure I knew how to do that before high school, I am good at it just don’t like doing it. Tech high school to learn the mechanical side of fixing cars/lt trucks and did that a few years with dad when I got out of high school.
Did 1 summer driving a class B dump truck as driver & labor.
Did 15 years doing HVAC work and a lot more in a hospital, last 10 as a foreman with 6 guys under me for 24/7/365.
Did 15 years with computers as a break/fix tech and desk side support. With jobs being outsourced it was time for a change.

That brings me up to last December when I upgraded my class B to class A and started driving tankers first a class B heating oil tanker and now class A LP tankers. Also did some end dump trailers & hot tar tanker driving for this same company for a few weeks before they put me in the LP tanker.

I Just hit a snag with my CDL and medical waiver in the state I moved to back in April. They now just told me I have to file a waiver thru them to get my CDL back, it’s been rolled back to car only, so I am waiting for the paper work to get here so I can fill it out get my waiver and start driving again. I also just got all needed papers so I can file for my FMCSA waiver to cross state lines.
Hope to be driving again soon.
Dave ----