Considering a life changing career/ lifestyle move, need advice!

Go for it. It is true that you might only make around $35k your first year, but the only way you'll keep making so little after 5 years is if you stay at a "bottom-feeder" company the whole time. Get all your endorsements, and in a very short time you will have an earning capacity above $60k. Just make sure you don't make sideways moves after your first year/job. One mistake many people make is to go to similar carriers thinking the grass is going to be greener. Keep your ears open and seek out the jobs at companies that don't need to advertise. If they advertise aggressively and offer huge sign on bonuses, you should steer clear of them after you have experience.

As far as autonomous trucks are concerned, one way to avoid being replaced by a robot is to do jobs that robots can't. LTL P&D work often has me going to very small places which were not meant for big trucks. The deliveries often require pallet jacks and liftgates. No robot is going to run a pallet jack anytime soon. And no drone is going to be able to drop 3 skids on someone's lot anytime soon.

 

with $100 in your acct some months, that means you don't have a lot saved up to cover costs while training. why would you add to the problem by paying for or worse financing a private school.
find a good co paid training program. yes if you quit within a year you will have to pay them back. if you don't quit within the year you don't have to pay back.
play the odds.
as far as the school counting. I usually call a couple co's and aks them specifically if they recognize that schools training.
the ticket. agree with above that makes you not exactly clean but far from not hirable. most co's web sites tell you specifically what they will accept.

as for your physicality. personally I would recommend starting a light calisthenics program. push ups crunches, light weights and aerobic of some sort.

biggest challenge for you will probably be time away from home.

BTW to be clear I am not a current driver. I have been in the past and soon will be again. Just wanted to make sure you knew.

 

QUOTE:>I am 32 years old and married.

What does Mrs Windir think about this idea? She OK with the normal marital situation being put on hold for a year or more?

 

credit card % over doing a co sponsored school? no way.

 

more importantly do you have $$ avail to leave at home for momma if she has an emergency while you are gone? if not leave the card there for that.
does she know how to turn off the water? where the breaker panel is
things like that.