Why did you choose truck driving

I love to drive/travel.
I retired young from business, 30 years in 2004.
I missed not working, but not being a slave to business.
I like working part-time,seasonally-April-December.
I like taking winters off.
I did 8 mos. OTR for experience.
I got a NE delivery job in April, will be done mid-December.
I averaged 2-3 days a week, home all but 10 nights in motel.
I don't/won't work for a common carrier again.
I found that there are many small businesses with small fleets, needing a
part timer/swing driver.
I believe the demand for older part-time drivers will always be there.
I am welcome back to current position next spring.
If I choose not to return, there are other opportunities close by.

 

I used to watch trucks go up and down Rt.151 on Afton mtn. in the early 60`s-before Rt.6/151 connected at the bottom of the mountain.Talked to the ones who would stop at my uncles repair shop.Those guys were the Knights of the highway.I was born fascinated with anything with an engine and knew as a kid that trucking is the life for me.
I love the fact that I can get left alone to do things (pretty much) my way and still get a check at the end of the week.Tried the factory thing a few times-don`t know how people put up with it.
In addition with this lifestyle I get Paid to see my country and meet new people-just makes things too good to pass up.

 

My grandfather owned a trucking company.
My father have been driving since getting out of the USAF after Vietnam. He still drives OTR.
All of my uncles either drove or worked on the trucks.
I never realized the benefits of the family business when I was young and it was were my father put me to work. I joined the Army and once I retire in a year and half I will be right back in a truck.
The funny thing is, as miserable as I thought I was in a truck before the Army, I was the happiest in the Army when I was driving a truck.

 

My brother in law is a truck driver 18+ yrs, his dad 30+ yrs cousins 16yrs
and my kids are older now. 1 in college,1 a junior in high school. I drove company vehicles just under cdl gvw for the last 8 yrs so I decided to get my cdl and Make more money. I've gotten lucky with local jobs and was able to find out what I liked and disliked ( bull work not for me any longer getting wise turned 40) I do line haul local, nightly with weekends off I LOVE DRIVING Trucks, 4 wheelers are another story

 

Self-analysis is probably not accurate, but I think I chose truck driving as a way to escape close supervision. It is also an escape for an introverted, social phobic person who may not desire family responsibilities and commitments. It may be an escape from the philosophy and hypocrisy of the family of origin. If you are going to be the black sheep, leave town, change political parties, join a union, marry out of their faith, do it your own way. But, be good at it.

There were no truck drivers in my family, in fact they were all white-collar professionals. They say, a son will follow his father's occupation if his mother approved of the father's occupation. This approval or disapproval is subtle, and exhibits in only occasional comments or actions.

I was drawn to trucking's easy to understand pay and promotion systems. In fact, drivers are not expected to climb a career ladder of ever more achievement and responsibility. There is no politics or rank among drivers. I made an observation while in the U.S. Army. The lieutenant with the prettier wife got the promotion. That sort of thing disgusts me.

 

I worked as a Quality Engineer (automotive) and Quality Manager for the last 16 years. Left one job to take the managers position at another, and that was the beginning of the end...the automotive market is declining, and I got reduced-in-force twice in the last 3 years.
Trucking was the only realistic option that I could see...I could train for this in a reasonable amount of time (2 months schooling), my job could never be sent off to another country, and the pay is (although not great) sufficient for me to live on.
Is it my ideal choice? Gods no....but it's better than some of the other choices that I had available to me.
(And I do love being behind the wheel......didn't realize just how much FUN it is)

 

after spending most of my life as a warehouse shipping/receiving guy, driving seemed the natural next step to take.

when i was a kid, i remember always being obsessed with driving, didn't matter what it was, mini-bikes, motorcycles, go-carts, tractors, trucks...whatever. kinda funny i didn't get into trucking earlier

 

I had deisel in my blood from my dad!

 

I guess, from the othe posts it's pretty much the same. I'm a third generation driver, my da drove for 43 years and never left the state of alaska. I have the years in from 1974 till the present(you do the math, I'm too tired)I would not change it for a post to the senate. I love this job. and the day I don't... I'll quit. I do not see that happining real soon,I'm still out theremand you will meet me sooner or later(sooner I hope) just because I'd like to meet the people I've been yaking at all this time..... be safe

 

it is soooooooooooooooo nice to read POSITIVE posts on this forum. I'm whats classified as a "old far(" And darned glad of it. I have the scars and marks of over 30 yrs of driving and playing with horses.(more from horses than I ever got from trucking) but I still love this job!!!!!!! As I've said in prior posts, my dad drove, as did my grandfather. I guess I just never had a chance at a "Normal life" thank God. I wouldn't trade it for a ten pound bag of ten dollar bills. I've got a good job,decent pay,not too much work and I guess I'll stick with it till I can't pass the physical anymore. It ain't much,but its who I am.. It'll do!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!