The journey begins - purchased a truck.

I agree about GOAL frequently when backing. However, backing skills in a flatbed are required, sometimes to a greater degree than dry van. Here's some examples from my experience.

Picking up a load of lumber required backing into a dark hole on a sunny day, into a dock designed for 98" wide trailers with a 102" wide trailer. There's about 1-2" clearance on either side right up to the rub rails. As soon as you set your parking brakes two forklifts get busy loading you from both sides.

I loaded a piece in a MUDDY, rutted yard. It was 30' long and exactly 102" wide. In order to load it three forklifts lifted it up in the air, two smaller forklifts on either side and a big forklift in back. It weighed 30,000 lbs. My job was to back in from an angle and line up the piece perfectly straight, so none of it was beyond the rub rails.

Delivering a load of bentonite to a levee project I had to back up a mile, beginning with a blind side then weaving back and forth to avoid hitting equipment or running over markers for underground pipe on a "road" that was freshly plowed in a field.

Countless times I have to have precision getting in and out of oil rigs and fracking sites. I need to frequently get within an inch of equipment to make a turn, going forward or backward.

It's all fun. My attitude is that if a truck can fit, then I am going to make it fit.

 

If your like me you can do all of that without a whole lot of trouble and then have to pull up three times at a wide open spot at the truck stop.

 

And God help you if someone is watching.

 

Or if they are taking bets...

 

I can just envision a 10x10 card like sports teams on an office pool card... with number of pull-ups and G.O.A.L.s

Not sure if you would need a spotter split.

 

Agreed 100%. I wish I'd sat down and thought for myself about the REAL cost of college: time

If growing wealth is important to you, you need to appreciate the value of time as it relates to compounding. For example, imagine 2 guys the same age, 1 decides to work a decent blue collar job - say $50k/year - and, by living modestly compared to his peers, he saves $25k/year. He invests it all in a S&P 500 index fund at 7%. The other goes to college for what turns out to be 5 years, taking another 5 years to pay off his student loans. Afterward he makes $100k/year and, by living modestly compared to his peers, he is able to save twice as much - $50k - which he also invests at 7% interest in an index fund. Here are the two guys' net worths after each decade:

Year__Graduate net worth…Blue collar net worth
0_______________$0______________$0
10______________$0______________$413k
20______________$826k___________$1.2m
30______________$2.4m___________$2.8m
40______________$5.5m___________$5.9m
50______________$11.8m__________$12.2m

The net worth of the college graduate, despite 2x the salary and 2x the savings, never catches up to the blue collar worker.

Now you should be thinking "Yeah, but the college graduate also has 2x as much money to live on" - which seems obvious. But it isn't actually true:

After deductions, the blue collar worker earning $50k & saving $25k will show about $6,000 in taxable income. He'll essentially pay no income tax. He'll get food stamps, a free cell phone plan, discounted energy bills, free medical care, etc because the government judges him as poor - even when he has millions of dollars in his 401k.

The white collar college graduate earning $100k & saving $50k pays about $8,000 in taxes. He won't get free medical, or food, or discounted electricity. And due to the societal pressures/expectations, he'll need to spend more for a nicer car, house, clothing. Sure those are nice to have, but when it comes time for a vacation he'll probably actually have less to spend than the guy on food stamps.

Anyway, this is an extreme example, but it should illustrate the point: your time is more valuable than you realize - allocate it appropriately...

 

You can always earn more money. You can never get time back.

 

Well back to the drawing board.
I don’t necessarily care about building wealth. I want to make enough to live, invest, and put away towards my ultimate retirement- which now sounds like building wealth.
I think, despite being unable to get back my time, I should finish my degree. As mentioned, I already got this far and spent the money. It’s always another tool in the box and a backup incase driving a truck isn’t for me. Atleast with Pharmacy I know where I stand within the profession on my ability to do the job. That was hard to type.
But the perk is being debt free and being able to use 100% of my salary from the getgo as opposed to 50%
@double yellow Thanks for putting the numbers into perspective.

 

Probably the best description of time value of money I've seen in a while.

I can only add two things to the college versus work discussion, that I repeatedly get told are impossible, despite having done it myself:

There are no laws against:

1. Working full time while also attending a university.
2. Paying tuition in cash.

 

If i Had the 150k in cash to bankroll this education I would invest it into something else.
Thanks to everyone on this forum for the information.
Being debt free is the way to go and as stated
I’d be a decade ahead as a truck driver. I’d start at 40-60 depending upon what I do but I wouldn’t have any loans, compared to a pharmacist who would start at 120 or so (over saturation is killing the market, all these people are taking the undercut jobs because they are scared) may bring it down. That 120 sounds good but it’s anywhere from 75-85 after taxes and 30k or so for the first 3-5 years until loans Are paid for.
My parents say I am dumb for wanting to drive trucks (dad was an owner operator) but I see it differently.
And being a truck driver allows me the opportunity to eventually own my own business.