College or trucking, what to do between 18 and 21?

I can tell you a couple of things from experience..

Just do what you think might make you happy. And if you get into it and you discover it's not for you, get out, don't hang around. Don't job hop, but don't hang around, also.

I made a mistake thinking IT would be a good profession for me and I did it for 10 years. In a lot of ways it was good for me, but in one important way it wasn't. Didn't like dealing with people and trying to make them happy, especially in large numbers. Don't hang around jobs you hate, it sucks the life out of you as the years wear on. I've been in the office scene, it's not greener pastures, I promise you. It can be a nightmare. If you think dealing with people on the road and their bad driving habits is hard... try working with them every day all day where you actually have to speak with them and learn all about them in painstaking, agonizing detail.

People will give you an opinion about a career from their perspective. But that doesn't mean it will also be your perspective. Everyone is different. Everyone trying to tell you to do a different career mean well, but you also have your whole life to try different things. If you feel strongly driving is right for you right then do it. Its honest work, and its lucrative at that. After 10 years fixing computers I made more my first year driving semis. A lot of people don't even believe me when I tell them how much I have made in a single week sometimes (not every week. we have good weeks and bad ones. and no one here, just employees at locations where I pick up) even as a company driver. If you want to drive trucks then drive them. If it works out or not it doesn't matter. You dont' wanna sit and wonder. Just do it and see how it plays out.

You have your entire life to explore whats out there. I didn't do my college until after 25. Before that I wasn't ready. You are so young just do what you want and enjoy it. See the country

 

Well I wish it worked that way but it doesn't. I know from experience that you can pretty much rebuild a truck from the ground up and still something will cause it to stop.

As for the 'burb, I loved my '87 and never should have gotten rid of it. I want another because of the enjoyment i had with it so when I am all healed up from my accident, I will look for one. HOWEVER (have to do caps), the 'burb is not like the truck. I can get pretty much anything for one, from sheet metal to odd parts like window wipes and lock sets - brand new. They won't stop making 700r4 parts anytime soon and even the diesel parts are still easily found even on weekends. BUT with a commercial truck like my friends GMC astro, he has problems finding some parts, they take a while to get to him and finding someone who knows anything about the engine to work on it is near impossible because those old farts are dying off and no one cares to learn about the older engines.

 

I took some classes and found an old fart to study under, the problem is there isn't enough of them on the road to keep my practice up so by time another one rolls around, I've done forgot what I knew.

 

If you are that rare 17 year old whom by 17 has the wisdom of the ages I apologize. However my points were very simple. You are still too young to fully understand the demands that trucking will place on you. How it will effect your health. The changes coming. How is your health at 17? Do you smoke dope?

I could have done many things different. My largest mistake was getting out of the Air Force. However my ties to trucking go deep and all the way back to my early childhood. My love for this industry and the people that do it run deep. Because of this I don't suffer fools well. Trucking is a HEAVILY regulated industry.

My standard speech to kids has been and always be its OK to have a dream of trucking. Owning a truck and burning the heck out of diesel. Only problem is for every success there might well be 200 that failed. Grow up! @tscottme has give you some sage advice. I totally agree with. Don't go messing around with some dinky stupid degree you will never use and spend years paying for it. However, finish school. explore the world and find out where your little section is. If it is trucking so be it. However, what if it is NOT and you are blinded? I advise NOT locking yourself into something at 17 or 18 that you will regret.

Regret, that magical word! I know a gal from Georgia that was in her last year of college working on an aerospace engineering degree. Would have had enough credits to graduate that spring. Got pregnant started putting going back off. Today that then 23 year old is now 37 mother of 3 and is never going back. She is married to a naval officer and lives close to me. Just the other day she stated her love for those kids, but regrets not finishing. Like I said before. Life has a weird way of gobsmacking the heck out of our best laid plans! (pun not intended)

 

you gotta love driving to do this kind of work , cause most people always think if im getting paid good ill do it , trust me trucking is full of BS

 

Go to school, get the degree. Then do what ever you want. A lot of people have a degree, more than 75 percent do things not related to their education.

I have an engineering degree. I know people in this industry that have JD’s, accounting, physics and degrees. Would I trade that time or the education. Not in the least. Was worth it.