Leave Office Job for Truck Driving

Believe it or not I actually retained and improved on one skillset I learned in college.

I build computers. I'll sit and go over the possible motherboards, possible CPU's, then the RAM and work outwards with a eye towards designs first for gaming then secondly towards survival so that no matter what the computer will continue on.

I probably built 5 systems. One is approaching 12 years service with ex in her place which is really extreme in computer terms. Enough hours to hold the CPU and it's cooling fan in need of replacement (Approx 60K hours so far) That one was probably my best system that I built for her for reliability.

This current machine I am using is a true monster under the desk in it's large tower. Radiator cooled and all of that. (Im deaf, fan noise is not a issue)

I have rebuilt 4 other systems, all of which eventually suffered fatal deaths when the motherboard itself failed. The best of the group lasted 4 years and for what it was, it was my very best system. I may build another just like it next year.

I love to plan, build monster computers and see them do well. And actually put my own money into that hobby of sorts. And I am good at it actually. HOWEVER. Everything has been moving FAST into wireless, cell phones and so on. Cell phones have specifications that some of my first machines had in 2003. And fits in your pocket. Not a 90 pound liquid cooled computer under the desk.

I am already planning to build one more. This one will probably venture in my first dual CPU system and possibly use a Server type build rather than a plain desktop case partly because the ram will be 128 Gb and employ 10 to 14 SSD's which I already have on hand. I don't know the rest of it.

I had 4 raptor 150 blacks from a early build. Three survive to this day on my shelf. One has the click of death pending. Considering what I put those raptors through in their day, they were probably the best of their day as far as spinner drives were concerned.

The one other thing I could not stand in IT learning was coding. It's a form of breaking big rocks into little rocks with words and numbers applied over and over and over. One mistake and nothing works. I lasted exactly two days in programming. I left that class alone. Told the teacher nothing against him personally it's something I cannot stand to do. So I wont do it.

Finally but not last. College is not a place to do things. Which is why I loved building systems at home for my use or that of the wife. If something came up as a problem, I can fix that too. Im not afraid to research the issue online and apply a appropriate fix.

However.

I feel sad that building large powerful computers for either gaming or something else with a strong ability to survive problems (If the C array went down, the living array can reimage it and be back in not more than a few hours time at most. Even a complete and total system loss can be brought back up and running in a day or less.) best of all, no fees to say the geek club in best buy who will want to rummage through the whole machine. (Nosy...)

I just want parts just so. Then I'll build it. More than likely once the Bios is settled down and Raid is configured etc we have a good computer that will run at least a few years. Like that old one going on 12 years now. (On it's third power supply. There will not be anymore because the cost of a power supply you can get a laptop that is superior)

 

It seems like a chunk of the people who still want big powerful computers are just chasing Bitcoins while a few are still gamers.

I game on an ASUS Republic of Gamers laptop because it's what I used while Regional Driver. I still think a PC Tower is the better way to go.

Also, while in college, my weird hobby was trying different OSes on old hardware like FreeBSD.

 

My first confuser was a TRS-80 with a cassette drive. Text adventure was the best! I would play the same game over and over until the tape broke. This was my favorite TRS-80 Software: Scott Adams Adventure 03 – “Mission Impossible Adventure” | Ira Goldklang's TRS-80 Revived Site

 

My first computer was a Commodore PET with a cassette drive.

 

I experimented with a dab of bitcoin and frankly the power bill will consume more than any profit to be made.

If you remember from trucking rolling into areas with cheap BIG hydroelectric has been struggling with a gold rush of sorts when bitcoiners consume power of a given town due to it's hydroelectric allotment being burned up to mine coins electronically is creating a conflict. Eventually driving up costs of power for all.

The computer under the desk runs about 40 dollars a month 24/7. If I was to be gaming or otherwise draw on the big power supply it will have the ability to draw to about 110 dollars a month in power. Due to the housing I am under my power use is monitored but not a issue generally.

I do a little bit of gaming still. Always will. However this computer is so so when it comes to gaming. I had a system that burned up in 4 years after the motherboard's capacitors finally failed that was far superior. Being able to load first into a 64 player map and begin to capture a conquest objective before any enemy human begins to load and then move with a spinner drive or a slower system loses the game for them due to crappy hardware. The Devs have begun to install 30 second clocks to make everyone finish loading, then hold before start.

If I wanted to over clock this Asus Rampage Black Edition II motherboard and i7 CPU 3930 for gaming purposes it will have to take some doing. I have other problems that do not make this success. The RAM is DDR 3 instead of DDR 4 generation and slower than what the board can run well. The video cards are just too old despite being top of line a few years ago (three or four MSI 680 GTX 4gb cards) New cards available today just BLOW my mind at what is possible from them. I once had a pair of Asus platinum matrix's that just RULEZ the roost. but had to sell them off because they were capable of heating a 1200 sq ft house 10 degrees in winter. The computer room window would be wide open allowing a -15 temperature to come in and all it did was cool the computer to 20 C and run well. Not to mention humidity once it hit the hot metal inside that thing. (I love surprises.)

I dont game (Much) I do not do any bit coin stuff what then do I do? Well... I have been working on having a system where you can lose the C drive across 6 SSD's in Raid 5 supported by a live array of spinner drives plus two big backup drives in which your computer can nuke itself software wise, be DOS edparted to oblivion and either reimage or rebuild from one of three seperate backups in a few hours. I don't know about you but Im more than happy with my pile of Vertex III's Ive only lost 1 of 14 so far in the last 8 years. which is pretty more than what I have any right to expect from a SSD type storage. There are some newer solutions that are really sexy fast and BIG but that equals money. I don't have that kind of horses for the time being. It will have to wait.

It is nice when you are driving a truck virtually and can appreciate and enjoy every leaf in 4K resolution. (Need a monitor capable of displaying it. my current one can go into the 3000's x 2000 plus whatever the heck the resolution it is. But it is not a true 4K monitor. (That is being saved up to be purchased. Something like a 760 dollar monster that is freaking 36 inches diagonally. Whew...) Or set a 747-200 down onto the airstrip with enough time to deploy the reversers and apply braking plus spoilers without any lag from the system itself.

It has become apparent to me that people are playing on powerful systems... OR... running games with fast code and does not need monsters to run on. I would hate to think people are actually beating me while they are playing on a little tablet or cell phone while I am trying to blow them up with a 4000 dollar retail system in which christmas holiday sales reduced to 900 total with the help of recycled parts.

I have a bad habit of talking too long about something. Gaming has gotten not too nice is the best word I can come up with. The insults, trash talking and profanity coming from the younger gamers in first person shooters and other games is getting to where I simply find it unacceptable if not downright lawbreaking here in Arkansas. ONe needs to be cautious socially whenthey are gaming; generally there are new laws that are in place regarding sexual harrassment, terroristic threats and so on. People have been charged and convicted over stupid stuff they type into game chat.

Be careful out there. Good luck!

 

You and I seem to have a few things in common at least. I dabbled in philosophy as well. Most people sneer at it citing it a waste of time. You cant appreciate it until youve jumped into it. It takes a lot of practice and discipline to think logically without errors. People will say yeah of course I think logically, but they don't. I often times dont even though I know better. Humans by nature are irrational. We all succumb to fallacious reasoning from time to time.. Some more so than others.

 

I know this is a year old post, but one of the reasons i'm trying to grow balls to go back OTR is because I miss spending the whole day listing to audio books on history, philosophy, occult, conspiracy and the occasional good work of fiction. I just make such good money in the oil field its hard to walk away from it. but i'm sick of the same shift every day, same faces same routes, etc etc etc. local driving I think can be a trap.
but I hear so much bad stuff about parking shortages, freight recession, etc etc I feel like I have to be an idiot to leave what I got. but what I got is making me dumber due to the lack of challenge.
i miss OTR flatbed, because looking back, my best memories were some of the worst. like surviving while untarping lake side of lake superior in Wisconsin, with a standing temp of -4 and 40mph gust, taking a fire truck from Wisconsin to the port in LA, surviving LA and socal time after time. all the randomness keeps you feeling alive. seeing spring roll in rewarding you for surviving winter.
but the crap i read makes trucking seem like a nightmare these days. and what I got now is so darn easy i think its killing me because I cant get away from it.
like a psyco ex that is a nymphomaniac with a great body, you know you need to get away, but you keep answering the phone and opening the door.

 

@silinus vers - Job satisfaction is one of the keys to a longer, healthier life.
Personally, I'd never give up the road for even double the money in the oil fields.

 

Wiser words have never been spoken. Love what you do.

 

I have a degree in English, and I was journalist for 5 years before driving. I have made so much more money as a truck driver than I ever did as a journalist, it's not even comparable. Lol