Am I out of my mind for wanting to do this ?

Standing at the edge of the pool, 'bout to jump off into the deep end. I've got a good paying job, and I've all but decided to ditch it in favor of a flatbed trucking career.

A little about myself. I'm 52, been retired from the USN since 2004. Was an electronics technician in the canoe club and after retirement worked as a CNC maintenance guy in production plants for a while. Since 2010, I've been a field service bio-medical tech for one of America's biggest medical device manufacturer's. My territory once ranged from Maryland to Miami, but lately it's become more regional, SC, GA, NC and VA. I'm essentially OTR 4-6 days per week roaming from hospital to hospital, with J.W. Marriott as my primary residence.

I'm on pace to make 60k - 65k this year, but it's time for a left turn. I've always loved a good change of scenery and never been afraid to do something different. Perhaps that's why I opted to be a sailor in the first place. It's past time to get my adventure on again. Earlier in life I would have never considered a trucking career, but now I'm sure I would enjoy it.

A couple of years into my current gig, I made a 13.5 hour drive to Miami and noticed I never once went stir crazy behind the wheel. A couple of years later I began to really enjoy the long highway transits more than walking into hospitals to do my job. As I'm closing on my exit, I see those semi's rolling on and I wish I could too. I want to keep going west. ....Waaaay west. As a sailor, I went around the planet two and a half times and lived in a couple of foreign countries. I enjoyed new scenes and new experiences. If I could be like a pinball all over North America, I'd be happy.

There isn't a morning that I walk across the hotel parking lot with a cup of coffee in each hand that I'm not excited about hitting the road. There's something particularly special about hitting the road first thing in the morning. I don't know what it is. Maybe it's just that it makes me feel alive.

I've been quietly considering the idea of becoming a longhaul, flatbed trucker for a couple of years. I've kept my mouth shut about it until recently because as you might guess, everybody has their pre-conceived notions about trucking and they're quick to tell you what a big mistake it would be. But I'm at the point where I don't really give a #### about what anyone who's never done it thinks.

I get it. ......It isn't for everyone.

......Probably isn't for most people.

.........But then again, I ain't most people.

 

Thanks. Don't know much about Melton, but I'll research them now. TMC has a facility 40 minutes from my house. The one I never live in because I'm always at a Marriott I've done some research on them and by all accounts they're a good company to learn flatbedding in. It sounds like they might be a little regimented but hey, I'm well conditioned for strict discipline.

 

The only experience I have with driving / hauling was a collateral duty of operating a tow truck on tiny Japanese roads. Picture western Pennsylvania style residential switchbacks with very narrow, two lane roads, no shoulder and every corner has somebody's kitchen window 3 feet from your side view mirror. Yeah, that was fun towing there.

Other than that, just my camper.

I plan to pay my own way through a private CDL school.

Flatbedding seems like it would be interesting. I actually like rigging. I like effecting mechanical solutions sometimes.