Any one in the Computer Field looking to go truck driving????

I'll second this. I was doing Level 1 tech support for a major computer manufacturer, when they decided that it was cheaper to open a call center in India and another one in China, rather than keeping the one here in North America. So I was laid off and I am thinking about going back to driving for a while while I did my degree either in Computer Science or in Biomedical Equipment. When i was driving back in 2000, there was no such thing as 'wi-fi' or 'wireless cards'. Now, it's easy for drivers that want to obtain a degree online to do so while waiting to get loaded/unloaded at the dock. If you aren't getting paid while waiting to get loaded, might as well take the time you're sitting to do some self-improvement.

 

I used to work for Apple, and while it was pretty relaxed, and WAY easier than anything you'd need a degree for, I think I'll enjoy being OTR a lot more than sitting in a cubicle....I would think that with a bs in computer science, you could stretch a bigger paycheck than from being a company driver, but I might be mistaken, especially with everything going the way that it is now.

 

Well, usually I make a lot more in trucking (at least per year) than I do in computers. But so far I haven't made crap at US Xpress. My last temp job I was deploying computers for SC DSS for less than $500 a week. Figured I'd go back to trucking where I used to make about a grand a week. I've been at USeless Xpress for two months. Been averaging $0.34 per mile. Average check $658. Yea, that's a little more than when I was working with computers, but I generally spend $20 per day on the road. Kinda wish I stayed at my last job. But, that's life.

 

Not sure how this old thread got brought to the front, but I'm doing quite the opposite. I just recently switched to the 7/7 program and got a part time computer job during my 7 days off. I'm told the part-time job may turn into full-time, and if the money's enough to pay the bills, I may have to switch back to what I really do.

 

Well, somehow I found this post, and found it interesting. I suppose what you do, and the luck you have determines if you'd do better in IT than trucking. Seems all my good IT jobs were short term temp situations. But then again, I mainly worked in hardware. You can make a lot more as a programmer, system analyst, or something. But those jobs are difficult to obtain. Whereas it's usually been my experience that I can get a $50K trucking job just by applying and accepting the job. Usually IT work is much easier than trucking, but either way, if you work for a-holes, it can be miserable.

 

mannyvez,
Yes, I'm going from telcom and lan admin to trucking. I looked at trucking about 25+ years ago and fell into a field service job installing phone systems. I got married 4 years later and stayed in the field until 2006. I then got a techie job in the oilfield doing well surveys, then got lucky with a trainee directional drilling position.
Unfortunately my marriage came unglued in 2007, so I got out of the oilfield and moved to SoCal. I have not had much luck getting gainful employment out here (BTW, I'm about 30mi south of Riverside).
Long story short, I'm realizing my long held dream of trucking by starting school in Temecula next week. I feel that the long hours, travel and tough conditions of field service and the oilfield have prepared me for life as a trucker. I really don't miss the stress of the tech world, even though trucking probably has it's fair share, maybe a case of the grass is greener? I'm willing to find out..
My situation may be diffferent on the $ aspect. My bills are low (child support and living expenses), I'm not paying for a big house, two cars and cc's anymore, so I can get by on less for awhile while I pay my dues.

 

Funny thing about this thread; I'm a former OTR driver that got into IT when I got hurt.

As for the eyes; since sitting in front of a monitor, my eyes have gotten worse. I now wear glasses where I used to have 20/15. With trucking, you exercise your eyes, as you are constantly changing your focal point - dash, road in front, road way in front, mirrors.... all over the place.

 

Well I have a degree in electronic engineering.. Not really Computer but I had made the change to truck driving.. There just was not any jobs in my field of choice and pay was actually going down not up.. (importing people from India to keep wages low..) So, i feel all of you who are having top make a choice to go trucking... The problem is they will be doing the same thing with trucking as they have done with other fields... Bringing in cheaper labor to keep pay low... As cost of living goes up pay will remain the same and probably drop a little just as it has in other field where foreign labor has made a huge impact..

 

Wow is this a great thread. Thought I was the only IT geek who also has a CDL. I lost my last IT gig in '01 after the dot-com bust and haven't been able to find work in the field since. In the interim I got my CDL and drove local in Ohio for about three years. The money was good, the work was hard, and long story short I'm now in SoCal. Thought that I would have no problem breaking back into IT out here. WRONG. It's probably more frustrating finding tech work here in La-La land than in the Midwest. And yes - all of the stories I'm reading here involving bachelor's of computer science holders working for under $15 an hour are true, from what I've seen in two very different parts of the country. For those of you racking up the student debt and thinking you'll make the big $$$ in IT - beware. It ain't there anymore (it was in the 90's, though); and the competition is fierce. However, even in this down economy I'm seeing a fair amount of need for drivers (not necessarily local gigs, however). Now I'm looking for a company with optimum home time (like a 7/7 or similar program). Unfortunately, it looks like the only players there are Midwest-based (oh, the irony). I've had countless interviews in two states for IT positions and I've got nothing to show for those interviews - AND I've kept up with the technology (I've studied SQL, .NET, ASP, etc. until I'm blue). FWIW: you can make as much or more in driving vs. IT for less effort - as long as you stay safe! It's the getting home part that I'm finding to be a challenge...hmmm....

 

I'll just chime in here, too. I went from IT/Admin to trucking. In my past life, I was a programmer, VP, and process developer (work out how things need to be done, document it, and train staff). I did network systems support. I did cabling. I even installed raised flooring.

After 15 years at it, I was starting to smell the fried brain when I found myself unemployed anyway. Moved into OTR and love it. I don't care how much I make, so long as the bills are paid.