Becoming a trucker with a college degree?

My first thought... You don't seem to be able to settle on any one thought for long, do ya?
To me it seems a shame to put in all that time on a degree, and never even give yourself a chance to use it. When I was in college, there was a course to help you decide on a career path. It went through tests of your personality to see what kinds of things you'd be better at. It went over the lists of jobs you could do with that degree... Not everyone with a degree does the same job, maybe there's a way to use your degree and enjoy it. This course also asked the question - where do you want to be in 5 years? What part of this degree will help you get there? It made you think about things like, if money was no object, what would your dream home look like? What would "perfect" look like? That degree could net you a nice life, with a good retirement fund and benefits. Does trucking lead you to that "perfect" lifestyle? Remember, average starting pay for a solo driver is in the 40k range.
Ok, having said that, I too dreamed of being a trucker for a long time. After the kids got gone and I got a chance to look at life, I decided it's time to go for it. It sure looks like a fun life, but it's also a hard life. Throwing chains on in a snowstorm, drop and hook in a rain storm, driving through a blizzard, climbing mountains at 10mph, going down mountains carefully so you don't die, being really ####ing tired and still having 6 hours left on your 11, fubar traffic, stupid 4 wheelers with their "please run me over" signs on, eating fast food for every meal, only seeing the world from a windshield and getting fat and smelly, the damage the bouncing and rough ride does to your body, the toll it takes on a relationship... All those things may take the romance out real quick. One accident or mistake could KILL someone. That alone is enough to give you pause. You could go through 4 grand and a month of school, 2 months of training, and first solo trip out, do enough damage to take it all away. Only to find out that because you stalled getting a job in a field for your degree, you may have lost your chance at that too.
But, I also have lost a lot of ppl this year... Cancer sucks, and I've had to deal with death more than I can handle this year. The tragedy of my parents alone was enough to make you cry. 40 years together, and just as they got it all paid off, the last payment on the house and land, all the vehicles, and everything.. she dies. Just as they are set to be able to retire and spend the time together, enjoying life - boom, she's dead. He spent the last 3 years drinking himself to death. He died with all the toys and a nice retirement fund, miserable beyond reason. If they would have had a clue that THIS was how it would end, would they have done it differently? So, live your dream, do what you'd regret not being able to do. Don't let a bunch of logical, yet jaded naysayers tell you not to do what you think is your dream, because any one of us could be dead tomorrow.
Good luck bud, whatever you choose.

 

Sometimes I wonder though if the death stats in trucking are the result of truck driver error, falling asleep at the wheel texting etc. In trucking I don't have to worry about responding to a domestic call and the hubby possibly has a gun in the back bedroom, been arrested before for resisting etc. So many of those situations involve the unknown, you don't know what your walking into. I am no longer going to work wondering if I am gonna get shot, assaulted today even though you never know about some of these idiots on the highway out here. I got into police work to help people and make some kind of a difference.. hopefully I did.The pay sucked when I started 6.80hr and I had to buy my own gun..yep it's the truth..things are better now.

Yes trucking is dangerous but I feel now I have more control of my situation. I almost blew off the road on the ice in Wyoming in 60 plus winds last year..still.dont know why the roads were open...and don't know how I got the truck back under control after fishtailing. Had a concrete truck pull right out in front of me in a construction area in Atlanta..don't know how I was able to stop..half second later on the brake and it would have been all she wrote.

To the original OP, both jobs are tough but can be enjoyable. If I was you I would get my.CDL drive a truck OTR and see if you like it first..get that out of your system. Police departments are always hiring..especially these days..just stay in shape..If you now getting into police work to help others dont do it. Your basically a social worker that carries a gun and has arrest powers. If your all into guns and all that don't do it those kinds like the power trip..thats not what it's all about.

 

There is a set of statistics going back to about 1974 I believe relating to heavy vehicles (As in 26000 pounds on up past 80000 all the way to 300,000 pounds gross.) that keeps track of motor coach (*Long range buses with 50 souls etc) and particularly trucking.

We run about three times the annual mileage in 2015 on twice the fuel burn from imports in desiel than we did in 1975 and have approximately 1/3 of the crashes we did in 1975. HOWEVER the rate of fatals hold steady at 5000 plus out of about 25000 crashes annually as of 2015.

I'll have to do some digging to find the actual statistics. Im merely writing from memory and that's never any good.

80% of all Heavy Truck accidents fatal, injury and non injury is the fault of the 4 wheeler (Car) Sometimes some of that is even deliberate. I am amaze that stupid peoples invoking the Darwin law against a Trucker in a moment of road rage slapping the brakes in front of a 40 ton vehicle. It's seriously a messy way to get killed or injured to where you can never leave the nursing home. (Last place I wish on anyone someone will have to shoot me)

Where we are, we have pretty good common sense lawmen. I cannot tell you how much of a blessing that is ever. Coming from the east coast where lawmen like to use wolfpack or pig pile the onery bad guy over minor things that escalate into incredible felonies and so on. Here in the South it takes a little bit of common sense and maybe actually a little bit of listening to talking from both parties before they find a solution so that they don't have to arrest anyone, go through the paperwork and more likely than not, they wont ever be back to that house or party anymore.

There is one thing we do when we see a lawman, we always tell them that they are loved and appreciated. Im not trying to be weird but it gives them a big morale boost to have that inside of them.

They may not be so appreciated when they are standing on the fuel tank writing that parking ticket.... but eh... it's not us that is the problem. Unfortunately there is a problem with a percentage of society who are divorced from the Law and have to be wild, mean and onery like a longhorn on rotten grass and have to be ridden down and roped into a small cage a while. Just another day.

 

Those are good stats, , you are so right, I am from the south and policing down here is quite a bit different. Policing in the south is all about talking down to earth with folks and settling things. Who eants to do a bunch of paper and computer work anyway. Policing in the South is statistically more dangerous. People down here got a much more "Get off my property" attitude, that's just the way it is here going way back.

Yep I have had many a four wheeler cut me off but was surprised how many reckless and rude truckers are out here as well. Some of these guys flat fly and tailgate like I have never seen..gonna catch up with them eventually. On the other hand I have met some of the best people and truckers out here...

 

So you’re basically saying that you’re branding yourself a loser, so you’re gonna aim low. What if truck driving fails to workout? Will you apply to be a hobo or just go on disability for the rest of your life? You’ll be $6000. further in debt, after trucker school.
I seriously suggest you get some counseling, before you make any changes. Sounds like you’re having trouble with taking life, on life’s term. Get some chair time with a shrink, pick a tough one who’ll kick you in the a••. Also have some testing done, maybe by your college, to find out what you’d be good at. Trucking is a hard life, and it WILL take a toll on your marriage as well. If it’s shaky, trucking will break it into a mess. Please think before you leap!
Wish you nothing but success.

 

Too bad this guy doesn’t have a retirement pension to fall back on like you do. Very different situations that you’re comparing. Good advice, but I personally wouldn’t recommend that he jumps in to something he know very little about. You can read all of those BS driver want ads to become a trucker, and many are just bogus, with words like “you can make up to $80k” or “health insurance available”, the ads never say you’ll be sleeping in a coffin, or you may get teamed with a sick puppy. Believe me you’ll work hard for every penny you earn. I think he needs some guidance, before he makes this career move.

 

If you want to try truck driving I don't see any reason why you couldn't do it. CDL school is not expensive ($2500) and you will make it back in 2 max 3 weeks.
Being so young you still have time to try different things so if you won't like it or it will become clear that you are not cut to be a driver you just quit with little or no loss.
No big deal.