Can you get a white collar job after being in trucking industry?

20+ years of penny pinching, living within your means and not buying a bunch of new things add up to a lot of money. Have you ever looked at an escrow table for a home mortgage? It's enough to make you puke when you realize in the time it takes you to pay off the house, you could have bought a second one for the interest alone.

To the OP.


This goes for ANY profession.

The longer you are away from it and not practicing it, the harder it is to make an entrance back into it. You will always have to have some sort of resume', curriculum vitae or portfolio to support your abilities. Without that experience, it's an uphill battle.

 

I was making about 35k when I left it.

 

Oh gawd, an authority on all things. He must be a pretty smfart smeller, I mean feller.

you can retire at any age, but will you be able to collect the social security you built up?? I think not, till 62.

OOOooooo...am I one of 'em..???

 

What type of white collar job did you have in mind?If you talk and look professional ,I highly doubt you driving truck will limit your chances.I talk to the suit and tie type all the time.lt's all in how you present yourself.

 

My terminal manager that hired me (USF Reddaway) was an ex driver. Some companies don't only encourage going to school part time to better yourself, but in my case, reimburse you for tuition. You can always get a degree in transportation management and work your way up out of the driving section.

 

I have 3 B.S. degrees (Geology, theology, and general science), a Masters in Marketing, and am 2 classes from an M.B.A. in supply chain management and I am a truck driver. I tried the university path and $50k in debt later I cannot get a "real" or "professional" job. That being said I am very happy as a "dumb" trucker who utilizes my critical thinking skills to solve many problems and am enjoying my $2000-$3000 per week checks I have been getting, as opposed to the $12/hr I could make utilizing my Geology degree. If my kids want to go to college I will support them, but would rather they go to trade school and make an honest living and learn a real skill that can be applied in the real world.

Here is an interesting article I found comparing going to college vs. becoming a truck driver. (http://www.truckingtruth.com/trucking_blogs/cls2009/2010/02/comparing-career-paths-truck
-driving-versus-a-college-degree)
***article text deleted. Please do not violate the author's copyright by reposting their work here***

 

I did it the same way you did more or less. Got my GED dropped out of highschool drove for my father, then took a few courses as I drove finished a degree and went into sales (Manufacturers Sales rep then distribution sales/mgmt in the construction supply field) and am back driving truck due to the economy. From my experience if you realize you are good at driving truck; simple math, time managent, on time/early pick ups and deliveries, and organization of paper work then you transfer those skills VERY well to the operations side of MANY industries. I have learned more about communication, organization, and time management driving then I ever did in college or previous "white collar" jobs. The best part is in the corporate BS world it's a good conversation starter in bars at conventions and people in that kind of job setting love to hear road stories because deep down they wish they had done it. Also, depending on the industry it can earn you a HUGE amount of credibility with clients (construction, building, transportation, Manufacturing sales). They tend to trust you easier knowing you wernt always a guy in a company car on your fancy phone screwing people over to make huge profits so you can enjoy your martini's w/ your trophy wife. Instead they look at you like a guy who likes pabst blue ribbon or bud light and has to wear stuffy clothes and be inside all day. It's a deffinately plus.

If you are a younger person also remember that 54% of recent college grads are unemployed living at home and you taking a trucking job means you were not as lazy as more than half the people like you and "adjusted your personal goals to the constantly changing jobs market in our global economy to produce the best possible financial gain in tough economic times while at the same time honing important life skills to help further set you apart from others competing for the same position" That my friend is how you say "I couldn't get a job out of college so I started truckin to pay bills" in the white collar world.

Keep the "go gettum" attitude and "synergy" of your life going and realize you can always "circle back" to reach your "projected goals" in this "fluid world economy" think of this plan as "throwing it against the wall to see what sticks" <------ I miss corporate buzzword laced discussions at weekly progress status update meetings

 

Whether you can move from trucking to a white collar job will depend more on how you present yourself, your academic credentials and past experience. There is more to driving a truck than holding a steering wheel. You need to learn how to present the skills you use driving as assets that can be transfered to the white collar position for which you are applying. I also think that with the economy of the last several years that potential employers are more willing to accept that people have been forced to do other things outside their primary career path in order to earn a living. Many college graduates are not able to find jobs in their chosen field. Not everyone is willing to look for work in other fields. I think that it shows initiative for those who are unable to find work in their field to venture out in another direction to support themselves and their families. Driving a truck shows that the individual is flexible and is willing to do what is necessary to achieve their goals. Driving a truck is considered unskilled labor, but there are things that you learn which can benefit you the rest of your life, regardless of what you do for a living or the career path you choose.