Do I have a future in the Trucking industry? Brutal honesty please.

>> First, I would like to say thanks for a few PMs I have rec'd. I appreciate the insights. I cannot reply now because I have <7 posts. THANK you.



KennyCobb - I understand your concerns (sort of), thanks. They are not my concerns. I guess you have not figured out yet that I am living abroad and have been together with my wife for nearly five years. We go everywhere and do everything together. I dare say that my marriage is in better shape than most people in the US. But more later...



I appreciate everyone taking time and thought to comment. Everyone seems more concerned about my wife and personal life than my potential job as a trucker.



Chinatown had throughly summed up my ambitions. We go in, work for ten years and done. I will take early SS and we will travel the US seven months in RV and spend five months in Thailand. Thank you Chinatown for the summary, the PM and clear understanding of what I am trying to accomplish.

DarknessEdge: Your point is noted, I will keep it in mind. I am not really interested in living in TX although it does seem like there are many jobs there. I do not think we would feel comforatble outside Austin. At least for five years. Me, maybe never hahahaha.



>--> There is no need to be concerned about my wife. She has been to the US four times and spent months there, she loves it. We are going back mostly because she wants it. As Chinatown stated, there is work for her in St Augustine or elsewhere. Lots of it. She will go to nail school here and another school there. A friend tells me she will be in super demand because they teach more, differently and better out here. His wife in Palm Coast gets calls weekly for her to jump ship to another shop.

I don't see her visa as a problem, just a hassle and a formality. Because I live in Thailand and married for 2+ years, we will be applying under a special program that will take as little as five months once the ball is rolling. She will have her Green and SS cards and can work immediately. MANY OF YOU HAVE NO EXPERIENCE IN THIS MATTER, please stop making it an issue. For many it is a huge issue, for me it is not - none.

As for hardship on the marriage. Our marriage is strong and is not pulled this way and that by kids and debt. We have traveled to many countries together and always traveling, it is our love, our hobby and our bond. We love camping in the Thai islands and while that is lovely, I have been doing it for years and years. We love the red rocks and stark beauty of the west and its national parks. We look at life and all this as a big adventure. We have had a ton of fun and now it's time to pay some dues, then on to the next adventure.

St. Augustine, the more I read the more it is perfect for us. Yes, unemployment is high and there appears to be huge competition [DULY NOTED] - maybe rethink it in time. But it is a great location as base for me and my wife can get work in the area. Yes, TX looks better, but I do not fancy living in Houston or Dallas/FW oh, especially Houston lol. I have six months free rent and some other relatives to fall back on as well as savings.

This is my question to you guys and only this -

I simply need a chance to prove myself and that is the ultimate and really only question for you guys. Will I be given that chance?


*Chinatown stated it best, I need to find a bunch of trucking comapanies and contact them. Ask THEM.

MJE had concerns about my folks. My brother lives 20 mins from them. I only need to be "nearish", but honestly, if I had a solid job in Las Vegas or even Long Beach - I'd take it and my folks would not have it any other way.

Blood pressure seems to be a concern here, but my hunch is 80% of truckers have high blood pressure due to age, weight, stress, diet and genetics. I take 20mg Enalaril and I am golden. I think I can get the whole thing under control with diet and excercise. Lots of salt here and food is cooked in palm oil. We are in BKK and not pleasant to excercise. With medication, my BP is fine. My weight is fine. I am never sick - ever and I live and travel in the 3rd world.


Kennycobb, it is not easy to make money here. I do not know where your head is at or your experience comes from. Work permits are very difficult to obtian. Thailand has changed teaching requirements yet again and I do not meet those requirements. Of course 98% of foreign teachers won't either, but this is Thailand. Doing Blog and content writing nets me such small money and I can do that in US if I have the energy after a day in the truck, lol. My wife has not 'lived' in US but she has traveled for four months in US, three with me. It's a new fresh adventure.

KC: I had stated that I believe she can find a job easily. An aquaintence has confirmed this from the direct experience his wife has. Doing nails is in fact sort of an "Asian thing" if you have ever noticed. All the shops are owned by Viets. Asians are great with detail and repetition. They are creative. My wife just did not fall off the rice truck, she has a BA and we live in Bangkok. I do not know what your impression of Asia and Asians is/are but if you are watching Steven Segal movies, that's not it. Your figures and understanding of the visa process are wholly incorrect. More cash, less time.

To all: I do not need to worry about how much time it takes (<1year) beacause we are together, living in Bangkok. She is working and I am doing some freelance stuff. We are all good. She is working.

My wife doesn't "just want a green card" bro. We met here in Thailand and were living together for 2.5 years before we married. During this time, I expressed to her and she well knew I had zero interest in going back to US.

We married here, our licence is here. Our lives are here. I speak Thai, eat Thai and socailize with Thai people. She has a good job and a decent education and lives in Bangkok. I did not drag her out of a bar or rice paddy and put a ring on her finger.

I have been out here a very, very, very long time (hence my problem). I consider myself a good judge of character. She has zero attributes of a woman "on the game" as we say here. My wife has met all my family and extended family and they all approve of her. It is an uncle who is giving US his condo to stay for six months free.

I met my wife in a campground. From the moment we met I won't say it was true love - but it was true companionship. I had to work for it! We immediately started traveling together and I took her to visit my favorite islands. Our love and relationship grew. To this day we have been to US three times and most of the countries in the region. We camp routinely in the Thai Marine Parks and know the rangers on a first name basis. We are actually sort of a legend in a few of the parks - the couple that met on the island and married. On another island we hold the record number of days of persons camping that island. On another island, a know the ranger really really well and given all sorts of little perks.

But...I have been doing this for donkeys years and she for nearly five. The marine ecosystem collapsed in 2010 so the snorkeling and marine life non existent. Thailand is going to have some real political and economic issues facing them, trouble is already brewing. My wifes job is a bit rocky, lots of layoffs. It is simply time to move on. No crying, life is an adventure.

My wife pays for half the expenses, half our travel and will pay the bulk of her visa fees as I need all the cash I can squirrel away for proof of funds. I do though have money - cash, assets, securities.

KC: the time for the visa is not a problem, well in hand. By Asian language do you mean mine?? I speak Thai (Lao, Indonesian and a bit of Khmer and Korean), it's not great but serves me well enough. Her/English? Her spoken English is great. All of your concerns are unwarranted and have nothing to do with any of the questions I had asked.

Thanks for your concern, but I am good - really. You are not even making sense. You honestly do not know what you are talking about, certainly in my case.


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I would like to refocus the thread back to my initial post or just kill it. If you could comment on whether I am employable after being abroad for fifteen years with no job history, credit report to show. That would be great.

Again, personal references not a problem.

Health, I am quite healthy and will haveless than zero problem pasing physical.


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This is a response to DTB comments, you can skip if you wish. It is regarding marrying foreign nationals.

As to why I "married an Asian". It started with my first travels here in 1993 and just fell in love with how exotic and different it all was. Now, in 2015, it is not so different much to my dismay! I have traveled South and East Asia far and wide and speak four languages poorly. I came to rest in Thailand because as so many retirees have found out, it has a lot to offer; it is inexpensive if you live local, the food is fantastic, the beaches some of the prettiest in the world and up until ten years ago, staying long term was easy. My plan was always to camp on the beaches during the cool season and then set off the the Himalaya, islands near Bali and the US the rest of the year. It has been a charmed life to be sure.

Marrying an Asian woman - well, they are pretty much the only ones out here! I did not "marry Asian", I married my wife who happened to be Asian. While I have come to find Asian women to be my preference insofar as beauty after two decades (Thai women in BKK have lovely style and dress and are very feminine). When I was a handsome young man truth was I only dated and had girlfriends with blonde hair and light eyes. That was my crazy standard. It was easy to come over to the dark side becasue I always liked long hair, bangs and petite women so after a few years I started to find Asian women quite appealing.

It should be very much noted that I live here. If you meet your love on the Internet, you may indeed have issues.

I am not part of any "trend", I live in Asia and have been in and out of here for years, too long. Asia feels as much if not more like home than the US honestly. I had no desire or plan to marry, I was 49 and a sworn bachelor.


Now I would like to address teaming. This would be perfect for us honestly but first I NEED A JOB. As for teaming, it is a non starter, a huge reason we are going back after our enjoyment of being (back) in the US is for my wife to get her fourty quarters in for Social Security. So, unless the company would hire here on a W2, that is impossible. I have less than zero interest buyin or leasing and becoming an O/O. I need a simple but hard job driving a truck which I return home daily. We do ten+ years and we are done.

DriverToBroker: I would say if you have interest in marrying a foreign national you best invest some time in her country and culture.

You need to visit not only to find "her" but, see if the culture is acceptable to you becasue you will be marrying it!

There are lots of very beautiful Ukranian women dying to get out. Is that a good thing? Not likely. I have visited Russia and can tell you that there are good and bad aspects to northern Slavs. There are some real stunners that visit here n Thailand on holiday. But, if you are just marrying a woman 25 years younger and that is all, is there any doubt she will dump you? Where is the love and even more the connection and companionship?

I might also direct you to the Baltic states and even Ireland and Spain. Spainish women are lovely and stay thin into midlife. Irish women have great hearts.

I think a lot of guys marry not Asian, but Philippinos. Their English is great and the place, despite being a slum of a nation is "America Jr". They make an easy fit to the US, it is "the dream". Many Pinay woman are pretty sketchy though. I do not care for the country or the culture. I much prefer the cultures of mainaland East Asia by wide margin.

Many Thai women are out on the Internet trying to get hooked up. In Asia, even if you are pretty, you are going to go single for your life if you are not married by about 32. Guys just have younger women to choose from. A HUGE factor in marriage here is family economics. Being from a poor family and being poor yourself - well, you will only marry a poor man even if you are absolutely stunning. Perhaps if you some how managed a job and profession where she has a serious income would that change. So, many women in Thailand are passed over that have good jobs and are attractive.

Thais love their culture and everything Thai. They are nowadays in no rush to live if they are comfortable here BUT...there is a huge opening up to the west in the last decade. Thai's now love to travel abroad and it is really quite a feat. My wife works with people making 3x her salary and they are all VERY jealous of her trips especially to US but even off to Singapore.

Per the beauty/Asians: You either like the look or not. You like the culture or not. Asian women are generally very feminine and have lovely manners. Most of all - do not look at the photos of all those websites and think that you are going to score beauties like those girls.

Personally, I would not marry Ukranian, it is just too sketchy a situation on the ground, both to visit and to weigh your "love" (desparation?). But, the best thing is to go and visit a country, you are far better with a month long trip than eight one week long trips. You get to know a culture better.

Thai's have a pretty good standard of living now, well most urban, educated Thai. I Thai women that has something going for her is in no hurry to leave.

Make no mistake, it is a risky propostion, marrying a foreign national, especially in an overseas relationship. How do you determine and feel love over Skype? So, my advice is find the type of women that appeals to you and go to the country, stay a year and find her.

Yes, these sorts of visas take a long time. Rightly so. Embassy is doing you a favor honestly. They are checking her background throughly. They know full well how many marriages are a sham, how many fall apart how many other serious problems crop up (like her reporting you for domestic abuse, common with Pinoys).

If your wife has true love for you and you are a match, just not a security blanket, it will go OK. Do not dismiss the imporatnce of her culture to her, it is as much her as you are American.

I eat rice three times in one form or another and Thai food every day.It is an absolute rarity for me to eat bread. I think I have had pizza together with her twice in our lives together. Food is a huge part of culture. Religion is also a hugepart of culture. Make certian that you are accepting of others religious practices. In the case of Ukranians, that might be Russian Orthodox but could be Catholic or Protestant possibly. In my case, my wife is Buddhist. Technically, Buddhism is not a religion but a philosophy, but I won't get into the weeds on that. So, that means we had a Buddhist wedding, I go to the temple on special holidays, etc...Then there is ties with her family. Bonds in lesser developed countries are ofter much stronger. I am lucky, I like my inlaws.

My wife has been throughly lovely to me each and every day, I am quite blessed to have her. I never thought I would marry (first time at 49). Zero interest. I married her because Thai + foreigner here need legitimacy. We mostly married to legitimize our relationship in the eyes of her family and friends - although my folks love her dearly. I married her because it was important to her. She has in four years been golden. I am the weak link in the relationship. She is an angel.

If you don't have more to offer than money, it most likely is not going to last. As Chinatown stated, if you (can handle) marry a woman with an education you will most likely have a better shot at a quality marriage although this is not always the case. She will though have a better head about functioning in the states. Having said that, Asians are very clever, determined and hard working people. I once knew a bar girl who married (and is still married to a French guy). She learned French and became part of his business. She now owns three condos in Thailand and has a bucket of money. She was very, very poor and cannot even read Thai. Went to work in a restauarant at nine. You justnever know - but that is why it is best to meet her in person and not via the Internets.

 

Thanks Chinatown. It is a thought, but I need work equally and LAS while a huge crossroads, does not seem to much much a hub from my research. Am I wrong?

Anyway, we have actually been to LV, not real crazy about it but could function as work/base. I am sure wife can do nails, but economy is anemic as you know. Work in casino for me with no background - doubt. For her - I think most Asians that visit are Chinese or Philippino. Very few Thai. I also speak Indonesian very well but doubt many Indonesians in Vegas.

What is a great fit though is that we don't gamble. I had heard this is good so as to keep temptation and problems away from employees (debt, theft, extortion).

I think LV is going to have water problems as well and really do not like the city, it is not "us". We do like Red Rocks, Henderson and the lakes. The great thing as I had mentioned before is it is close to so much natural beauty. Speaking of beauty, the NV desert is not the prettiest.

Thanks.