Does anyone still enjoy being a trucker?

So I've been looking into getting my AZ... I'm 51, been a pro musician all my life but Covid has put that on hold for who knows how long. Always loved big rigs & have wanted to get my lic for many years but never really had the need. Now seems to be the right time to take the plunge & have another skill under my belt to earn some dough.

Sadly it seems there are a lot of truckers who are really sick of trucking and hate the business. Would love to hear from anyone who still enjoys the job & why.

Cheers

 

The job is still enjoyable, we are regulated to death these days and there is not a corresponding increase in remuneration to justify.

 

Where are you located? Asking because the cost to obtain your license can vary from very little in Quebec to $11k here in Sask.

 

Ya it's a big chunk of money & time here in ON! I'm looking at 8-10k in the GTA (Oshawa) for a reputable school. I couldn't believe when I found out it's sooo cheap in Que due to the subsidizing!! Plus due to the fact I've been self employed most of my life, I don't qualify for Second Career even though the govt has pretty much banned live music! Lol

 

Driving trucks is awesome, this industry is beyond terrible. Longhaul/OTR/Highway is now a slave class job. There is not enough freight in Canada, or coming into Canada to support a middle class life. The only way it can work, is if the drivers live in their trucks, have no home or major bills, and pretty much make enough to eat and have a cell phone; that’s it.

Google “Rolling Sweatshop” and you will find everything you need to know.

I got into this, after 2 careers ended in 2014. I honestly should have done something else.

 

Yes the driving and freedom of the road is the easy part. The personnel at P&D points, dispatch, the authorities and lack of facilities in this country, cancel the first part. If like you, the driver is in an OTR position, then there is the absence from home and long hours for low rates of pay, in most cases.

Some better niches of course do exist, such as gravel/construction and logging. There are problems with the seasonal aspect and ups and downs of the market. I suppose that applies most everywhere nowadays.

These new course and requirements for specific hours are expensive in some jurisdictions. Then you still have no experience to gain employment. It's a big cash outlay for something that isn't even recognized as a trade and then pays so poorly relative to many other real trades.
In any case, good luck to Guitar Dude moving on with life.

 

Very well said!!

 

If you had asked me in 2015? It was the worst mistake I ever made in my life, and a nightmare that wouldn't end.

Today? I am working for a different company that is much better, and I'm just trying to stay healthy long enough to retire from here.

 

Been driving since I was 22 years old and still enjoy it. I also Dabbled in the Music for over 2 decades but because I was able to work locally in the last couple of decades it gave me time to compose music (however, the competition in the Music industry has always been more of a cut throat business on 'Who knows Who' so I left it as a part time biz type of hobby the last couple years). Driving trucks help me to pursue my goals in life & once I take routes away from the main GTA core I'm good because now a days on the 400 highway series there are four wheel maniacs cutting truckers left right and centre its become almost impossible to avoid. I think for anyone who's middle age entering this industry regional work within a provincial region 400 kms on the open roads are more relaxing compared to the Major city core when it comes to trucking imo.

 

I'm thinking regional or local. I'm not interested in OTR but being away a few days a week would be fine. OTR might be cool once my wife retires in a few years but I couldn't handle being out of town for weeks on end at this time.