Does anyone think a college degree helped them get a trucking job?

Im just curious on this one. I graduated 4 years ago and decided I didnt want to deal with the structure of the teaching system. So, I hit the road and went to trucking school across the country. I came from a family of truckers so Ive always had an interest. With my current company, my boss hired me without ANY experience in trucking OR construction but his reasoning was that I wasnt "stupid" bc I had a degree. However, I found it a bit difficult to learn an area that I have never dealt with. Ive picked up a lot and feel very comfortable right now but looking back I dont agree with his reasoning. Thank goodness I have a job but hiring someone just bc they went to college doesnt mean squat in my line of work. In fact, putting someone without knowledge of construction or trucking could be a major safety risk in my opinion. But, with good training and the ability to pick it up quickly can work in your favor. Im not sure what the point is but Im just looking for opinions and possible related experiences.

 

Well the fact that you have a degree is probably considered your commitment to bettering yourself. Your boss took your education qualifications into account because you had the ability to learn and understand. I think he over-simplified it but that is the gist.

 

I think it helped me with my current company, theyre very picky and Im one of the youngest drivers there.

 

Well do not know how much it helps I have an engineering degree, it does make calculating angles while backing a bit easier I guess LOL

 

LOL I should get me one of those to help with my backing then!

 

Still at Pride?

 

I have and English Degree (I can read the road signs). And yes, It means that I take education seriously, and if you give me a difficult task, I can figure my way out of it, but as you probably know, educations does not equal common sense.

 

Wow. Gee, uh, er, I also went to college, drove commercially for a spell (p.t) while attending college and worked in another career for 25 years. Now the kid is grown, married and I've had it with my former career. Returning to the road but never once considered the education as being conducive to driving. We have the same major but for an English major, how is it that your post is so grammatically ruptured?

To wit: I have "an (not "and")" English degree." "It" should not be capitalized as it is not a pronoun or the first word of a sentence. " ... as you probably know, educations (plural, requires DO, not "does") do not equal common sense."

I'm thinking your post was made in jest as a troll and I bit.

 

well, i have a bachelor's in zoology, and two master's degrees, one in theoretical ecology and the other in micropaleontology.

doesn't help my backing but i can relax and identify the frogs in the slough back of the party row in the truck stop, and i can pick out fossils for the kids from the railroad ballast at the steel mills.

it does help my driving because i can predict the grades and the turns in the road by reading the rocks before i get there.

 

From my experience, the degree it self isn't what is important. It is being able to persevere for four or more years and meet some sort of requirement to get the degree. Of course, hopefully, you learn something at the same time. Really more of a screening tool since there is a long term time commitment (valued in trucking?), the ability to read, understand and regurgitate information and communicate said information verbally and in written form. Does it guarantee a good trucker? Nope. Increase the odds? Maybe. A college degree means you can start learning when you graduate, just as it is in trucking. A matter of how you apply it. Some are better than others. I will also tell you that a degree is partly about opportunity since I have worked with a lot of "uneducated" individuals that are a whole lot smarter than me, but didn't have/take the $$$ or time for schooling. Just my 0.02.

P.S. As a matter of disclosure, I have a B.S. and an M.S. and am just starting this trucking career and feel dumber than a stump half of the time.