Does this sound like a logical plan?

Sounds like you got it covered then so you'll probably do ok with your plans. Your wife sounds like a younger version of mine and Lord knows that being on the road is lots easier knowing she's got my back. Makes coming home a heck of alot better too.

One "survival" tip I've learned. When you arrive home; big hug and kiss for wifey first thing, then get yer cotton-pickin work boots off before you go tromping around on her carpets.

 

judas sums it up pretty well.....

(from "my one year with roehl...." thread - and there are plenty more on here just like it. a LOT of "bitter" folks out there!)

"Trucking is a great way to see a country and make some money. At least it was like that years ago. Nowadays you don’t see much besides dirty truck stops, grumpy warehouse workers and substandard pay.

To make it as clear as I can, trucking is a very low paid, dangerous and dirty job, with absolutely no respect from fellow citizens and employers. If you have a chance to work more than minimum wage, do not think of going to trucking, if you have a demanding attention family, do not go to trucking, if you like your dog, wife and mother-in-law do not go to trucking. If however, you cannot get any job except in fast food industry, you are poor financially but in the good health, and you are somehow of decent driver, than you found your dream career.

I am a college graduate, I had a decent job, but recent economical melt down left me looking for a job last year. Trucking was a last possible resort, but I had to take to it. I am sure that there are people who do it cause they love it, there are drivers for whom it is a family tradition but I think mostly it is people like me who cannot get a local decently paid job and selling our life and time for cents."

 

well this is my first post so maybe ill do it right. so to start im, 24 and single with no kids so i have a completely different view on the career. i started out driving local for a grochery dist but then went OTR. i have been OTR for 1 1/2 yrs but have been driving for a little over 2 1/2 years now. some would say not alot of time, sure this is true but i still have enough to make a decent opinion. i love my job! im not with the perfect company nor am i lookin for the perfect company (impossible in any career). im out here bc i love the industry. ive had jobs rangeing from banks, to factories and now im a driver. my family is full of drivers, im a driver, and one day if i have a son id love for him to be a driver. sure the industry is full of heartaches and b/s, alot of which we bring on ourselves sometimes, but i love it! im sure alot will disagree with me, and rightfully so its their right. as ot seeing the country, sure its a great way to do so, mostly from the big road but still your seeing country that others may not be able to say they have. as for the pay, im personally .38 a mile but would continue to do this job for well less than that until i could no longer funcution in our socielty. i say your young and you have plenty of time to go elsewhere if you find its not for you. do it do it, learn alot, drive safe and maybe one day ill see you out there. the coffee is on me...

 

Hey bud.. I for one love to see a younger guy asking some good questions and can give you a little insight - I was in your shoes about 8 years ago now. First, don't let a bunch of negative truck drivers, or anyone else, piss on your parade. You can do whatever you want if you set your mind to it and follow the ups and downs and adjust with them.

When I got into trucking my initial goal was to buy a truck and turn that into multiple trucks by time I was 30. I had a CDL from my previous job but needed school to get hired by a decent company - I wrote a check to that school with the money I had already saved. I sat down with some people to formulate a business plan to reach my goal - everyone told me I was crazy but I proceeded anyway. I saved cash hand over fist while I was an OTR driver right to the bitter end (believe it or not, you can save a ton of money if you're a single guy and don't live like a dirt bag). I drove OTR for about 20 months even though I figured out that was no place for me after about 10.

I knew I needed a way out of OTR so I applied to everything local - I mean everything. I would have driven a pink garbage truck wearing a pink clown suit..lol.. Even though I was 21/22 while driving OTR I was responsible and kept a clean record. When I figured out I had to leave OTR ASAP, I got lucky that Con-way Freight, CCX at the time in the Northeast, needed a driver at a non-traditional time for LTL's to hire drivers. I accepted the job and through the ups and downs have never looked back.

I remember being in your shoes and nothing could ever get in my way - I was going to own a trucking company and that was that. If you would have told me then at 21 years old that at 28 years old now, I would not own my company, I would not have believed you and been pissed..lol..

Live life and learn from what you go through man. I'll be 29 at the beginning of December and will pull between $81,500 and $83,000 this year driving a truck while being home everyday on what is a shorter run here - around 1800-2000 miles per week depending. What can never be taken away from me is the discipline I learned while trying to follow my dream. I worked my butt off to save that money - I thought it would start a company but instead, it has gotten me an early start on retirement, a great place to live, and premium vehicles to drive while I'm away from from work all paid in full.

Sorry for the novel, but I respect all the younger guys trying to get into trucking and asking good questions. Maybe I'm the only one, but driving a truck has been #### good to me. Just don't let all these negative people get you down man - they would whine that their solid gold truck is too heavy. Follow your dreams dude.