Dropping out of IT (and a very good salary)

I am just going back in the truck after a year of being in a office job. once it is in your blood your done. LOL

 

I cannot stress enough how TRUE this is. Think carefully before you take a hit from that trucking pipe. Once you hit it, you're hooked.

 

I think you can get it removed with dialysis.


Joe

 

i don't know, i started having withdrawls after 6 months and tried to tell myself that it would pass, but that didnt work well either. LOL

 

A lot of good input from former cubicle dwellers and others who know one. Here's my thoughts, having been there and done that.

You don't have to take an OTR job and leave your family. It's an easier path, but there's lots of different driving jobs. Do your research and don't just limit it to the mega-carriers. Take a day off or three and take a field trip in your car with the address of local trucking companies in your gps. Introduce yourself and ask questions. Don't be scared. Take notes. Visit a truck stop. Preferably not one of the big chains. Find the surliest, most hardcore lookin dude at the counter and ask him about his day. If he didn't just come off 11 hours behind the wheel and don't want to be bothered, most the time you'll get your ears talked off. See one out on the lot working on his truck or fixing load securement, offer a hand. Unless they're natural scumbags or having a bad day, they too will talk your ears off. And appreciate the offer of help even if they don't take you up on it.

Training is on a few levels. Most schools just prepare you to pass the DMV tests. They don't usually spend a lot of time on practical stuff like weight/balance, securement, logbooks, etc. Then there's the functional part. What to do at a shipper/consignee, paperwork, places not meant for big trucks, places that look like they aren't meant for big trucks but really are, etc.

So I have some questions for you:

1. Are you a problem solver? Do you exhaust all available resources to figure things out on your own before asking for help? If so, you will probably do ok in trucking. If you routinely depend on others to give you directions, you'll be miserable. If you avoid problem solving because it's hard, you really should stay put.

2. In I/T are you comfortable working limited-term contract gigs? If so, you'll probably be ok in trucking. Job security is no better or worse than any other sector. However, most pay scales are variable and there are good weeks and bad weeks. Generally if the wheels ain't turnin you ain't earnin. If you're already used to managing your feast to survive a famine, you're ahead of most people. Your remarks about job security in your current occupation suggest you'll struggle with this one.

3. If you leave your current job, will you have a tough time returning? If so, leave and pursue trucking. You only live once - get it out of your system. Or not LOL. If you do some sort of squishy, non-essential process related job or middle management, maybe you should think twice. Go to CDL school and hire on somewhere. If you don't like it, you can leave trucking too. They won't miss you I promise LOL.

4. Ever do any manual labor? Put together houses? Dig ditches? Shovel poop on a farm? If so, transitioning into trucking will be a lot easier. I did road construction and auto mechanics for over a decade before I finally got close enough to finishing my degree and landing an I/T job. At first it was miraculous. Working in air conditioning took a year to get used to. Not having clothes with my name on the outside was pretty cool too. It served me well in managing large projects. I intimidated the crap out of most people I worked with. That said, moving into trucking has been like coming home. The work seems a lot harder 20 years later, but what you gonna do? If you're someone that understands what actual work is versus man-days, FTE's or some other abstract nonsense, you'll probably be ok.

Can an office geek fit in? The real question is: Can you adapt? A lot of good answers here. A few guys will still wear Brooks Bros and just avoid the dirty people. Others opt for the track suit once a week bath program. It's not like you're gonna have a label on your forehead. Be yourself and you will naturally gravitate toward like minded people/places and away from others. If you can grasp the fact that You Don't Know Everything, even with your college degree and geek cred, you'll be fine. That old, toothless guy that smells like feet and drives the yard dog? He may not be good with the latest version of Linux, but he can sure guide you into a tight dock without a worry if you treat him with respect. Be yourself, be humble, and don't judge.

Good luck with your decision.

 

Wonderful, real world perspective.
p

 

I would have to tell you or strongly urge you to reconsider. If you didn't have two young ones I would say go for it, however being you have a wife and kids I can't recommend enough to not do this!

Don't fall for the pipe dream or these promises and ploys the recruiters tell you! "Weekends off" "7 on 7 off" "two weeks out" these are all ploys to get you to orientation. Fact is in this industry 6-8 weeks is going to be your normal time away from home with 3-4 days off during your home time. You are home just long enough to do laundry and catch up on business and chores before you have to pack up and head back out. Usually your spouse will be working and your kids will be in school so total time spent with your family is usually under 8 hours. If you absolutely don't care about your relationship with your wife and don't mind not seeing your kids grow up then go ahead with the dream. Reality is you will miss holidays, birthdays, plays, events, funerals etc...

I have been in your shoes and went through with the big "pipe dream". Ended up getting divorced and missed my kids entire childhood! Those are all things I can now never, ever get back or maybe even be forgiven for. Sure you will make decent money (not anywhere near what you are making now) but all the money in the world isn't worth it. Not to sound overwhelmingly negative, if you were single then yes, it can be a really fun nomadic lifestyle in which you can wander around the country and get paid for it. Even at that it can still be lonely.

You have no need to do have to do this so do your family a huge favor and put it on the back burner for now. Once your kids are grown and your wife wants you out of the house then you can go about your "pipe dream". Hell she may even want to do it with you. For now though think of your family man....

 

I spoke with a driver today. Not good news

 

What does that mean?

 

I caught a driver delivering IT equipment at my building and had a long chat. Here is what he had to say.

"Shifts are 14 hours with one day off. Keep your office job." . " The companies hire new and after three years or so when the money gets good, let you go." High turn over.

"dispatchers are a PITA always asking where you are and what is taking so long"....And here I was thinking no boss would be over your shoulder.

"You will see your family for one day a week"

I think I now see why there is such a shortage of truckers. You guys are getting F'ed. My pipe dream has gone "POOF." Back to reality.