Finding Yourself

The problem is that the people selling you the idea can really make it sound appealing. Its not rocket science, yes you get to travel, yes you CAN make decent money!

However!

It is very stressful at times!

Most people that come out of a good job and are used to the normal everyday life don't last long.

You really can't have a family or any kind of normal life. You are at work 24/7, for two months at a time.

It cost a lot to get into at the risk of not knowing if you will like it.

When ##### hits the fan you can't just go home and drink a beer and forget about your day. You are still stuck in that truck thousands of miles from home and have to get up in a few hours to drive again!

If you were to work just as hard at home you would probably make more money!

However!

There are some individuals that have it in their blood and absolutely love it! I am one of them! I can still tell you that I have really bad days out there and sometimes had wished I would never set foot in another truck!

On a side note: sometimes the whole public restroom/shower thing can really wear on you too! You may not be the guy who ate burrito's last nite but you don't know who ate what in the other 30 stalls!!! Try brushing your teeth in that fog!

 

Yes. Well, maybe not everyone.

 

Well the good thing is you are doing your research and not just taking the word of your local recruiter. There are many different aspects of the trucking life that all need to be considered before jumping in!

The biggest for newbies is home time. No matter what you read or who preaches what 4-6 weeks out is the standard. This is a minimum if you want to make any kind of money at it at all. Most newbies don't realize when you go home it messes up three weeks of pay! So if you are out for less than a month it will eat you up financially. With that said, most newbies don't get local jobs or regional jobs right off the bat. Yes, you can get lucky and some do but to spend $6000 on school in hopes you will be a local driver is not a good bet. Not to mention most local gigs pay around $8-$10 an hour. If you are thinking of being a truck driver than just fully expect to go over the road for at least a year to gain some experience.

Personally I love trucking! My wife and I were owner operators and drove team. There is no way I would go out and drive solo otr right now because I know exactly what it entails and what I would make. I'm a bit of a chicken when it comes to leaving my family for long periods of time and just know it wouldn't be worth it. If I were single it maybe a different story.

Take it slow Zoltan and make a good informed decision not based on what anyone says. Got any questions man feel free to ask away!

 

Whenever I begin to find myself I find that some ######## abruptly finds himself putting his rear bumper in close proximity to my front bumper thusly finding myself is put off for another day.

 

The best tings I have found in life are things I wasn't looking for.

Have fun trying to stand up while already standing up.

 

I wonder why no one ever seems to say I am ready for a change I think I will become a brain surgeon?