For those who regret going into trucking...

Congratulations on the degree!!!,...........

That's awesome!!!,..........

 

I got lucky and have always had good local jobs,.........And I am very glad to have the one I have now,....

But if I could go back I would have finished collage and found a cushy job that allowed more time to go fishing,..........

 

Let's face it...most trucking jobs are burn jobs.
There's a reason companies are constantly hiring, advertising, recruiting, training, etc...even in a down economy.
Think about it: if the jobs were any good there'd be a waiting list to hire-on and you'd have to work your way up a seniority board.
The sad/funny thing (depending on how you look at it) is here you have all these industries laying off, hours being cut back, etc and here's trucking with job fairs and balloons for the kids.
This ought to be a hint-and-a-half for your #####.

That being said...if you find the right company and the right niche, you can do well for yourself in this biz.
However, the majority of trucking jobs are not places you'd want to make a career at.

 

Thanks man and I mean that.. Juggling that with night line-haul was hardest thing I've ever done. I kept it real quiet and only a few people knew what I was doing.. My parents and my best friend who's actually an ex GF were the ones that kept me going right.. Can't lie - I'm proud as hell right..

 

The world is yours if you want it,.....

Keep trucking if it makes you happy,...

And if someone comes along and offers money and security so you can use the degree,...Well I guess you'll cross that bridge if you need to,..

 

Congratulations!!

I'm also a Penn State grad from back in the 80's (an AA and a BS, cant use em anymore). Was that in Chem-E or Chemistry? Whatever, you have opened up quite a few NEW doors for yourself!



Congratulations again!

 

What do I regret?

Well, there was that lot lizard in East St Louis...

 

The thing is like least about this industry is the unpaid compensation. No pay for sitting around in between dispatches. Little or no pay while you wait for a truck to get loaded or unloaded. No pay while you wait for them to work on your truck at a company terminal. If I had to do it all over I would have been a firefighter. Lot better pay, schedule, and benefits. Retired firefighter make more than average truck driver. Right now I am looking into the railroad. Also better pay and benefits. I remember being at award ceremony for the company I work for now. There was a driver who drove for them for 30 years, over 3 million miles, no accidents and was retiring. They gave him a plaque and a check for three grand. I thought woopdee flipping doo. Retired firefighters and railroaders get a check bigger than that every month. It is also hard to have a healthy lifestyle driving a truck. Take a look at ten drivers. Maybe two could run a mile without falling over dead. It is possible to be healthy but it really is a lot harder than if you work eight hours a day and are home every night.

 

Before I started driving, I had a job where I was quite active physically. Thats the hardest thing for me to adjust to. Sitting in the drivers seat all day gets boring, not to mention Im not in as good shape. I used to sleep good, but now I don't. I fall asleep easy, but always wake up after about five hours. I know that driving a truck is not healthy for me, but I still like driving all around the country (even though sometimes I get bored) and seeing the sights, and "camping Out" every nite. It's an adventure to me. But, do I regret getting into trucking? Sometimes yes, sometimes no.