got a question for anyone out there!

It's only natural to be scared entering the trucking world.I was too.In due time you overcome that.There is alot of friendly drivers that will be more then happy to help you out along the way.Don't be afraid to ask for advice.I sure did and it helped alot.Also drivers at your company will help you as well and ppl in your class.Once you get comfortable with trucking,it becomes second nature.I drive a semi better then my car,lol.What got me into trucking is the computer factory I was employed at laid bunch of us off and they paid for my schooling.Trucking at that time did'nt appeal to me but it was better then the other choices I had.Now 10 yrs later i'm still doing it.

 

I thought it would be interesting and when I told my parents, they said... "you can't do that! Girls don't drive trucks!" That did it! When I went to school back in 1995, I had never even seen the inside of a truck yet! Out of a class of 40 students, only myself and one guy, got our CDL's on the first try. When I was younger, I had a little bit of an "I can do it myself!" attitude. But I have since realized that everyone can use a helping hand sometimes... including me. I still drive because I love it, even the rough days. I am always learning something new, seeing something new, and now... I am trying to help other lady drivers by training. I can't imagine wanting to do anything else!

 

All ppls that posted on this topic I thank u from the bottom of me heart. Truly some down to earth answers I have read. Now I know I'm ready to begin my journey to be a trucker and be the best driver I can be. Give my all to be better

 

my relatives were truckers at the time and i was born to drive its in my blood and i never forget my first trucking job where i pinched myself on my very first trip and said this is for all you non believers out there that said i couldnt do it.. its a freedom you cant buy and a freedom nobody can take from you and theres nobody hounding you when your on the road to freedom .. theres no better job than one that your your own boss. i always loved getting loads that were 2500 miles away and i looked forward to seeing a new part of the country i never seen before and meeting new people .. thats just a few reasons i joined the trucking world.. dont be scared of something that will bring you joy just ebrace the open road and always be safe out there.. and first pointer is if a dispatcher tell you the load has to be 2500 miles in 2 days then tell him to read about the log book rules and safe driving rules before he opens his big mouth ever again..

 

In all reality, if you have to ask that question, its probably not for you. If you need motivation for it, you will probably be miserable on the road.

I used to work int he solar industry in PA and NJ. Over night the government incentives went away and I go out of the industry before it got real bad. Over 500 companies out of around 600 went out of business. i always liked driving big machinery, fork lifts, small trailers, luls, crains etc. I figured trucking wouldn't be to hard. i was kinda right. I spent 3g and got my cdl and a week later I was working for TMC making around 64k a year. Trucking will test what your made of and if your really dedicated. Its hard work, you'll be away from your family. If you don't really want it, its prob not for you. That being said, anyone can overcome their own opsticals and if you want a solid career with the bucks, truckings not bad, if your willing to make the sacrifices it requires.

 

well said and taken with a smile too. my sister is a trucker also eventhgough we havent spoken in yrears i still worry about her on the road trucking especially through winter mountains. my ex was supposed to go with me on a trucking trip until her parents threatened to cut her out of a will if she did so i guess i learned where her priorities were.. after that trip i made from hell i came home to an empty house. sucks to be her because ive had a beautiful woman for 8 years and couldnt be happier.

 

Wow I'm willing to make that tradeoff because I have tried everything and truth is I'm looking for a stable career so if the hardship is whzt u say then I'm ready for it. Not gonna let that stop me from my dream and my future.

 

Rode with my dad as a kid,that's all that took,love my job and what I do.all you need to do to make it here is common sense,curiosity,an open mind and the desire.you need to be ready for the bs as a new driver slow times,and being alone in the truck.it's a disease, once it's in your blood,you can't get it out.

 

@critters: very fond memory of u and Dad. Thank u for the advice and I truly want tp do this..

 

I'm sitting at my desk around the middle of November of last year. I'm feeling miserable about my job when I sit back and ask myself the 'silly' question, what do I want to do. Out of left field comes "be a truck driver". Seemed a rather odd though at the time as I had never thought of it before. I had been an electronics technician for 15 years and then a cartographer for the last 15 years. I'm ready to do something different. Anyway, after that I thought about it and starting reading and trying to learn. The more I read and evaluate it, evaluate myself, my strengths, my weaknesses, the nature of being a truck driver, etc. The more I realize not only can I do this, but it will be something I would enjoy. Not 100%, as with everything, some things I don't think I'll care for. But, evaluating my pros and cons have me earnestly thinking I will be successful and content with this 'change in direction'. However, applying common sense to my current situation means I may have to wait as much as another year before it is wise for me to leave my current job and take the plunge into trucking. So, as I wait, I try to learn more. So far the more I learn, the more I think I want to do this and the more I learn, the less likely I am to make some bad decisions about this, i.e. avoiding the vast majority of lease programs, especially company lease programs. Also, figure out how to possibly avoid the 'abuse' the starter companies can dish out to their newbies.
Anyway, some of the reasons I want to become a truck driver: I enjoy driving. I want to see much more of the country than I have the last 15 or so years. I am comfortable being with only myself for extended periods. I will have more independence as an employee than many other occupations.

Some of the things I think I will not like about trucking: how autos treat trucks on the road, being away from my 2 boys and daughter for extended periods (they are 15, 11 & 8. I plan on setting up a dash-cam and making frequent videos for them to see where Dad's at and what he's doing, also Skype them often). Having to deal with a bad DM and/or FM (I sort of figure after a few years I may jump to the OO situation, possibly with my own authority to eliminate this possible problem, but it is way too soon to do any earnest decision making on that, just a rough general plan). Dealing with inadequate delivery deadlines (something I'll just have to adjust to when it happens).

btw, when I finally leave my current job, I will have a windfall of sorts and it should be enough to take the edges off the lower wages most earn during the first year. Depending on how all that goes, I may end up having a really decent down payment on my own rig if and when the time comes for that.

Anyway, some of my stuff about why I want to be a truck driver. Ready to do something different, want to travel and am comfortable and content spending long periods of time mostly alone.