honesty needed - considering switch from IT to Trucking

i wish i could have found one like that 10 years ago, i would still be out running interstate and not local hourly now.
to get to the OP, driving is not something most people can do, first off ask yourself.. can you not see your family for 26 days straight per month? are you prepared to not see your children grow up, are you willing to give up your life.. to serve other peoples needs? answer no to any, walk away...

 

I've been out here for years, got off the road to turn wrenches, and came back out to get a break. I would rather turn wrenches, but I needed the break from the constant nagging of my Foreman. Here in a few months, I'll more likely return to wrench turning for I had a life. Driving is all about that freight. Even when home they push for you to drive by cutting your home time short. I am like most drivers out here. I enjoy the drive, just dislike the industry. It isn't what it used to be. That's why there are no real vets out here anymore. Most have driven 3 years or less. They find better opportunities and leave. I don't blame them. I think you will hate it out here after 60 days. Want to get a taste of the road? Rent an RV and take a vacation. Don't come out here unless you really need to. Plus there is a 90% chance you'll end up divorced. Divorce rates are extremely high in this industry. Maybe it's because you can only shower but once every 2 to 3 days?

 

I was in a high tech management and thinking about trucking for some adventure and a little money.
In my research I've concluded why this might not be for me:

1) If you just want to drive a truck cross-country without too much hassle and frustration - trucking isn't right for you.
2) If you don't want to be away from home for weeks at a time, sleeping in a small plastic box and eating truck stop grissle - trucking isn't right for you.
3) If you don't want to work (mostly driving, interspersed with sitting around) for 11 hours a day 7 days a week for 3 weeks at a time and net about $7.50 an hour - trucking isn't for you.
4) If you don't like company politics, kissing ### and other corporate BS - trucking isn't right for you.

Now there are exceptions to this of course. But starting out your first couple of years this is the likely scenerio you will encounter.
While romantic notions of the open road and freedom from the shackles of a soul destroying corporate job can be realized in trucking, it takes WORK and TIME.
The other thing to realize is that it's a dangerous profession.

 

One of the most dangerous professions in the USA for sure!

 

Speaking from MY OWN experience...

You may as well join the military

Same thing. Theoretically. Minus the OBVIOUS differences.

 

Please explain your logic...


You must have had some really bad trucking experiences I'm guessing.

 

First, get free of all debt. Then, go for it. That way if it turns out that you hate trucking, you haven't really lost anything, and will likely have had the most awesome experience evah, good or bad. Life is far too short to wake up every morning, trudge into an office, and want to eat the barrel of gun by break time. You don't want to go through the rest of your life saying "Geez, I sure wish I would have..."

 

I was being sarcastic. But to the OP get an RV you can take weeks vacation and go explore and have no boss on your ###. Then get back to your normal life when the vacation is over.

 

Thanks everyone

Went to see my mother last night and needless to say she was not happy about my thoughts on a driving profession. After the initial anger subsided and the screaming stopped, she was able to be rational. She actually gave me some points to think about. She also through out a lot of the old school trucker stereotypes as well. So with that said, driving might be delayed a bit. She had all the concerns a loving mother would have. If my father and uncle were still alive , I wonder what they would say. I can only guess my uncle would tell me: to go for it, you only live once kid and my dad would tell me: Wife and family first, you second and thats only if there is time. I amire,love and miss both of them for exactly different reasons. I miss both of them every day. With out detailing much of the conversation I will point out a few of her concerns. For the first time in a long time, I felt like a little kid trying to convince my mom that what I was doing was right, much like when i left a good paying factory job to go " work on computers", that was hard for my mom and dad, because they had heard about this futureristic thing called computers but had never see one and here was there barely a high school graduate son leaving a good paying factory job ( less than $7.00 \ hr, 1995) to go be a computer technician. Who would have thought 15 or so years later, I would be pulling in 75K and semi the boss. Her first concern was mostly about being away from my grown children who I have a very close relationship with and see everyday, grand kids should be here in a few years. Her second concern was money, this is also a big point for me, I have been homeless, I mean homeless, (My wife and I lived under a bridge for a few months and then in a car) when i say that and it is no fun. But I am not scared to start at the bottom. I have realized that over the years the more stuff ( cars, motorcycles, houses, toys) I acquire, simply the more I have to spend time taking care of. Her third concern was failing and what I would be left with and how I would support my family. I told her I would return home and get a 50-60k computer job, they are easy to find and everywhere, we would down size and be ok. I bank most of my salary each month now anyway. If we downsized either way, we could live on my wife's salary and bank my truck money or computer job money. Living in a big empty house is not all it is cracked up to be. Here are some questions I have been asking myself.

01 - AM I willing to give up what I have for what I think I want?
02 - Do I really want to be a driver or is this a mid-life crisis with out the sports car and the 20 something smokin hot girlfriend?
03 - Can my wife and children handle my asbent ( not being igorrant)?
04 - Am I being selfish and only thinking about what I want and not what is best for my family?
05 - Am I really burnout on IT stuff or just bored?
06 - Will I be a good driver?
07 - What if I wash out and never make it to the road?
08 - Am I just creating drama for myself cause I am bored?
09 - I don't want the life style, I just want to drive the truck, maybe I should go to school and look for some kind driving gig for the weekends
10 - Have I payed my dues, is it time for me to go do something, I think I want to do

sorry for the long winded post this morning, just a lot on my mind.

be safe out there....

 

Hey man if you really have the itch to try it then go for it! You only live once and you don't want to be on your death bed saying " I shoulda, coulda, woulda"! With that being said, just realize you aren't going to see the wife or family but a handful of times a year. Don't know your marital position but maybe this is what you want or need. Like you said you know where you stand with your career and you know if you can get back into if all goes wrong with the trucking idea. I can tell you that you will no where make close to what you are making now and will be very lucky to obtain even half of what you are making now, but money isn't everything.

If the lifestyle doesn't interest you then I highly advise you go no further. The lifestyle part of it is going to be 90% of the job out there and the toughest part to get used too! Its possible to land a local gig but highly unlikely as a new driver until you have made it past your one year mark of over the road driving. So don't waste your time and money if you are committed to going over the road. Most likely will have to drive a year out there before you can get in line for a local job, especially in this economy. Keep in mind that just about every driver out there would rather have a local job! On top of all that, local work doesn't pay crap!

So think long and hard about it before making that leap and take the time to do your research and talk with the spouse and family. If home time is going to be a factor then it really won't be worth it because the drivers that need to be home all the time usually aren't given the good loads or lengthy miles. They will usually utilize you to make all the pick ups and deliveries for the drivers who are willing to stay out there.

Good luck and welcome to the forum....