How many miles/months/years till you knew OTR was right or wrong for you?

I'm wondering from those who've made the determination that OTR was definitely the right or wrong career path, just how long, in terms of time or miles, it took to come to that conclusion.

 

if you make it 6 months on the road without wrecking, going insane, or anything else like that you'll make it. it's a lifestyle not a job and you will know if it's for you or not once you start doing it.

 

I know several people that decided it was not for them after a few years. But normally that is due to life change in a relationship or with kids, or in one case the guy just decided it was not for him anymore.
But in the vast majority of cases you will know before the year is up. That is when 75+% of people that get a Class A get off the road.

 

the only reason why mine says ex is due to an injury

 

I'd prefer to still be out there myself. Got burned out a bit due to a team driver (don't run teams unless it is your spouse!), suffered some health issues, and now have been out of it too long to get back into it without starting over. Still not done with the health issues either!

I knew it was for me before I started though, as it was already in my blood. Daddy was a driver.

 

I knew when i fired up my first truck that this was for me !!!! 30 years later and I still get a big old smile when that cat fires up !!!

 

7 years, 4 OTR jobs and just over 800,000 miles told me enough was enough. I don't have the time or discipline to eat healthy on the road. In fact I will argue that it is next to impossible. Weighed 170 Eight years ago and this August I was pushing 230. Down to 215 Now, at a much less stressful job, broke, but happier than I've been in eight years.

 

I hear ya man,and agree with everything you have said,here is my (selfish)? twist,I like OTR,except for the 4? months of the silly season called winter.....I"ll do it,& try not to p#ss & moan,BUT GAWD,how I hate it

 

for me it was around a year, (bit more or a bit less) and i was able to get into a more regional gig through a good friend of mine. i still had to do the truck stop fueling, showering, sleeping, but it was far better than the (what seemed like) millions of miles away from home base, just driving up and down the east coast instead.

i can tell you though, in all my years i have seen where many newbies/rookies have thier breaking point at the first truck stop they get to and get aggravated real quick with the stupidity there. from the fueling island to the restaurant, to the waiting in the drivers lounge for the shower room to be ready, to the laundry room being full.....you name it, and the newbies/rookies just could not take all the inconveniences of life on the road, away from home...


you either accept the job in which you trained for and ALL its drawbacks, or you get out totally.

when i went to trucking school back in the 1980's....my class was given a speech on statistics about the length of time people stay in the business.

out of a class of 40 of us he said, "10 of you will drop out with in 1 year of driving"

"10 of you will drop out with in 4 years of driving"

"10 of you will drop out with in 6 years of driving"

"5 of you will drop out after 10 years of driving"

"the remaining 5 of you will drop out, one by one before you reach retirement"


well........i'm one of the 5.......that's heading for retirement *and that can change for me too*.........(if his "speech" on his statistics held true, to this day)

 

I agree with you Rerun but I think the statistics are even more than that!

Class of 50 students 30 will make it to an orientation.

30 people in orientation 18-20 people will make it through the actual orientation

18-20 people in training maybe 8-10 might make it through

8-10 drivers 4-5 make it past three months

4-5 drivers 2-3 make it past 6 months

usually 1-2 drivers will make it past their year mark

What do you think Rerun?