I don't know what to do anymore, looking for advice please, i'm thinking of trucking

First off, allow me to say THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE!!!

My best advice to you would be this: the trucking industry is best for a single person. It will provide you with a job (assuming you can be a safe and legal professional) for as long as you can tolerate all the Bravo Sierra that comes with the job.
It will however chew you up and spit you out if you let it. I wish you success in whatever you choose, if I were to do it all over again, I would have never gotten married or never got into trucking!!!
The two are not compatible. One or the other will demand most of your time, energy, money, and attention and the other one will wind up being neglected and you will be abandoned! !!

 

I cant really answer the financials of it for you as I will just be starting in the business myself. To give a brief history. I was an auto technician for the last 20 years and was recently fired through no fault of my own. There are no jobs where I am either. Looking at it from reading the forums I would say roughly 30k for the first year seems about a fair assesment. Someone else may be able to give you a more accurate answer to that though. I am only basing it on some math and from what I have heard.

It doesnt sound like a bad idea for you. Being that you have the GI bill you could go one of two ways. You can use the GI bill and pay for CDL school in your area and then get prehires through some trucking companies. You could do what many of us new guys are doing and get with a company that trains you and then subtracts part of the cost of school through like 25 bucks a week for a year. Im going with Central Refrigerator. I start next week. The company doesnt sound that bad to me.

The other thing I can suggest to you before or after you go... You said you want to start your own business someday. I would suggest that you use that GI bill and take some business courses before you start your own business. Hell you get free schooling. Take advantage of everything you can.

Good luck to you.

 

One advantage to trucking instead of having two jobs at home is that you won't have to pay rent and utilities. So that alone will save you tons of money. Whatever you make out there will go right in the bank! You sound like you are actually in a good position to be a driver. You definitely have the hardcore lifestyle down pat! My opinion would be to go for it! Welcome to the forum and good luck!

 

Bingo Chompi. Thats why if this works out for me then the wife will be joining me next year. We will be banking everything lol.

 

Thank You for your service to our country !!!

I'm sure you'll do fine, in whatever you decide.

Good Luck !!!!!!

 

Same deal happened to me. I chose to get out, rather than have to change job title. Sucks, but glad your home for good bro.

You mentioned you are from the Midwest, what state? And exactly how long ago were you discharged? If in Illinois, you'd have the Illinois veterans grant that pays 100% tuition, leaving your GI BILL a great paycheck for a college student. That is if you have the Chapter 30 GI bill and not this post 9/11 one.
Prob is, at least for Illinois, is if you move to another state immediately after discharge, your lose that veterans grant. Just Something you may want to consider. Also, the GI bill wouldn't cover my CDL school, but the Illinois veterans grant did 100% minus tax. There are other states here in the Midwest that do the same deal. Can't tell ya which ones tho.

And PLEASE man, use that GI BILL!! You lose it 7 years after discharge. Yes they told you 10 years, technically true. But if you haven't started school by the 7th year, they will deny benefit application.

If anything, you could drive and take online classes at the same time. You will have plenty of alone time in that sleeper to get your homework done. Plus you would be getting a GI bill payment each month in your bank account on top of your driving pay. Squeaze every dollar from the government you can. You deserved it.

 

If you don't know what field you wanna do. Start off with getting an associates in applied science. 90% of that will transfer to whatever field you finally decide to do.

 

1. It's a 34 hour reset and you don't HAVE to take it, unless you run out of hours.
2. Being a team driver is really only worth it money wise if it's a Husband and Wife team.
3. They all have cigarette lighter plugs. Some companies have APU's (Auxiliary Power Units) on there trucks which will provide heat/ac/ power. Some companies have Bunk heaters in the sleepers which is a diesel burning heater that keeps the sleeper warm. And some companies will let you install a power inverter so that you can have the power to run a fridge, microwave, TV, etc.




Thanks for serving and good luck with whatever you choose to do!






American Trucker