I need some advice.

For me, the good outweighs the bad. It depends on what you put into it. Many guys prefer local work, and I prefer over the road. I like seeing all the scenery of USA. I like the lifestyle. Dirty truck stops and piss bottles are just those things you'll have to ignore. I tend not to let much bother me though. Trucking has saved my life in a lot of ways. I'll dare say I find it therapeutic at times. Lol. You meet cool people, you go to cool places, you'll eat great food, you'll learn lot, even if you don't mingle with other drivers. There are negatives in the day to day work, just like any job. Shippers and receivers can derail your day. Traffic can be a pain, companies that try to tell you where to get fuel and how to route you can be annoying, but at the end of the day for me, those things aren't that big of a deal. It's good, fast money, it's solitude. I totally think you should give it a try. You'll have 11 hrs daily to listen to podcasts and music, because that's how many driving hours you'll have. If you can adjust to the lifestyle, and you have high BS tolerance, you'll be fine out here. If you allow small things to stress you out, it will be a struggle. I say you have nothing to lose, and you'll only have to manage yourself.

 

I quit corporate cooking job two years ago! Went to truck driving school! Went to scheider for training, 4 months later got a local job at Gardner Trucking! July this year got a $30 an hour local delivering tesla part only! No touch home everyday! Only regret is not doing it sooner!

 

Welcome to the machine, pal, we've all been there. For me, trucking had gotten so boring, I'd sit on the edge of the bed ( at midnight) trying to think of a way out, but shlepped off to work, for another day of abuse. The allure of a job like trucking is what gets most into it. Surely anything must be better than where they're at, and that's true, for a while, to a point. The actual job of trucking is a good job, can make decent money ( a local mailhauler is offering $32.10/hr), but there is a sacrifice many aren't prepared for. It's an about face from ANY other job you may have had, and most social life goes out the window. Not many spouses go for that, if that's an issue. For a single person, can't be beat. I hope we caught you before you turn in that letter, it's ALWAYS a bad idea quitting a job with nothing to go to. Did that and regretted it. Quitting is easy, it's the re-hire that could take longer than you can afford. Keep the job, and look into other options, but don't quit. Not just yet. I think trucking is still a good job, if you can handle the lifestyle, which, by the way, is better than it's ever been,,,for a driver. Good luck.

 

Do you have another job to go to? so maybe hold off on the resignation letter for the time being maybe all you need is a break, take some time off. when was the last time you actually had a holiday? It is better to have a job and be unhappy then to be unemployed and unhappy I know which one I'd prefer. However yes we are all looking for the perfect job, so sometimes a change is as good as a holiday personally I'd prefer the holiday. Some other factors can be like I'm going to sound like a psychologist here but how do you de-stress? or do you dwell on things? This can really make life hard for us if we continue to dwell on things, which is why the current pandemic is causing so many mental issues people just keep dwelling on it instead trying to focus on other things.

 

Go ahead and pull the trigger and get started.
Plenty of companies hiring that will let you take the dog.
Are you still near Portland? If so, YRC Freight is hiring and has their own cdl school now. That's local work though or sometimes may have to lay over for a night.

• CDL Driving Academy – Portland, OR on December 1, 2021

 

CDL Driving Academy - Dock Worker Jobs |Work for YRC Freight
Get Paid to Earn Your CDL
Get Paid to Train: Four Weeks at a YELLOW CDL Driving Academy. The CDL training program consists of classroom instruction and behind the wheel training with an experienced instructor in preparation for the State Class A CDL Skills and Road Testing.

 

Here's some information on YRC Academy from drivers going through the program or have finished the program.
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YRC Driver training - Roadsidedown's journey
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YRC CDL training program experience

 

Depends on a lot of factors. Hopefully your good paying jobs that you've had so far have allowed you to build a decent savings, because for at least the first couple of years in trucking (should you decided to go that way) you probably will not be making enough to survive on. Second is your age. I assume you're middle age or a little younger. Too old and the physical demands make the job difficult unless you're in outstanding condition. Third, you'll be starting over at the bottom. You stated that you hate being dictated to from above, but that will be your life in trucking. Yes you will be working alone on the road, but where you go, when you wake up, go to bed, and how fast and hard you need to run will all be dictated to you from above. Dirty truck stops with piss bottles and piss covered parking lots is just part of the job. Depending on where you live and what parts of the country you plan to drive in, you may find yourself laying under your truck inches from traffic in slush and snow putting chains on your truck. You may get lucky with a regional or dedicated route that has you working the same hours every day, or you may just do random loads for your employer that have you driving all day, and driving all night a couple days later. Don't count on a regular sleep schedule. If you have a wife or significant other at home or even children, don't count on seeing them much, even if you get a job that gets you home every night. This job is hard on a relationship for most.

Bottom line, you may love it, or you may hate it. A high percentage of new drivers drop out in the first year. I'm not saying this to discourage you from getting into the field, just a glimpse of the reality we've all experienced. Many people love and thrive in trucking. As many here will tell you, it's not a job, it's a lifestyle. Good luck.

 

Roehl Transport hires in your area.
A neighbor of mine recently went through their school and said students are paid, something like $608 weekly as a student while in school. You're an employee as soon as you start school, thus the pay starts then. Unless the policy has changed, can take the pet and a passenger. I think Roehl hires for flatbed trucking/training in your area.
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