I was a _________ before trucking....

...yeah, with that User Name "Mack E-6", I thought that you were a Sergeant (E-6) in the USAF with the 'nick name' that they give Scottish/Irish guys, like me!! Ha Ha Ha

 

I've been a nurse for the past 31 years. I worked 16 years in a hospital and had my fill of working nights, weekends and holidays and being on call. I did home care for several years. I've been at my present job, for a self insured insurance plan, for almost 10 years. That would be 10 years of sitting in a cubicle, staring at a computer screen, listening to people complain, and not even seeing a window.

Then I met a special trucker a while back and we started talking and it seems like a good idea! My ex is on his own, my kids have left the nest, I got rid of the house and moved into my mom's house, so no worries. I am set to start classes in January and we'll (hopefully) be running together when I get my CDL, so I can drive nights, weekends, holidays and on-call! I swear, I feel like I am getting out of jail in a few months. By the end of 2008, we hope to go to Australia (his end of the earth) and drive during the summer, and we might check out the need for drivers in the mining region.

 

Cut lawns
washed dishes
worked on a yacht in the Detroit River
installed truck radios
Cooked burritos/ pizzas
Played in rock bands
played piano in Italian Restaurant
Played in Jazz bands
Built roof trusses in factory
Worked in party store
worked Maintenance at a college
painted victorian houses
roofing
worked in telemarketing center
owned / operated rehearsal studio for rock bands
Union elevator operator in opera house
owned operated recording studio lots of gold records
played blues in chicago for years with famous people
owned pharmacy250K sales
owned travel agency 2.5 M in sales
fished competetive marlin/ sailfish tournaments worldwide
sold realestate
own and operate construction company
excavate w/ backhoe dumptruck and build houses
own and operate dental laboratory= make teeth

I probably have left out a few, but heck, it's been a good run. I guess I have had a short attention span during my younger days.
I've settled down some now, though.
Raised two successful kids singlehanded, too.
I can live with my own thoughts, and like meeting folks too. I guess that's my story, and I'm stickin to it.

 

grocery store stocker,oilfield rufnek,boilermaker,carpenter,steelmill,construction,and now I'm a millwright in a papermill for the last 13 years.
I actually have a good job right now but I've always had this itch to hit the road I used to work construction all over the US maybe that's what started it all plus my marriage is going sour that's all the more reason I guess.
And I'm not a sociable person,I think the job would suit me just right.
The only thing that's holding me back right now I want to get financially ready to get some things paid off because I know first couple of years are tough as a new otr driver.

 

I sold meth. I also had a couple of "Adult" websites.

 

Never would have guessed with your screen name.

 

It worked pretty well until the "meth addicted adult actress shortage" put a real hurting on my profits. The business is now in the hands of the "crack people" Crack people ran the whole industry down the tubes. I really don't know how they can look at themselves in the mirror.

 

1979-1996 --- U.S. Coast Guard Yeoman First Class (E-6). I retired early with 17 years on that "early out" program that Congress/Clinton passed back in 1996. (A serviceman could retire early with as little as 15 years and get full benefits). I did 17 and took the money and ran!

1996-1997 --- Computer Programmer with a snobby mortgage banking company which soon got bought out by another bank.

1997-1998 --- Computer Payroll operator/computer security/paycheck printer. Nice job but moved on to better company.

1998-2007 --- Computer Programmer, Unix Systems Administrator, Network Administrator, overall I.T. guy.

Dec 2007 --- Laid off/unemployed. My previous company migrated to new servers and new database programs, phased out the old Unix server, and essentially put me out of work. At least I got a nice severance package which is helping me cope. But it won't last long...

Today: Currently deciding if I should become a truck driver and say "screw you" to the whole corporate I.T., office cubicle, desk jockey, environment. 46 years old... house... wife... kids... what do I want to do now? I always thought truck drivers were pretty cool and make great money. But after sitting behind a desk for 20+ years, maybe it's time for a complete career change.

 

Been there/done that. At least with driving you can go into your 60's (we have some "casuals" in their 70's) doing, and have the "illusion" of being your own boss----notice quotes...ha ha

 

Thanks.... That reminds me. I remember last summer at my company, a few of us were outside on lunch break, just hanging out. We would get truckers coming into the loading docks all the time. Yellow, Estes, Overnite, UPS Freight, and countless other truck lines.

One time, one of the truckers stopped in the middle of the parking lot to double check the flatbed load. We went over to chat with the guy and see if he needed anything. Me, being somewhat of a goofball, made the funny comment, "Hey, I have an idea. How about we switch jobs? You come into the office and work on the computers in a cubicle, and I'll drive your truck". The guy cracked up laughing and said, "Heeeeeell no!!! You put me in an office cubicle, and I'd lose my mind!!!" Then he turned and looked at his rig and said, "This is my office..."

Kinda gave me a whole new level of respect for truckers. You guys are cool!