If you don't recommend trucking then what?

That's exactly what I'm talking about. Solve a problem and the dreams are endless.

Plenty of time to ponder driving a truck. Plenty of pod casts for inspiration as well.

 

I’ve gotten in trouble here before for talking about it, but dare I say…..day trading in stock market is a good way to make money

 

Hell, I do that right now. One of the reasons I only work 1 day a week. And I do it in my Roth 401 so it isnt taxable.

 

A florist

 

My Grandfather on my Mothers side was a florist, all the years we were kids, made a darn good living. Accumulated land, apartments, stocks & bonds.

 

Sucks they are almost all but gone now

 

Ok, I'm a pilot and airplane mechanic. I'm not even sure what an FAA certified "aircraft dispatcher" is but you aren't going to be tracking airplanes like ATC would. That's also not going to be an easy job for someone with zero aviation experience. I have knowledge of airplane flight plans, airspace, etc and I would hesitate to get into airplane dispatching.

The reason I would not recommend trucking to anyone is it robs you of a life. I used to have friends and I used to do things. Now, I'm gone for 2 weeks, I come back home, I mow my grass, wash my cars, restock my truck with food and fresh clothes and go again. I bought a motorcycle in 2015. I rode it 4500 miles until 2017 when I started driving OTR full time. In 2022 it was stolen with 4700 miles on the clock. I didn't have time to ride my bike anymore, I barely had time to think when I got home.

And I want people to know how often they will sit unpaid yet still be responsible for the truck AND they can't go home. If they ask about the "freedom of the road" I gladly tell them about all the driver monitoring that goes on now where you are watched more in a truck than you are in your office at a normal job.

At that point the conversation usually ends. Why do I drive a truck? Because I can make more doing it IF EVERYTHING WORKS OUT RIGHT than I can doing my other option, airplane mechanic. And my issue is I've tried being a dispatcher and I did fine, my issue was working with lazy people and being stuck at a desk 8 hours a day. I can't even stay in my truck when it's parked. I HAVE to get out and walk around. I can't keep still. It's like I'm ADHD LOL

 

I think one thing these threads need to specify is OTR. A lot of the "usual suspects " show up on the moaning scale are usually OTR, and O/O. So there is that for people to think about.

 

Check any community college. Welding, electrical, agriculture, auto or diesel mechanic. Hell you can just about walk onto a construction site with a tape measure on your hip, ask for the foreman and dang near be hired on the spot. Community college to get your welders cert. and put out apps. Would be surprised if you went a week without a response. Electrician apprentice/journeyman, lots of companies offer programs. When I was in Virginia there was one based out of Chantilly that was advertising for just that. 2 years on the job training to get towards your Journeyman. Oh let's not forget HVAC and Plumbing. Ofcourse with some of those you will make the bulk of your $$ during the season pre winter.

As far as actual yearly average. That is determined by the workers willingness to show up and work and the market you are in.

Really wish people would quit with blanket expectations and statements that doesn't fit the entirety of the country, or hell even a single state.