I'm a potential college dropout, should trucking be a plan 'B' for me?

i think the misconception is people think trucking is an easy money industry, get your cdl in 2 weeks and start making the big bucks! reality is itll probably take him the same time to get a degree to build enough experience to land an ok driving gig if hes lucky. the question is why suffer, hmmm 4 years of partying and hot young coeds or 4 years with ignorant, fat disgusting people (for the most part) decisions...

 

It is best if you like the outdoors, a good camper, and reading maps. I. Moved over from Electronics. Remeber this is not yer home sweet home. Adjust, adjust, adjust,,,,,,,

 

Listen to this guy he knows his stuff.

 

he may very well have his mind made up but perhaps the time on the road will bring him to the realization that he needs to complete his degree.I had an AA (along w/being nominated to Who's Who Among American Junior College students)from a local junior college in ga.,aquired a GA.class 5 delivering beer(an old gmc jimmy w/a 2 stroke detroit and a lightening 10 speed-that hooked me) for about a year and then entered UGA.I drove a bus on campus but was rather wild with drinking,a little this/a little that,and all those women on campus. I lived in a co-ed dorm as well so guess where my mind was and where my time was spent?

anyway,I dropped out after 5 quarters and started the otr phase.That is when i was making the weekly turns to cali and back by myself.Long story short,i finally completed my degree,a BA,at a local private baptist college,paying for it by driving a truck and working transportation industry related jobs. I am thinking that my particular degree is a moot point at this stage in my life considering all the gaps and barely a "C" average so i have never really attempted to use it to my advantage.Could very well be that i rather enjoy what i do for the most part.regardless,the OP needs to go ahead and get it out of his system,his mind is made up as Wink declared but hopefully OP will not wait so long to realize that trucking is not all that and will complete his education.

I have met actual medical doctors,PHd holders,attorneys,and the entire spectrum of people and their varied backgrounds out here so if the OP wants to drive,i suggest he goes for it sooner rather than later.It will be easier to leave the industry at a younger age if he desires to do so at that point in his life.

The moral of my rambling--No need to ponder your life at age 51 and wonder what if.I am not inferring that is me but i am 51-

 

Most all of the advice offered here is correct...so far...one big possibility is still not on the table!

If you think you "are not cut out for" school/college...and want to try trucking, (try...key word, since you don't say as your long term career choice)...you can get most any degree from on-line course work...DO BOTH AT THE SAME TIME! It sounds like you are at a point where you can drop this summer course, (without penalty hopefully) and get into a trucking school. Keep in mind, the trucking schools are (for what is offered) more expensive than college, unless you can get on with a "Swift like" outfit that has their own school and through a certain time commitment it won't cost you anything except meals while at the school. Once you get through the course (CDL training) and get your training time completed, then you are a solo driver with plenty of time on your hands to eenroll in on-line courses. There is an advantage to on-line course work...most are "at your own speed". Just make sure that the courses you choose are credit tranferable.

Keep in mind, that the new driver does not make all that much $$$...so keeping up with your school loans will be quite a burden...but you have to stay on top of the payments or it will really cause you problems down the road!

 

You probably have several loans that MUST be paid back (no way around student loans). Will you be able to live on the remaining money after paying on those loans? Did you hear that you could earn $50K your first year trucking? YOU CANT. The average pay for first through third year trucking school grads according to Dept of Labor is about $30K. That is less than $100 per day.
Put aside the lifestyle (you may in fact enjoy traveling and isolation) the financial reward for people with ZERO debt is hard to handle, someone paying $500 a month in student loans is impossible.
The good news for you however is that Congress has begun to hear that we have a student loan debt bubble that will make sub-prime housing look like a warmup drill. Americans have more student loan debt than credit card debt, more than auto loan debt, and by 2020 (only 8 years) it will surpass the amount owed on homes! If you can handle having bad credit for a few years I think you will be eligible for debt reduction in the mother of all bailouts.

Your situation is the very definition of dichotomy, every option you have has negative implications. Your responsibility now is to choose the least destructive option, I think committing more money to college that you know will net no ROI is the very worst option, one thing you do have is time, spending a year or two on the road trucking wont ruin your life but dont base any financial decisions on making any money trucking.

Good luck.

 

i can not dispute your perspective here,especially the ignorant fat disgusting people(for the most part) an excellent disclaimer!,yet i am a firm believer in wanderlust and the hold that it has on the majority of us out here and wanderlust is why most are out here,while the remaining actually feel "stuck" and/or lack the necessary skills to move on.who truly knows as it is speculative at best.

I am more hung up on why those of you that drive slow trucks for mega carriers that moniter your every move drive for whom you do. I mean you actually pay,some by incurring debt, to learn to drive like that. by doing so you convey that it is OKAY to drive trucks like that so those companies run trucks like that.apparently there is no driver shortage for them and the OP will more than likely wind up driving for just such an outfit.I find that more sad than dropping out of school to drive.he then becomes another one just like the other one and is no different than the majority.but hey-he may start wearing a chain drive wallet and kaboi boots and a kaboi hat.that will certainly relegate him to the minority-

 

THIS!!!!

You have signed up for students loans (which now top $1 Trillion nationwide) which are not dischargable in bankruptcy and that you will be expected to pay until you die. You need to look at return on investment at this point and your first year or so in trucking most likely won't net you enough to pay back those loans and be able to live. If you don't think college is working and you will not finish, don't take out more loans. I sure hope you did not take on much debt for a degree in graphic arts/visual arts since those careers don't pay well for most people (unless you are great at it and can work for Pixar or something).

Think about what you really want out of life and figure out how to get there while not screwing your financial future over more. It may be that trucking for a while would be a good thing but know that you won't be able to afford loan payments with other things like rent, car payment, etc.

 

Maybe this is a big part of your problem in the academic environment....it is also a possible hardship for you surviving and learning in this industry: YOU AREN'T COMPREHENDING WHAT IS BEING TOLD! Or are you just not hearing (reading) what YOU WANT TO HEAR (READ)?!?

Every thing you asked was told...how much money, what would it take, how is the lifestyle?

As I told every one of my students (this industry and in firefighting)....if you don't listen and apply what is taught, go waste the time of someone else!