Instructor to trucker ??

Hi, I have been lurking on here quite some time and decided I should just join. There is a lot of great info on here. Here is a little work and skills info about me.
I grew up on a farm and have spent quite a few summers repairing, building and operating farm equipment.
Have 2 associate degrees one in Heavy Equipment Diesel mechanics and one in Automotive Technology.
I am an ASE certified Master Technician.
I have been a Mechanic, Truck driver, Welder Fabricator and Machinist.


Currently I am an instructor of Heavy Equipment Diesel Mechanicat our local community college for the last 8 years. I love my job here and Ienjoy teaching the students.
I planned on staying at the school till I retired but I had an unfortunate work related fall ankle injury 2 years ago in the summer at the farm which has left me permanently disabled due to improper care and diagnosis by a terrible Saif doctor (workers comp doctor). Yes, I found out to late there is good doctors and terrible ones. :smt077

I walk with a slight limp now and deal with a lot of pain and swelling of my knees, ankle, and hips, on a daily basis. If I stay off concrete and don’t walk much the pain and swelling goes way down. I have a good doctor now which was horrified at how this was handled. His advice is I need to find another job where I am not walking or standing on my feet all day. My injury causes me to walk with an improper gait, most likely at some point I will end up with a kneeor hip replacement from the ankle injury. If I minimize standing and walking it reduces pain and will prolong joint replacement.

I am thinking about being a truck driver full time. I have had my class A CDLwith all endorsements (except Hazmat expired) since I was 20. I have a clean record, no tickets or wrecks ever in a truck. I have driven truck local forfarms during the summer when I was off my school job.
I spent the last 2 summers hauling hay locally pulling A trains and B trains and this does not bother my injury much. I am no stranger to long days and hardwork. Try running 16 hours a day throwing and tightening 10 straps in 90 degreeheat all day long on short runs from the field to the barn and back.

The hay company I hauled hay for said they would hire me full time to pull containers up to the port, a run that can be done in a day. I am wondering if Ishould take it or consider going OTR or forget trucking all together. Office job? I am afraid my lack of OTR experience and never attending a truck driving school may limit my options and keep me there. This place has no insurance or benefits but they do have nice trucks and would pay decent.


Many friends are kind of surprised that I would even considertrucking full time. They say I have too many skills and abilities to just throw away.

Sorry, this post is way longer than planned


Your thoughts.........
Any advice on what to

 

Thankyou Condocruiser for your advice and insight. You bring up some good points to consider.

I know a little about how tireing working the stiff clutch can be. We have some runs that have us hauling hay right through downtown Salem all day long. It gets tireing running from one light to the next in rush hour traffic.
My doctors advice is just what you said. You are still young enough to go back to school and learn something new. If I was a lot older it might be a little different.