IYO, is trucking for us? And tips for applying?

In your opinion, do you think trucking would do well for us...?

I am 23. Wife is 21. We have an 11-month old little angel.

We are in a dire situation. I was fired from my previous employer of over three years, because they said I was "blogging while on shift" and that I "wrote character-harming statements" about the clients I was working with (developmentally disabled adults). After they did not respond to the DOL's request for their side of the story when I filed for Unemployment Insurance, they filed an appeal. Unfortunately, the judge ruled in their favour due to his misunderstanding of what I was saying (basically, he thought I'd admitted guilt). So, we owe the DOL $471. That's not a huge deal. It will just come out of tax returns.

However... The big deal is this... I am now a stay-at-home-father, which is great, but the wife is only bringing in $700/mo. Our expenses are barely under that (I run a financial blog - I'm somewhat savvy in the finances department). We do everything to cut costs, even hypermiling our car! Anyways...

It was my intention to go to school, because at work, we were allowed to study for college and what-not while on shift. But since that is gone, I am re-thinking our future. My wife's uncle may have a job for me up in Seattle, but if he does not, we MUST find something else.

So... trucking. I do not want to be away from the wife and kid (would almost be like the Army all over again). However, if it is going to make us a living, and get us out of my family's house (yes, we live with my parents'!), then it may be worth it. My father is a truck driver, but believe me - I do not want to end up like him! I do not want to be away from my family for the rest of our lives!

I was thinking... Work long-haul for a year or two (would have to - some companies pay for the school, of course), then use that experience to get me something local. I know I would take a pretty hefty pay cut, but it may be worth it. I want to have a college fund for my daughter (something both our parents never did; not because of lack of money, but due to lack of financial awareness). I want to have a retirement fund (again, something neither of our parents have done). I want to be able to buy a house someday and be able to pay for a repair if something happens. I'm not after the riches. I am after the stability!

I think I've rambled...

Would this work for us? Obviously, it will be hard. But if my wife can give birth without me, because I'm thousands of miles away with limited contact to her, I think we may be able to see each other every couple of weeks in person, and every night on Skype.

Now... For the more detailed questions:

- How do you try to protect yourself from getting screwed?
All of these companies advertise 401(k), full benefits (one actually listed the cost of how much it would be each month), etc. And the recruiters will do it too. How do I ensure that I actually get those? How do I ensure that I do not work for less than $.28/mi.? I have been looking at reviews on Glassdoor.com, and they seem to be pretty informative.

- Can I apply for a trucking job in another city?
When I was riding the bus home for the last time from the Army, there were six other men. Four were taking jobs with C.R. England and two were going out for Central Refrigerated. All were from the east (Georgia, Maine, etc.) and were going to Utah for the school. I did not gather enough info from them... My wife and I want to live in Portland, OR. We currently live in Boise, ID. Would I be able to get a job in Portland without having to drive out there multiple times before being assured a job?

Thank you all. Any further information/advice is very much appreciated!

 

My best advice is find the companies that will train you, and research them online as much as possible. Companies like CRST and CR England arent even worth your time man. Also take everything your recruiter says with a grain of salt....

Believe half of what you see and none of what you hear.

 

Well, I forebear to comment on whether trucking is right for you. Mainly because I don't know you, or how you will be able to deal with the pressures of today's trucking. I understand that you were in the military, and I'm grateful for your service. But trucking is an animal of a far different (and some would say much more offensive) odor.

That said, I've retired from trucking and am returning to school myself. This requires two part time jobs for me, since there are limited full times jobs in my area, and none that I am "qualified" for.

I wouldn't drop school as a plan. There are on-line opportunities for people who are willing to research them, depending on what coursework you wish to major in. I myself am hoping to be attending Southern New Hampshire University in January for a BS IT degree. Which is pretty amazing, since I live in Meadville, PA, and have zero intention of living the glorious "dorm life", or commuting (bit of a drive, even for me, haha!).

Trucking is a job, a career, and a lifestyle all rolled up together. Not something you want to get into while your "looking for something better". If you don't love the field, it will chew you up and spit you out like a drill seargent on a rampage. And not even glance down as it rolls over your mutilated corpse. If you want it, ya gotta really want it to get through that first year or two. If you don't want it, you won't last six months, and will have spent a boatload of money getting a license you'll never use.

Consider all your options. Consider carefully. Research. Then decide. The decisions we make in haste usually end up being the decisions we regret the most!

 

Thanks for the replies.

Good points, brsims. This really is a last resort. I'm also applying at Boeing, where I know three people. Also strongly hoping for this job in Seattle!

I forgot to ask:

- I have two speeding tickets on my MVR, that I can remember. I've had a lot, but within the last three years, I've had two. One was 85 in a 65. >.< Also had a misdemeanor moving violation (which was B.S.), but that was in '07. Think I'll look pretty bad?

- Should I worry about what my resume looks like? I've had stable employment, but only one job where I drove a vehicle as the soul purpose of my job.

 

20 mph over is considered reckless driving by many states, and most carriers. Sorry hoss, but that just put you in the don't bother trying catagory. No decent outfit is gonna touch you for a while. And any outfit that is willing to hire is gonna run you out, and then run you over.

And I don't say this to be offensive, so please don't take it as such, but viewing trucking as a "last resort" is the absolutely wrong attitude to take in this field. I understand the stress you're under, but trucking requires alot. Time, dedication, and patience are just the start. Look at what truckers give up freely to do what they love to do. Time with their families, time with their friends, most of their "free time", since you're never actually "off duty" no matter what your log book says. Like I said, you gotta really want it to be successful in trucking.

That said, I have a cousin who worked for Boeing in NY state (she might still work there, I don't know). Boeing pays decent, and may even help you with schooling, if your interests coincide with Boeings current or future needs. Plus better bennies than most "starter" carriers are gonna offer, and that's a big deal for you now, especially with a young child.

 

Your'e radiocative with that speeding ticket (85 in a 65 mph zone). NO carrier will touch you until that is at least 3 years old. Any school that offers to train you will steal your money and then you will be in a worse predicament; a cdl license and no company willing to hire you. Then after a year or 2 (when you mvr is clear) you will have to go back to school for a "refresher course" before any carrier will consider you.

Check into Nursing. You may be able to get uncle Sam to pay for your schooling and you can make a decent paycheck with good benefits, AND be home with your family every day.

 

Unfortunately, I cannot go to school. One of us has to work. The other has to be home with the baby. With my wife only making what she is now, there is just no way. We have tried everything. Nursing is actually what I want to go to school for. I was going to get my Bachelors, then after working about five years, go on to get my Masters so that I could practice as a CRNA (Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist).

Believe me... I would absolutely love to go to school for Nursing. In fact, for that past four months, I have been working on my math because I need to take the Math COMPASS in order to enter into school.

Okay. Well, I guess I am going to keep working on my résumé and send that off to Boeing, Nintendo, (both in WA) and Micron (here in ID).

Even greater news... The wife is on flex for the first six weeks of 2012. That means, no guaranteed hours. She has to pick up shifts if she wants to work. Ugh. I am not sure how we got into this mess...

 

Trucking will work for you, if you work for it.

That means getting used to being away from the family for a few weeks. Making sacrifices like missing birthdays, anniversaries, etc. Being up and awake long and odd hours. Handling customers who really don't like you, or want anything to do with you. Dealing with weather, traffic, etc.

Most people around here will tell you trucking is a lifestyle, that you can make decent money at. If you go for the paycheck, and nothing else, you will hate it.

 

Lonesome - at one point in my life, I actually wanted to be a truck driver. It was my plan to do it for a few years to save some money, then settle down. Then I met a girl I couldn't let go.

I have done a lot of jobs out of necessity that I did not exactly enjoy. I have also done two that I though I would enjoy. One, I even went to vocational school for. Both were a flop. I ended up hating one and could not find my niche in the other, which required me running my own business. I quickly found that I was actually more interested in the independence I would have, rather than the actual career itself.

I worked one job for five years (broken by a stint in the service that ended quickly). I hated that job. Absolutely hated it. But, aside from the military, it was the most money I'd made. So, maybe I work better out of necessity, rather than out of passion. Hmm.

I am going to check my MVR. I have not yet, because our state recently changed to a new system. You can't get your MVR online anymore, unless you are a 'Premium Subscriber', which is $95 annually. Then you also have to pay $8.50 for the MVR itself. I remember when it could be had online or from the office for $5. So... I'll have to go into the office after the holidays.

Wish us luck, guys. I may or may not see you out there on the roads, but hopefully something DOES happen.

 

You can do the your pre-reqs for a nursing degree from your house, if you truly are going after a nursing degree. You still have to complete all the gen-ed reqs. Start there. There are MANY MANY schools that have child care on campus. If you are worried about the expense, then you should look to some temporary aid when you need that. Since your wife earns less than $700/month, and you have a child, you should qualify.

There are any number of programs you will qualify for (albeit, you may have to wait until next year for some of them, but you should be able to start your education now.)