Jumping from academic world to trucking industry? Can it be done?

Absolutely correct about the community college. If you can afford to take your time with it, this route will save you a ton of money and not make you be in a lot of debt to a "for-profit" school, or even worse, in some kind of "indentured servitude" contract with a company who provided so-called "free training". Always keep your options open., and a community college will allow you to do that. These starter companies will recruit you just as hard there as they will at the other high dollar schools.

 

I would recommend that you try to work for a large company that hauls it's own product. Being a driver with a masters degree would let you go places in the company that most of us don't have. These larger companies look for a degree and don't care what it is most of the time when you have experience driving. Companies like UPS, Conway, large sporting goods stores, companies that have outlets all over. You'll have to look but I can tell you if you were in the tanker business hauling gasoline the majors would move you up as far as district manager. You can reach six figures after awhile but you need to plan and seek out a career and not just a driving job. Good luck.

 

Check out the programs and see what is available... Blue Ridge Community College in Virginia is 5 weeks.... eight hours a day for 5 weeks.... including 1200 miles on the road behind the wheel for each student. That's 200 hours of training, and you really can't get much faster than that.... $3200... about half what some commercial schools charge.

I know some of the colleges stretch it out..... just check out what is available.... no need to pay more just to make some school a profit... although there is nothing wrong with making a profit, so more power to them....

Just be wise with your hard earned money..... what little of it the government allows you to keep after taxes.... and don't pay more than is necessary.

 

Having a decent education does help in life. If you can read, write and do the math, you can do just about anything with the proper training. The economy will rebound one of these days and, that degree will come in handy. OTR trucking is something you have to have a passion for, its not for just anybody. It takes a special breed of person.

 

3 days waiting for a load? I'd hang myself inside the cab man. Hey try entering the industry from the logistics side not the driving side. Now a days new drivers get raped with no lube for dumb little things and pay is not that much better. Your a smart dude computer saavy and understands well don't become a driver at least try the other angle first they put you on salary after your trained and you get to go home. Just my two cents.

 

I have a good friend who has a Masters degree and was a college professor some time ago. He has been driving and an owner operator for well over 20 years. I don't think that you ever waste as education. But, you need to find something that you enjoy that you can also earn a decent living. If you have a relative that can help you get your CDL and give you some time behind the wheel, that would be your least expensive way to get into the business. Once you have 6-12 months experience, your schooling won't be much of a factor, if at all. A community college would be the least expensive way to go if you need to get your CDL and your relative can't or won't help you. There are also carriers who train inexperienced drivers and can assist in getting your CDL, although I would discourage you from going that route. Any carrier that does training usually requires that you commit to working for them for at least 1 year or be responsible for paying them for your training. That usually runs $5,000 or more. Good luck.

 

Not trying to rain on your parade here, if you really want to be an OTR driver then go for it. A few warnings though. I noticed that wherever I went on vacation I had fond memories of, and thought I might like to live there. But i was never working while I was there I was on vacation, just visiting. Wondering if your experience with your relative might be like that.

These days to start out OTR freight trucking is low pay , in many cases 20-30K first year, that's not saying you can't get lucky but I would plan accordingly. If you are hauling frieght, you should have a high level of patience, alot of hurry up and wait, sitting around and not getting paid. Lastly home time, many carriers will only get you home a couple of days out of a 3 week period.

As you gain experience you can improve on all the above conditions, so if you can survive your first year or so you can get a regional or local job, get out of OTR freight and you should be able to gross $50k or more. That said some people stay in OTR freight. Get all the endorsements you can, the more you can do other than driving a truck, the more you are worth to a company, things like food service, tanker, tanker/hazmat, parking lot.

Good luck to you.

 

There are former lawyers..doctors and just about anyone you can think of out here.
Do what you enjoy and you will never work a day in your life...

 

Sounds like my situation. Have an MBA and worked my way through finance and business world. Then when they want they just cut you lose and you are stuck trying to figure out how to makes ends meet. Luckily I had built up a nice savings and lived below my means as well as without debt. That paid off in dividends. A second career in trucking sounds like the freedom and opportunity I have been waiting for!

 

AMEN! That is the truth! Its not worth the paper it is printed on.