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

I understand. I have been wanting to teach either Business or History (I have Masters in Both), but it has been so hard to break into teaching at a college. I have never been unemployed before and the transition has been hard but at least I lost 20 pounds and workout daily!

 

You should fit in quite nicely. Trucking is just like academia; the quarrels are nasty and the stakes are low.

 

I am in that process now. College prof and dean for 20 years with PhD. In CDL school now and not regretting anything. PM me and I can share more about this journey.


Charlie
"Resistance is not futile; I will not be assimilated."

 

I assure you that the transition can be made! I have a Ph.D. and was a professor at a small private college for 15 years, then decided I needed to see a different side of life. I have always respected people who master a difficult manual skill. I took a training course at a local community college, and then signed on with a local company that ran regional OTR. That was in 1995 when it was much easier to start out working for smaller companies and you didn't have to go through the mill of working for the mega meat grinder companies. I came to love my driving work. I found other drivers easily accepted me if I demonstrated I could get the job done. I had one colleague who was so confused by a professor driving a truck. He said, "I thought truck drivin was only for dumb a@@es like me". I just replied, "Well, I don't see why you dumb a@@es should get to have all the fun". From then on we were good friends. You don't wanna put on any airs. No one will be impressed by your degrees. Have some humility, show that you respect these guys who have been doing it for years, and you'll get along fine. After 5 years OTR I returned to teaching again, and ended up teaching at a university in eastern Europe for 10 years. But I always missed driving, so now in my early 60s I am back for another round of it. Good luck.

 

I am glad to see that we won't be looked down upon by the community. I never saw truck drivers as a "dumb a@@ses", in fact quite the opposite as the level of awareness and coordination it takes to drive a truck at highway speeds while navigating the masses is quite astounding. I am hoping that I just don't over analyze everything I do. I rewrote my thesis for my masters in history 27 times, after it was approved by committee. Glad to hear the transition can go well.

 

It is not about GPA. The market is saturated with college grads. I have a B.A., two masters degrees (3.5 and 3.58 GPA) as well as military and management experience. I keep get told I am over qualified for positions. I have applied to almost 100 jobs since January. Either they do not want to pay me or they think I am going to leave when something better comes along. I feel futuretrucker's pain. This Obama economy sucks!

 

Apply to law school. You still might not get a job, but at least you'll know what you'll be doing for the next 3 years.