Looking for a new career!! TOUGH DECISION

My dad has worked nights at Ford for 42 years.

I never saw him except for 1-2 days a week, and I turned out just fine. No drugs, no alcohol abuse. He provided for me, my sister and my mother and we understood that.

He is retiring now, and I have no hatred towards him for working the shift he did.

I have 3 kids under the age of 9, and am looking to get into this industry. After a year or so OTR, I will sit down with my family and decide if I want to keep going OTR or find a local job.. No biggie.

 

May I ask a question? I'm new here and I've never posted anything before but I've read just about everything there is to read on the Truckers Forum in the last several months. I have read all the horror stories and I'm trying to make the best decision I can about what company to sign with to become a truck driver.
My question is this-Doesn't it make sense that truck drivers would want to prevent all the new people they can from getting their CDL? For reasons of their own job security.
Please don't misunderstand, I'm not calling anyone a liar, and I do believe what I've been reading. But drivers just seem to be so quick to run down companies, even the whole industry so much. Isn't it true that the less drivers there are, the more they'd have to be paid to keep them?
I've read repeatedly about how you shouldn't work for any of the companies that advertise a lot. About how the only good ones out there are the ones that don't have to advertise. But no one will tell a new person where these good jobs are!
And why should they? If I had a great job I wouldn't be telling everyone I know how to get it. Then the company might decide they'd rather replace me with someone else.
It just doesn't make sense. And I've noticed that when someone says something good about a company there are ten people writing about how they are a plant from a company. If the job is so awful and the pay is so bad, then why have so many people done it for so long?
I'm just a new person here. I'm sure I'll be put in my place for asking this. But I'm trying to understand all these warnings "oldtimers" keep giving the "newbies". Thank You.

 

HA HA HA LOL - makes u think and very good point i never saw it from that angel................LOL!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Hey passing trucker i like your style...........LOL - reminds me of my old Air Force ROTC instructor.

 

Hi! Thanks for this thread. Good preliminary questions to ask I never exactly thought of as I too am attempting to make an informed to the best of my ability decision about a trucking career. I was just thinking twice about legalities. I have a "perfect" driving record; but about 10 years ago I got a speeding ticket on an open highway in the middle of nowhere. The officer said I was very pleasant person and would subtract 4 miles an hour off my 68 in a 55mph zone to make it 64 mph instead. He said it would never show up anywhere if I paid on time. I paid immediately.

Then, about 4 years ago, I passed a 30mph sign to a tiny town placed way out of town, just in an area of woods with no cross roads.... All I can imagine is, when I passed the sign the officer must have immediately had me on his radar and said I was going 45 in a 30 even though once I was in town proper I was doing about 40 tops. He also said I was a pleasant person and would write the ticket for 44; and it would never show up on my record if I paid it right away. I also paid right away. Does this technically mean I do not have a perfect driving record in the eyes of the trucking industry? I have no other instances in the many decades I've driven. Would schools and trucking companies see this and say I do not have a "perfect" driving record???? Thanks!

 

Ruffstuff/Cangst, You guys are crazy(no offense intended) I was assigned to MWSS-173 during desert storm, I bacame buddies with a jet engine mechanic, we kept in touch, after he got out of the 'Corps, he went to work for Lockeed Marten and started of with a $80,000 salary, he now works for a military contractor and last year he made $120,000 tax free because he spent it in Afghanastan. If he ever said to me he wants to become a truck driver, I would knock him into a higher I.Q.

 

Run your MVR and see what shows up .

 

The reason why they wanted you to pay promptly is they did not want you showing up in traffic court argueing over the speed trap and getting the ticket reduced