Moment of clarity

Ditto; I too have left the C level establishment, sure there were many perks, yada, yada, yada. I will be aboard Rohel here shortly and looking forward getting back into the trucking industry. I too have gotten the what the heck are you thinking! It's like a sabbatical, except I plan to help make changes if I can.
Road Runner; We all think about the field that's greener on the other side, it can be for some who have the means and the tenacity to do so in which you do have. Take your expertise and see how you can improve this industry, whether it be having a positive ambassador for the company you drive for, or coming up with a new gadget to help improve trucking.

 

Doesn't sound like a moment of clarity, but definitely a glitch

 

Just because i didn't feel like telling everyone what I was doing I just told them I was taking a sabbatical.

 

I hear a lot of drivers say they love driving a truck, or they are good at it. Most of the problems with this profession stem from the long weeks/months away from home and family. Why do so many want to be OTR if they have family? Why not do local work, be home every night, make more money, and still get to do what you love?

 

don't hang with people who think driving a truck makes you inferior. In my case working oilfield, I can be gone for 21 straight, but then I am guaranteed 6 days off at home. more than 10-15 away has only happened 1-2 times in the last four years. I don't have to hope that maybe it will be slow and I can have 1 or 2 days for me here or there. We drive two pretty decent vehicles, a couple motorcycles, and take tropical vacations. we can do 6 days in Cali without even booking into holidays. In my case I stepped up into a field level supervisor position(basically being the leader of a two man team) more responsibility(not that much), more money, some perks, and more opportunities. I have been sent over to Saudi Arabia as senior field supervisor. Way more money and easy work if you can take the heat. I go to church with all kinds of people, some more wealthy, many less(couple airline pilots, well off farmers, and some living hand to mouth like we were a few years back)none of them look down on me. not all my friends are from church by any means, but hang with someone who thinks my career choice gives them some sort of right to look down on me. LIFE'S TOO SHORT FOR THAT CRAP. These days my job is drive the pickup and lead my driver around, and scout the trail for him. Some of our guys don't have my level of off-road driving experience, they know that if they have any doubts, I can and will get in the tractor and drive it for them. To me being that supervisor is not just the perk of driving around in a nice 4x4 but actually leading, teaching, passing on my knowledge to my guys. Proving my skills earns their respect, and besides those 2 mile long goat trails up the side of the mountain are the only fun part of driving after 25 years. asphalt is borrrrrrrring

 

Life is also too short to disown family and life long good friends simply because their perspective of career choices differs from my own.

 

I gave up a spot as a foreman in a shop to come drive. I was good at mechanic work and I was fast but I never had a passion for it. My dad has been a trucker my entire life so this lifestyle is one that I know well. I drive because I truly love what I am doing. Sure it has it's bad days but I still wouldn't go back to a normal job. Every time I get fed up I see something else out here that makes it all worth it.

 

Try sitting in a cubicle worrying about the next lay-off, pretending to look busy, pretending to like people you despise, reading some emails, making a few phone calls, going to meetings to decide when and where the next meeting will be, contending with all manner of passive-aggressive behavior from people who don't like you or are in competition for your job, obsessing over office politics and properly positioning every little word you utter...and after all that coming home at night knowing that you got absolutely nothing done that day - - but at least survived to linger on in Corporate Hell.

It pays well, it's OK for a while - - but once you discover you don't really do anything meaningful but fill a box on a corporate org chart, it starts to eat away at your soul. At least when you're moving freight you're contributing and you're productive, have a sense of accomplishment. After 20 years in a cubicle shuffling TPS reports you will have NOTHING to show for it - - but what could have been.