My descision to Drive

This is my first post. I figured this is as good a place as any to make it.
I've spent the past few days or so reading posts from this to that.

I'm a laid off OilField worker. Mostly in shops.

Being on unemployment and faced with the grim possiblity of working at less than my usual pay. I have to face the fact that my decade of experience and skill that I've developed is pretty much useless anywhere else.

I've thought about trucking for a long time, most of my life. I never did it because I wanted home time every day, and a long other list of things.

Now I have a family, and faced with seemingly obsolete skills. I'm going to bite the bullet and get my CDL and hope for the best.

Being in Oil, involved long hours, during the height it was common for me to work 12 to 16 hours a day 6 days a week. Not to mention being on call in my off time, in which, I'd commonly be called in and be working close to 24 hours straight and having a break of 4 hours before starting work the next day.

After reading the posts on this forum, I've made up my mind that trucking is something I'm interested in.

There's no romance in it for me, and i'm completely prepared for working long hours away from home, with little predictability, and dealing with all sorts of DM's and customers, and the like, sounds just like what I'm used to.

The only difference in this and my usual line of work seems to be I get a view and scenery change. And I wont have an idiot boss standing in front of me looking over my shoulder while He's high as all hell or drunk. Or telling me, I turned the stearing wheel too far when he obviously has never seen a stearing wheel before in the first place.

This seems like a natural transiition.

If it's gotta suck you might as well have a view I figure. Besides, It can't suck for ever, and starting at the bottom is to be expected.

I've talked it over with the wife, (she works btw), so making ends meat with the less than stellar starting pay will be okay. God willing.

I appreciate all the information on this site, and I appreciate the brutal honesty.

 

I should've mentioned that too. Found the school, found the tuition and fees. Found their reputation, and their credits and reputation. Found who recruits from them, and even researched each and every individual company that was listed in the DAC on this forum.

Double checked made sure they're not a CDL mill. Checked drive time per student, class time, etc.

I've read the good the bad the ugly on everything I can find.

Although, you can do all the research you want, and still not know the truth. But, this site has helped alot with the questions I've had.

 

Sure will. I'm sorry to hear about your situation. God willing you wont be one of the ones cut.

I hate how all my skills and training and experience is just flushed away. To be honest I'm kinda glad. I've been tryin to crawl out of the oil patch for a few years now.

Maybe a fresh start will be right up my ally.

The school I'm going to go to is Central Tech out in Drumright OK. It's about an hour or so out from where I am. Tuition is 2,250, and lodging is 375. For 23 days. We'll see how it goes. It may be a scam, but it's accredited, and has a bunch of rewards,,, (then again, what does that mean)

I'm waiting until after my wife gets back from her trip before I enroll. It wont be until around October 7th.

Pass or fail, I'd like to atleast keep updated on here. I've always been about helping the next guy get a better footing.

My mother n law works for some dispatch place, LOL< she keeps trying to get me to go there and dispatch. No thanks!

There's a note for some truckers,,, mercy for the dispatch person may be required from time to time. They really do get treated like bottom of the barrel. At least at that place.

 

Thanks! It does seem like a fine school.

I called them today, and unfoturnately there's a hitch.

I had a DUI 4 years ago, first offense, been off probation for a year. Case was dismissed, and not on my record. I didn't get my liscense suspended.

But, according to the entrance requirements, your last arrest must be 5 years old. I have to wait one solid year.

It's a huge bummer. Oh well, make bad decisions and you'll have to work through the consequences.

 

Thanks for the advice.

If there's a glut of experienced drivers, then it's a good thing this option is closed for me for now.

The last thing I need is get into something with over abundance of experienced people therefore leaving me stranded later.

This seemed like a great option. We'll see in a year what happens I guess.

Atleast now, if someone reads this, and sees the info on the DUI, they'll have the answers. Better yet,, if someone reads this and doesn't have a DUI, they'll make good decisions and never get one.