Seeking Advice on trucking career

thats most unfortunate. I dont know much about the truck driving but i'm guess you driving a 100,000 lbs vehicle doesn't count for OTR experience becuase of i guess regulations and protocol.

I think i will still get my cdl on my own anyway. with respect to getting hired, i will have to cross that bridge when i get there. I will simply have to priortize my goals. i would like to get my cdl before my permit expires...on aug 31.

thanks for the help guys...

 

I'm thinking about seriously signing on to a company. my friend that suppose to help me with training, is more joke than anything else. So far all i have done was drove the semi once around a parking lot then 2 weeks later practice backing one time at a deserted intersection with a pickup and trailor combo in the middle of no where.The back striaght down a gravel road too. I did well after i got used to it.. Back striaght for a quarter mile or so.. when i desire more time for practice, if he doesn't feel like it, then i cant practice.

I'm thinking that if trained and hire to work for say Roehl, it will interfer with college( online classes for now). I'm familar with the industry if they run you hard like around 3500 or miles a week then i wont have time to study? and if turn down loads it could be bad thing too.
maybe driving a truck now isn't a good idea, however i feel i have devoted to much time and effort into to give up now...

what do you think?

 

thanks for your response struckanerve,
I'm taking online classes for my degree in Computer information technology, with emphasis on cisco networking.I'm starting semester 3 this fall.I normally have 4 classes per semester. I would say no, i'm not really planning on a career in trucking however, it is a backup incase things dont go well with computer networking or if decided not to go into that field anyway/can't get hired or find a job in it.I would like to lay the ground work for a possible career, in case i require it. I'm also using a job in trucking to save money and so i can pay off my loan

As for the work load. I did figure it could be alot. I have been on the truck now( mostly in the jump seat) for 2.5 years, so i see the crap drivers are put through. however i also figured that due to the slow frieght i wouldn't have much for loads anyway and i could work on school assignments when i'm sitting. I'm guessing men and women like my friend, whom have been driving for many years will get more freight while new drivers will get the crappier and less desirable ones. I figure that they will run me enough to keep the truck payments out of the red, which i'm guessing is around 1200 to 1500 miles a week. Btw, i have also worked on speed reading during this summer so i can get through reading assignments quicker(which is what most of my college work is). .Yet, i'm not going to be naive to think the low frieght will last long. I do realize the risk involved in the decision which is why i'm taking my time in thinking about what to do.

With regards to pay, 1500 miles aweek isn't much but right now i dont have much for expense. I could save it up for the up coming loan payments. I still live at home, however in the last 2 1/2 years i have been out on the road. i dont have really any bills but to pay my college loan ( which is not due until after graduation)

I was thinking if i go through with this (trucking and going to school at the same time)That i can accomplish 2 things at once. i also figured if it becomes too difficult to go to schooland work fulltime, i can downgrade to parttime for college. although i wont qualify for stanford loan anymore, i will however be able to pay for classes individually, which is really 2 to 3 classes per semester. And i will have to start paying the loan back too. yet if i can handle i can use the money to take another class this fall or spring and take 4 classes in the summer to get through school faster.

It sounds like going into trucking was a big mistake for you and i will learn from your example. I also hope that you will make it out the hole you are in. The main reason why i haven't signed on to a company yet was precisely the reasons you gave. I could get trapped and it would really screw myself. However, in regards to a local job such as driving a straight truck. I have spoken to a number of local companies and some say its fine to have a class A. Just in case i will look into more temporary driving jobs so there isn't as much of a large devotion of time to it. I thought maybe a flatbed or bellydump orienated company could work. although ultimately the lack of experience will hamper most of my efforts for employment.

also i looked up info on truck driving schools in indiana becuase a number of senior members on the board have mention its a good route to take. I came across Sage, which mentions they can help you finance. However, their website didn't mention exactly how, so i will inquiry via phone. I have also heard from others on the board of state and federal funds/grants for this sort of thing. I doubt i will find much that could help me but i will look anyway.

I hope that clears up some of the confusion. I know my last post was that coherent.

thanks once agian for you time and patience

 

lol, i wish i could train at swift, at least i wouldn't be in the situation i am in now...

besides it was only pickup-trailer combo i was in when i did it. when i was in a semi truck, i couldn't back up straight for too long the lot was too small for that..surprisingly it was much easier to do it with the semi than the pickup