Should I , or Shouldn't I .......

Look don't think to much about it. There are good jobs out here. Understand that to get started now will take some sacrifices on your part. Life's to short to be unhappy.

 

Big 2nd to Mastertech's comments. I've been in trucking for 13 yrs, I love it, but right now the economy sucks for trucking. I'm a regional driver and we are so slow, I'm luck to get 35 hrs per week in 5 days, the last 3 weeks I've only worked 4 days, this week I'm burning some vacation time so that some of my co-workers can get some hours, I'll work Wed., Thur., Fri., and next week will be 4 days again as well.

 

Funny how drivers think that the trucking industry is the only industry that has taken beating the last year. EVERY industry is in hard times right. Why not jump in when things are bad and then if you make it and things improve, well, just imagine how good things will be.
If the guy has a dream to drive a truck and hates what he is doing, I say go for it. Now with that said, just keep your eyes open and understand what you are getting in to.

 

I don't know what type of construction you do but for me I'd rather be a operator again and run a dozer than drive any truck. Can't you get out on the job?

 

Why not jump in ? Trucking is the only industry where your license is useless if you can't find work because you don't have recent experience . Trucking is the only industry where former employers can end your career with a bad DAC report .
Trucking is the only industry where there is such a high turnover rate and companies are constantly hiring because people are constantly quitting .
Trucking is the only industry where a doctor can tell you because of high BMI you have to spend thousands on sleep apnea testing and followup testing every few months .
There are many more reasons why not to jump in .

 

MT,ultimately you're the one who has to make that decision because you will hear two different opinions on here "hell no" and "hell yeh".
There's a lot of unknowns when people ask questions like you just did ie:do you have a lot of hobbies,do you like your back yard bbq's on weekends,do you have a wife and kids,do you have a lot of friends that you're close to,do you have a lot of bills,can you handle being alone for weeks at a time, etc etc etc......
You will not have anymore time for all the above,also financially you have to be ready for a big change especially right now.http://vitocorleone99.blogspot.com/ read this blog,it's about a guy who changed from having his own restaurant to OTR driver....pretty interesting.

 

Life is to short to hate your job . If you want to try trucking just do it .

It is not for everyone but it might be for you . You wont know till you try .

If you don't like you can always go back to doing what you are doing right now !!!

one thing is certain every job sucks if you do it long enough ! Not everyday is wonderful but enough of them are that I still love it after 28 years!

Seeing the sun come up in west Texas or a sunset in Montana make it all worth it to me

 

Are you bored with it and that is why you hate it? The change you speak of, does it have something to do with laws building codes? We truckers are having the rules change on us all the time. So if you are bored now, your boredom may change to frustration driving Over the Road.

There is just so much of it that doesn't make sense and if you do this it will be like grabbing a hold of a fast moving train. There is a HUGE turnover in trucking that is built in. I have broken every rule in the book and at some companies that will get you fired yet other companies it is encouraged. The DAC report is a credit reporting service that's involved in black balling drivers. Cross one company and every carrier in N. America will know it. I have a black mark on my DAC report from a company where I never stepped foot on their property!

The law states that you must stop and "sleep" for 10 hours. If you are in construction, how many nights have you slept 10 hours? Most would never have a life outside of work if they slept that much. And yet this is mandated by the Department of Transportation. When your 11 hours of driving are up, you have to pull off and sleep...in a state where you can't allow your truck to idle over 5 minutes.! Now, how can they expect you to sleep in the middle of New York state when it is 12 below zero in a truck with no heat?

So I take it you are now the boss on your job? Imagine a 25 year old dock foreman telling you that they can't unload you 'til the next morning even though you are an hour ahead of your appointed time? How are you going to put up with that?

Here is the truth. Right now, you may be in a position to make a difference in every job you are over. You have enough say so to change things and get it done right. Truckers are expendable to most companies. They come and they go. They get a few tickets and they are gone with a good gust of wind. Imagine leaving your career for a lifestyle that you have absolutely no control over? You run the Interstates they tell you to run, stop at the truck stops they tell you to..... The freedom of the open road is a fable written for adults. I started in 1977 and I am now 54. There was a time when it was different.

Don't leave a job you can retire at for something that doesn't really exist.

Before you decide, read some of the posts about Arrow drivers being stranded by a company that just walked away. I have been through that myself.

And I am saying this in an attempt to be helpful, it is not for everyone. You should work 'til you retire and do a lot of fishing. Most truckers will never retire. Many will forfeit any hope of retirement on trying to become an Owner Operator.