so what did you do before driving a truck?

ran commercial fishing boats for 37 years
owned trucks that took the fish to market
sold the trucks as regulations made it hard to do both
then reduced quotas on fish drove me back driving again

 

Started young hanged out in my family coal truck garage, went into the military and did 16 years active duty and got injured so they told me adios, still drove during my military time both sides but after getting out was driving truck as well.

 

looks like all we need now is a teacher and physiologist maybe we can some direction.

 

Mind me asking how much you made a year doing that?

 

I did industrial mechanical maintenance for almost 25 years, drove a tow truck for a year then got into a truck. My dad always worked around trucks (dealership, parts supplier, trucking manager) so I grew up around trucks and have always liked them.

 

24k salary, company (independent franchise) paid for bcbs for employee + spouse. Would get misc cash bonuses of about $400 a month from owner. Company provided cell phone as well.

Best benefit was making my own schedule. Never had to worry about missing important dates

 

Sounds like a pretty decent gig. Why did you leave to get into trucking?

 

Career military. Last 12 years in higher education. Ready for a major career change (wait...haven't I already had a couple of those? )

 

I'm amazed by how many get into a truck as a second career and have a positive experience whereas lifelong career drivers often do not. I guess being an empty nester and often having a pension from a previous career sure takes the pressure off.

Don't get me wrong, I love doing this. But I'll never be a company driver or lease on with anyone else ever again. I'm treated as a business partner and like an adult who can make his own decisions and that's pretty rare in this industry.

 

I turned a wrench for 20 years. Got tired of the run around and having to go behind all the tech school graduates fixing what they repaired.