Taking a Leap - Civil Construction CDL-A driver? (short story, advice needed)

So, it is done. Today was my last day in healthcare IT. I start CDL classes on the 17th (state requirement). Now starting to look for jobs and lean on this buddy of mine for connections.

It's scary, and there's no promise it's going to work out. I'm going from a 6-figure salary to- only God knows what. But I don't need that much to live on. If I'm able to end my day with satisfaction and feeling like I physically DID something, it was worth it. And I can always go back to IT. But for now, there's a sense of urgency behind doing this--I NEED to do this. For whatever reason, I'm being pushed towards this. I don't believe in God as most people understand him. But this seems like the right step, at least for now.

 

I came back to post an update. If there's one thing that drives me nuts about message boards, it's posts without an ending! So here it is...

I completed my CDL course in the middle of June. I enjoyed my time there and felt well prepared for the state's skills test. Passed on the first try! I took a few weeks of time off thereafter, thought about my choices and options a bit more, and then hit the job search for real.

I did it! I landed a job working for a local company and all they run is dump trucks. I'm learning side dump right now. I get up at the crack of dawn (and sometimes before) every morning and I go drive my ### off, hauling dirt and materials for construction projects.

Let it be said that upon exiting "CDL school" you don't really know how to drive yet. At least I didn't. Driving a fully loaded truck is a different beast, as is becoming skilled with different kinds of transmissions, different kinds of dump trailers, and "real world driving" aka not by the book. I'm still learning a lot, and I've got a long way to go.

I'm getting lots of sun. This is not stressful work once it becomes routine. Every day in the truck builds confidence and skill. I often wonder if I've made the right choice--lots of people have asked why I'd give up a good paycheck to go be a truck driver--and sometimes I feel guilty about it. I've already met a lot of truckers that wish they'd done something more lucrative than truck driving for a career. I don't know how long I'll be a trucker...maybe for a while, or maybe forever, but the feeling right now is good.