Thinking about being a trucker

Personally, would do all I could to follow the pilot dream. Twenty years from now you'll say, WTF am I doing here in this truck?

I do not see this industry pulling itself out of the mud in the next decade and likely beyond. Too many gypos willing to run for bare minimum wages. At the same time the big carriers, will just pay as little as the market will bear. Do your homework and look at OTR mile rates for drivers today. Then figure the hours away from home in a week. Go eat at a few truck stops and imagine yourself supplementing that with whatever you rustle up in the cab on the road. That's OTR life, without considering DOT, nut bar drivers, weather and misc. other garbage to contend with. Did I mention dispatch? LOL

The only real option, to me is, straight hourly work such as gravel or other city work. Home every night and compensated for actual hours.

Now this high cost of getting a basic license in some provinces, is prevalent. In most real trades you have some cost up front, but in the end it is an actual real recognized and certified trade. Where is the papers that say, I am a tradesman, when you finish that 10,000 dollar course.

Anyway these are just my views. Others will have different views and that is fine. What you do, for yourself and what's right for the rest of your life, is what is important. Think hard about it, before you jump off the deep end.

 

If you're just using Trucking to obtain a payments for your Pilot schooling I'd recommend something that doesn't take you away from your home as much like OTR which for trucking pays the best besides unionized companies (Remember though that obtaining a unionized company job needs a minimum of 3 years driving experience). With most well paying Trucking jobs you will need a minimum of 1 years Driving experience and a lot of companies will use your inexperience to their own advantage by paying you only $0.50 cpm. You'll have to get those miles and obtain experience for a few years then the money begins to roll in. Trucking schools (at least recognized reputable ones cost $10,000 & maybe they might help you get a reasonable paying job locally but not always guaranteed.