Thinking about trucking, but have reservations

There are some truck jobs that have the stereotypical "9-5" mon-fri with weekends off schedules... They are typically lower paying than other trucking positions.

 

You can't compare a part time construction job to a full time trucking job. Trucking is longer hours, up to 16 hours in a local gig. I spend an average doing 12 hours a day doing local and sometimes pass my 14 hours a day doing otr.

If you want a balance lift then dont look at trucking. Lot of new kids spend thousand of dollars on a cdl and realize trucking is not for them. Lot of people realize they can make the same money doing a full time factory work.

Trucking is not just a job but a different lifestyle. A complete turnaround if u have a big social life.

 

I wonder if they could do better going to school for Heavy Equipment operating excavators and other large construction vehicles?

 

Erm 70 hours aint half of it.

Consider a full 168 hour a week. You will have about 34 hours in which to sit and do laundry once a week. The rest of time will be absorbed in the uncountable tasks related to the truck, dispatch, laws, load securement, loading, weighing, eating, cleaning up etc etc etc etc etc. Driving is the easy part. Until you get tired and still have 200 miles to go. You cannot quit under a load and expect to find another company.

What you can do is take your time, learn as much as you can about this industry. This is not a "Job" this is a way of life that will consume your waking hours and then some with all your thoughts, care and stress somehow tied to the 18 wheeler you are assigned to. Even when you get a (*Paraphrase) week off away from the semi to your wife or something at home, half of your thoughts will turn to the truck while there.

Ive had this kind of stress and love it, but it takes approximately 4 days for the weight to come off me if I stop that long for whatever reason. So I keep going chain season to chain season, aka March 15 through October 15 and then rest up a few months. That was how I did it. I once stayed between houston and Jaxville with pipe one way, chain and cable the other on I10 for 7 months straight far from home. It was awesome, but they can have the rains. Never get dry enough in that rain.

 

Don't count too highly on working 70 hrs a week in trucking with any of the mega starter companies.In trucking even if you worked 30 hrs a weed,it you sleep in the truck you won't have much of a social life's.The loads pretty much dictate your hours and your life on the road.

 

And don't sleep in Jersey City off 15C, if it is still a den of thieving ####s that I remember you don't sleep there Partner. You keep going until you dont see Jersey anymore. Then maybe you might catch a few zzzz's

 

Roehl Transport has flexible hours plus a cdl school. Check the website.