Transition Out of Trucking...

Tha sounds like a cool job

 

Ba da dum, tisssss!

 

We here you buddy there's nothing like finding a great beach down near the ocean laying back having a beer maybe reading a good book and just enjoying the fresh air and the peace and quiet.

 

To OP. It's those reasons why I've been hesitant to get into this profession. In the states anyway. I thought about going back to the UK. Great thing there is most trucking jobs only have you out for a week at a time and then have weekends off. More laid back environment since Europe has always been more about having a life instead of work being your life. Still bad traffic but that's everywhere (can't forget the nearly year round bad weather in the UK). There are also many local runs that would have you home nightly. Those sometimes pay salary. Know a guy making 2000 pounds a month working 11 hour days (maybe a Saturday now and then) which includes 8 hours of driving delivering quarry gravel for construction sites and is home nightly. I've really thought about going back and working towards doing it there instead. The US does have too many regulations and strict laws for drivers. Not to mention increasing traffic on highways. That cents per mile stuff is ########.

 

What's the speed limit for trucks in UK and EU?

 

I had to look that one up. Look's like they recently increased it.
https://movingon.blog.gov.uk/2015/03/18/reminder-hgv-speed-limit-changes-in-england-and-wales/

It's a tough decision for me whether to stay and go with SNI or go back to the UK but I'm looking at 4-5 years to get my HGV there because you have to drive on a regular driver's license first for 1 year and then pay for training, etc. During that time I'm sure my American CDL would drop off.

 

Even the new speed limits are slow.

 

I tried to get out of trucking by going to college. I did find something else I like a lot in computer security or programming. Unfortunately, things got tight financially and I only got into it as far as a 2 year degree. Also, my location is bad for that type of work in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

Now I'm working again and catching up on bills, but have very little time to try continuing my studies or I'm way to tired out to try coding.

I'm hoping at the very least to use trucking as a means to get out of the Upper Peninsula. Maybe get a more managable job doing Linehaul somewhere after getting more recent experience built up again since College put a hole in my work history.

It's weird, I'm really such a computer geek and want to work with Tech, not drive a truck all day.

 

Trucking can't be completely bad though after experience? There have to be good local jobs? I see advertisements all the time for water haulers in TX, fuel, local grocery chains or delivering rocks for construction in major cities.

 

Major City is the key thing for me. I've been stuck in a horrible job market.

As for hating trucking, I mostly dislike being OTR, the hours, and the randomness of it. I also hate absurd docks and hunting for parking in crappy truckstops.

It is also really boring, but Satellite Radio or Audio Books help with that somewhat.

Also, personally I experienced being blown over which was a major reason I wanted to get out of this.