Trucking with a college degree

Yup. Society brainwashes everyone into thinking that they have to go to college but that is not always the case. When the economy was good I was making $60,000 a year only working an hour per day. That was the life man, too bad that is when the economy tanked the next year.

 

Fluffy, my story is similar to yours..but not. I was a cop for six years and had a blast. But, the lustre wore off. My other passion was trucking. Soon I'll be starting classes in a private CDL school so that I can live my dream.
Income wise, (national average for PDs) you would make more driving a TT than a cruiser. But not by much.
From a safety standpoint, if you choose to wear the badge and your heart is not in it, the public and your fellow officers are at risk. Being a cop is not a career, it is a lifestyle. One that everybody will scrutinize. Second to trucking, it's the best job in the world!

Be safe

 

I guess it really has to do with what field a person's degree is in and what area of the country they live. Some don't want to live in a major city where they would have a better opportunity to work in their field. And along with that, the cost of living in a major city outweighs the higher income.

In my case, Computer Science major with Mathematics minor. And a degree in Theology. Sure, could live in a city where a small suburban home cost $300,000 and the property taxes are several thousand dollars a year. Not to mention higher sales taxes and not only Federal and State income taxes, but some cities also have their own little income tax scheme going on.

Instead, I live in rural Iowa on 40 acres with nice ranch home with work shop for the truck and other equipment. Initial cost roughly the same as a small suburban home on less than a quarter acre in a major city. Property taxes for me are around $3000 a year. No city water or sewer to pay for.

So, that net $65,000 last year driving a truck isn't so bad. In my area of the country, it is actually a darn good living. Maybe not in Frisco, but no where near the headaches. And I can walk out the back door in my drawers and fire my M-14 rifle and no one gives a rip.

I love the educational experiences along the way, and don't regret one bit that I am not working in one of my degree fields. But, none of it was wasted. Every day, in some way, I use a piece of what I learned in college.

 

This sums it up perfectly, in my opinion. Get the degree for the EDUCATION, not the job training. I think most of us, certainly all my brothers and myself, were raised to believe that you were not a success unless you got that sheepskin. Well, I got it, and I hate to say it, it hasn't done much of anything for me in the job world. Sure, I've been an exec, upper mgmt, all that nonsense, but wasn't paid any better than the average hard working blue collar guy. And honestly, none of my management or exec positions REQUIRED a college degree that I'm aware of.

 

I was in a similar boat. I have a Bachelors in Criminology from OSU and decided to do the truck driving route instead.

The job market for Police Officers is extremely bad and most places that hire are just hiring former officers who were laid off.

I am happy with my current decision.

 

I've got a degree myself and am about to start on the trucking journey. Mine's in real estate, which is deader than dead.

That being said, I don't view trucking as a last resort career move. I'm doing it because I want to do it.

 

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Fantastic post!! I myself earned my Bachelor's three years ago but with the economy, I'm a dime a dozen in the job market. I'm on my way to my first trucking class to begin the same career my grandfather loved. Who wants to fight the sprawl of urban and suburban living when you can live in the country and truck anywhere...

 

Smart. What I've seen in my short tenure is that folks who do view it as "last resort", usually don't last very long.

 

life is too short. Do whatever you really feel you want to do. Not for the money or for whatever everyone else thinks you should do. If you feel the passion for it, then go for it. I always expect the worse and get good results, if its worse than you expected then look elsewhere. I agree it shouldn't be a last resort kinda thing. I went to college for Computer Science and after becoming a little more mature, realized I was only doing what my parents wanted me to do and not what I wanted to do, and I was going down a miserable road, learn from mistakes, going to school is never a waste, but if it doesn't work out at least you can say you tried it and it just wasn't what you wanted to make you happy.