Trying to make decision

I just finished reading the threads by OverRoadGuy. All I can say is, wow. I LOT of food for thought.

I am trying to make a decision here as well. I am currently driving with a class B. I had a family member talk me into it. After 3 years of nagging me about it, I gave in. I really enjoy the driving part. Some of the people I have to deal with pluck my nerves, but generally I don't have any major problems. I also really like the company I work for, they're good people and the office staff is fantastic.

So, if I like my job so much, why am I considering the life of a trucker? Simple. the money. O.k., I know, it's rare for a trucker to get rich, I understand that. But do you think I can do better than $500-$1500 a month? I think I've seen the $1500 mark twice since I've been with this company (that's 3 years). We are currently just keeping our heads above water. We pay our bills, but there is NOTHING extra. My DH's car is going on a wing and a prayer, and our roof looks like it will need to be replaced within 5 years. Any appliance that breaks down, stays broke. Don't ask me what's keeping the washer going!

"But, what about your family?" you ask. Valid question. Kid is long since grown. The only thing I am to my DH is a cook. Everything else, he can handle. It's no biggy, believe me. And, before you ask, NO, he will NOT be doing ORT with me. He is the WORST "back seat driver", and the most inattentive driver I have to drive with! So no, ain't happen'n.

So, what are my concerns then?
Well, mainly, how's the work out there? Is it worth me putting out the dollars to pursue this venture? Money is tight for us right now, but if it's worth the investment then I'll do it.

I have contacted a driving school in my neck of the woods that I can probably get into easy enough when I'm ready. Still checking out options in that regard. I know that I do not want to go with a training company that expects me to sign a service contract. The school I'm looking at seems to be well accepted by some of the companies I am considering, so that's a plus.

I have never done anything criminal. Don't do drugs, alcohol, or tobacco. However, I do have a "fender bender" that happened soon after I began driving professionally. That is the one thing that has me a little nervous. It will be not quite 3 yrs. when I'm looking to start school from when it happened. Do you think I can still get a job? I know I can get into school, that's the easy part. But how much of a factor is that accident going to be these days for getting a job with a decent company?

Any feed back would be great.

 

Sorry, I guess I wasn't clear. Yes, DH has a job and is making between $30-35k/yr. Thing is, I lost a decent paying job back in 2007, so our income was cut in half. Then I got a serious infection and was hospitalized a couple months after I lost my job and benefits. So, our savings were pretty much wiped out in short order.
Now the accident? Well, to me it was horrible! But my boss didn't seem to think it was that serious. So, not sure how you'd read that. According to the guy's lawyer he was injured, but I strongly dispute it. I think he was after an "easy paycheck" and my boss concurred.

 

Didn't have time to fully reply last night, had to go make a run.
I know not to even consider a lease to own deal. Does not impress me as being a good investment of my $$'s. At this point, I have no desire to be an o/o.
Oh, and my accident, the vehicle I was driving has a lot of plastic in the front. The other vehicle was steel. Steel vs. plastic, the plastic looses every time.
Being away from home is NOT a big deal for me. Actually, that's one of the pluses of the job for me. My biggest concern is sleeping. I have never been able to sleep in a moving vehicle, so I don't think driving team would be a good option for me. Not sure about changing sleep shifts to accommodate various pick up/delivery schedules. I just don't know how I would do. I may be fine, I may not, don't know till I try.
Right now, I'm trying to get an economic sense. Are there jobs out there for newbies? Is there enough jobs out there for those looking for jobs? This economy still stinks (don't care what the boobs in D.C. say), and I believe it's not going to get any better any time soon. Is it worth me leaving a job that I have held for 3 years to go into trucking as a newbie? Would I end up going from a little to nothing?

 

Well, that certainly is somewhat encouraging. I've gathered that there seems to be plenty of jobs where there are oil fields, like in Texas and North Dakota. As much as I would love to relocate out of NJ, I'm kind of stuck having it as my "home base" for a couple more years. How's it looking on the east coast for newbies?

 

O.k., staying with the financial theme of this post, something occurred to me last night. IF I decided to go through with this, will I need to purchase tools for my truck? I own a few tools, but I don't know if any are appropriate for a big rig. What kind of $$ would I be looking at if I had to purchase the most important tools for starting out? Does a truck come with any tools at all?

 

Thank you, that is very worth looking into and I will do so. Seeing as I am not making any move till June, I still want to explore OTR. IF I went with the class A, would the pay for driving a big rig eventually surpass what I would make just driving with my class B? I'm trying to get the full picture here.