Wanna be truckdriver

Trucking isn't a job, it's a lifestyle...unless of course you land a local gig. @Chinatown should be along soon to talk about local possibilities for you.

 

Sheesh, currently a welder and wants to be a trucker? You sound like my kind of gal. You came to the right place. We do need much more info.
1st, many companies allow pets, as long they aren't a hippo, or something. 2nd, DON'T give up the house. You'll never get that chance again, and you're way ahead of the game. Sounds like you have the mentality for trucking, and there's plenty of local or regional jobs that you can keep your current lifestyle. OTR is a different story, you do give up a lot, and I don't suggest that. Give an approx. location and what kind of trucking you want to do. What about dump trucks? Kind of fun and most of that is local stuff. Only do OTR as a last resort.

 

I don't think you have to give up your home. If you like driving it's a fun job. Dealing with all the loading and unloading is no fun. Because people waste your time. Today was have Electronic Log Book/Devices (ELD). We lose some of the freedom because running legal is first priority. Even if you going home you could run out of hours like I did last weekend. We have dash cams watching everything. I liked driving cross country the best, doing regional now. It ok nothing great

 

Your home is your castle. If its paid for and the land too, its all you'rn. Forever provided you pay the revenuer once a year in taxes for the place.

If you weld already, your income is probably way better than trucking with quite a bit of savings in blood, sweat and tears.

As Semi stated, you will never be a home owner again if you leave your home and lands. We were ourselves once, however money situations finally required the place get sold. Just as well. Considering what spouse and I went through there. (Not debt, it's illness combined with persistent student loans in the tens of thousands of dollars which ultimately was worthless to us)

Trucking is feast and famine. Even 9-11, that horrible day ... wife and I were told in Little Rock to go home and get unemployment and sit. They will call when the destroyed payroll company is replaced. Might be months. But we had our own savings on hand. Ran 6 weeks plus without pay. (All of that got caught up in time) at the same time replacing a destroyed bathroom by storm damage for 9000 dollars cash that month. Horrible time. But we got through it. Due to piles of savings.

You will give up so much. You are what? 24? You will not be 24 again in this lifetime. And trucking will take a little bit out of you. In my perspective you only get one spine. When that's gone before you are 45 in my case thats it for manual labor in trucking etc. Followed by two decades of doctors fixing a whole pile of wear and tear damage in my body. I think Insurance is paying approaching 130,000 to 150,000 in medical work done in the last decade. 61,000 last year. We are looking at another 120 to 200,000 in pending work if it is possible. And for what? A future?

For me 24 was not much, trucking was easy. All I worried about is food. No bills no nothing. (And the occasional dance hall social mountain style...) But when you have a life, a home, lands, a wife (Husband for you etc) even children etc in the future... trucking becomes a challenge.

I am not here to preach. But you seem to be fixing to give up quite a bit to do a spot of driving hoping you will not be late or in violation of the big computer clock in that truck which is not there for you to enjoy your job. If it was so bad, why am I even talking about it? Well... It's what I am. I don't know any better. And if I was not complaining I am not happy. Its the way it is for me.

Winter is coming on. Its not the best time to learn trucking just yet. What with the holidays pending which will make the current slow situation in this Nation somewhat hard.

Consider that when you are HOME, on your land that you love and worked for.. all you'rn.... alls well.

Out here/ Not so much.

 

Imma go ahead and say don't give up the house. What area are you in, near any cities? You could always go line haul, out a day or two and then home. That way you get some miles and drive time but don't have to give up your home life completely.

 

Can always hire somebody to cut the grass. And plenty of companies allow pets.

 

Well when reading ur post my first thought is u sound exactly like a truck driver. Do i do this or do i do that. Whichever u chose something has to be compromised. Tough decisions made out here everyday and u seem to have the personality for the job . i think u would be great out here

 

If u been dreaming about it forever then make the jump. Otherwise it will be one of those things where u think about it forever and never do it. I was in the same boat, been dreaming about it since i was a kid , im glad i made the jump even know this job is very stressful and humbling and tough at times, in the end icould never go back and work anyother job ever again . i wish you success in whatever yoh chose, but to me it sounds like your mind is already made up lol