What was your job before trucking? And After?

anything and everything HVAC. from ductwork to service and installation

 

This was in another country... My first job I was an English teacher for one year. Then had my own business making and selling and then buying and selling art craft jewelry made with many kinds of metals, and silver, and semi precious stones, and many other materials. Had my own workshop in my place, had several booths on the streets, salespeople... Used to travel selling my work... No license, nothing... very easy and very fun Made piles of money but times changed.... made some mistakes and everything went down hill. Here in America had a residential cleaning business for 14 years. All my customers were very happy with my services, made same or more money than trucking but I totally HATED that job. I love the road, like to live in the truck but now trying to find something else to do because I'm afraid will not adapt to the changes in this industry.

 

Still a student, but before this I was an IT Specialist. I was responsible for everything as small as setting up a home internet connection, to designing and implementing a network for 500 users. I enjoyed it at first, getting to figure out new ways to solve old problems, but the customer service side of things took its toll. I was almost glad to get laid off, gave me a chance to find something else that might just be what I was looking for all along.

 

Navy 2 years
EMT 1 year
Security systems technician 18 years
Chemical Operator 9 years
Truck Driver 5 years and counting

 

Done a lot of different jobs in my life, but trucking is the only one where I actively look forward to each trip... of course, I usually drive clear across country, from CA to the East Coast and back, which gives me more leeway for trashing around and playing the tourist nationwide. I couldn't do that local gig every day, especially here in Dago... it would drive me nuts. I gotta get out there in those wide open spaces and stretch my legs a bit. Even regional work doesn't cut it for me... gotta be long haul, with less time wasted at docks and more time spent seeing the country. My idea of the perfect trucking job involves picking up here in Shaky and delivering on the East Coast---I don't care where, as long as there are miles in the bargain. Big ol' triangles work best: I used to run from CA-PA-GA-CA, 6000 miles on the odometer every run, and that was a sweet gig. Also ran CA-NC-IN-CA, and similar runs that made for good mileage and let my hours roll over so the truck kept moving... I like those big triangles. Anyway, you hear a lot of ######## and whining out there from drivers dissatisfied with their jobs, and I certainly wouldn't recommend OTR for any kind of married driver or driver with kids, but for guys like me, nothing else even comes close. I have friends who make heller money, yet they constantly carp about their jobs... especially the part about being forced to work with some schmuck, a constant source of irritation. No thanks... "I'll take the solo OTR gig for $500, Alex!!!" That's another thing I like about trucking... if things go wrong, there's nobody else to blame, and I'm the kind of guy who doesn't mind additional responsibility if that means MORE FREEDOM. Enough said, just a few observations before I head for my rack after a good day spent with family and friends. Y'all be good... I'm outta here!!!

P.S. Any run under 2000 miles counts as "short haul."

 

High end residential landscape construction foreman. just a note if you or anyone you know is thinking about or does landscaping you need to give them an intervention, at 22 i was a torn rotator cuff and a ###### up kneecap, i was living paycheck to paycheck and what i could save in the summer would vanish trying to survive in the winter if it didnt snow enough for snow shifts. you get 3 or 4 days of lousy weather all ur machines get stuck, jobsite turns into lake ontario... ur ###### and get a #### ### paycheck. Complete waste of time I wouldnt even recommend it to summer students.

 

Started out in the photofinishing business back when it paid about the same as trucking. Machines became automated and salaries shrunk, so I learned to fix the machines. Wasn't bad at first, but then I went to a major manufacturer and worked for the worst manager I've ever seen. When the lay-offs started (digital was coming in) I volunteered to go first. It was the end of 20+ years in the industry.

After that, I got into home renos. Had a decent little business with a partner who was a painter. It was a good set-up, I was boss during the carpentry and he was during the taping and painting. Did that for about three years but my knees couldn't take the ladder work.

So I went to work in a commercial photo studio. It was pretty good...I was the shipper/prop guy/set-builder/lighting guy/sometime fill-in photographer. The studio slowly went bankrupt though. I was the second laid off. A year after that they shut the doors.

I got back into building, this time sticking with decks and fences and light landscaping. Not much ladder-work in that. I hired summer students and/or day labour. I also started working repairing tools part time three days a week. My doctor told me no more construction work at all right around the time I got laid off from the tool repair place.

Bought a used garden tractor with a loader on the front and a 3 point hitch on the back and tried to make a go of running a small tractor/yard service. It was going okay...I had a lot of contacts from the deck/fence thing...but the pay was low.

I looked into operating heavy equipment, having come from a farming background and having worked with small equipment in construction, but nobody was willing to train me and the course cost more than I could afford. Took a part-time job delivering flowers in a five-ton truck, hoping to augment the tractor service, but the hours didn't mesh well, so I kind of dropped the tractor thing.

I start my trucking training, FINALLY, on Friday.

Through all of this I've done writing and a little photography on the side. It never brings in much money, but there's generally a buck or two there every month.

I've somehow managed to pay off my mortgage and become more or less debt free through all of this. I even have a little money in the bank. Hopefully I'll be able to make a decent living driving truck.

 

After the military,I worked at Del Monte Corporation for a few years in the warehouse,loading trucks and rail cars with a forklift,not a bad job,and over the years,this is the one I regret ever leaving..

After that,I did a 3 year stint running a 2,then 4 color printing press,but worked rotating hours,different shift every week,and after 4 years of that..

Decided to join a flat-roofing crew in my hometown;did that for 11 years,and at 40,started wondering if I could,indeed,make it to the finish line (retirement) and after looking at many of my co-workers 5-10 years older,usually in pain from arthritis caused by working outside during the Mn. winters,decided I would not...So..

Worked in a sawmill for 6 years,running heavy equipment,debarking logs,and.........drum roll please....driving logging trucks..Not a bad job,all in all,was paid well.,but,the owner retired,handed the business over to his kid(s),who promptly ran it into the ground,and they went out of business,and sooooo,

I decided to,and have been,an OTR flatbedder ever since..

 

I started out as a pipe welder. Got buried alive in an 18ft. deep pit that caved in on me. Almost died. That took some of the fun out of it. About 2 years after that I got ran over by a backhoe. Nearly paralized. That took the rest of the fun out of it. That was 1999. I've been welding in one fashion or another since then. Now my eyesight is getting worse and I set myself on fire a lot so I'm trying to get the CDL back and see if I can't make go of it.

 

My last job of 8years 10 months was landscape design, installation and TX licenced irrigation designer and installer. Got fed up with things at work quit on mothers day this year. Took a couple weeks off, used a rig take CDL test. Got it and have been driving for about 6weeks now.