Why Become a Trucker?

With all of the negative responses regarding the trucking company wages etc... Why am I considering driving a truck? What is your honest feedback regarding the industry? I can make 36k sitting behind a desk, close to my kids, but I am romanticizing getting out of dodge to have some freedom. What are realistic wages? What do you love about it?I'm 42 y/o looking for a career change. The money I used to make behind a desk doesn't mean spit to me anymore, but slave wages maybe not. Help.
Thanks,
Mike

 

Is that important to you? If so, better to let it remain a fantasy. You want to be there for major events in their life, yeah? Sweet 16 parties, graduation, all that good stuff?

 

I am new and am still looking for a job, waiting on the recruter from Swift to call me back to set up an orientation date. I have wanted to be a truck driver since I was a boy. I can remember when I was about 7 or 8 and on Saturday mornings me and my dad would get up at about 6 and go down to where he worked ( Dickerson GMC in Roanoke VA ) and he would work half a day and I got to climb around all those trucks and shift gears and let my imagination run wild. I would have to say those were some of the best times a kid could have. I am now 37 and I had complete kidney failure in 2002 and a transplant in 2005 and I have been chomping at the bit to get back to work. My Doc said I could go back but not to the hard labor I was doing. I got th oppurtunity to get my CDL and I took it. Oh yeah disabiliy dont pay but about $1100 a month and my bills are piling up so I have to get put on the road.

 

MrMister, what kind of money do you think Swift will be paying you?

 

$0-$800 a week, depending on how much they make him sit, a new swift driver will GROSS around $25,000 their first year.

Their are companies that you can do $40,000+ your first year like, Watkins Shepard, TMC, Maverick.



American Trucker

 

Can you point me towards that desk job? Hehehehehee

Mikeeee

 

I wish I could live on $36K. I could take the rest of the year off. I don't think my job would wait for me, however.

 

You're in CA, I'm surprised you can even live out there for $36K/yr....

 

The freedom you are wanting is not out here. You will be micromanaged by everyone. When to run; when to sleep. Everybody and their brother thinks they need to be involved with your business out here.

 

My experience has been you get to see a lot of country but you never get to experience it because you always have a load that needs to get somewhere.

If you like your family, I would tell you not to go trucking.

Realistic wages are about $700 a week some weeks more some weeks less.