Why did you get into trucking?

My radio career?

Never made more than 18K annually. I was a medium-sized fish in a small pond. Had an offer to go to PA for around 28K back in the early 90s, but again the young family was making me stay put.

Come to think of it...with some of the weeks I"ve had of late, 18K may not be too bad!

 

Because I don't play well with others.

 

I have an AA and a BS and have no idea if they are worth the paper they are printed on or if they are worth the binder/hard backed cover that they are enclosed within. I often ponder just where I may be IF I had not always been intrigued and facinated by a big truck.I do not allow my thought processes to get the best of me because I actually enjoy driving and there are many thousands of people that can not claim that they truly enjoy their job whether it involves driving or not.
To answer the thread's question- I have no idea but man,it has been a real ride getting to this point in my life. I have been to jail while driving,placed out of service and gotten the fines mailed to me,received BIG tickets especially in cali not inclusive of the dozens of speeding tickets over the years,had about 8 years of my life that were nothing but a blur,run past scales,gone around scales,driven 240 +/- out of the way to avoid inspections/DOT setups(back in the day!), met some of the most prolific liars in the world,met some of the best people in the world,dealt w/sorry ### and liar dispatchers,dated others(that is having my cake and eating it too),met some horrible cops,met some #### good cops,ETC. Trucking,especially when i started in the mid 80's,was a blast.It still is overall.The fun is had differently now i suppose.
All in all,I would not have done it differently as i went in blindly to begin with(NO trucking school for me) and I would not trade my life,such as it is, for a million bucks.Maybe not anyway.Indeed,show me the money and I may change that last statement.

 

Not old enough to drive but ive been raised around trucking now we have our second truck i was around trucks even before i could walk. This summer im guaranteed to go with my dad and in the thanksgiving and holiday months. Ive been thinking about buying my own truck later on and my own trailer. Its something i would like to do but the way things are looking that dream is fading slowly but i know i will still be doing something trucking related.

 

Don't lose that dream, Luis. Considering your age now, I would not be surprised to see trucking has come back full bore, and maybe then some, by the time you actually are old enough to buy and run your own truck.

I know you see a lot of negativity on this board, and I am certainly as guilty of it as others are, perhaps more so. But you have to understand that we are looking at where it is at right now.

I happen to be retired, so on a personal level, it really does not affect me that much. But I do feel sorry for the family guy, who is trying to raise his kids, pay his mortgage and put some money in the bank. But again, that is right now and for the near future.

At 15, you have your whole life ahead of you, and it will probably be several years before you are ready to make your "big adventure" in to owning a truck. Just kick back and see where the economy goes.

WHATEVER you do, stay in school and get your education. I know a lot of us have talked about having "useless" degrees. But the fact is that just having the social skills you learn in college will go a long way towards making you an all around adult.

I know that a lot of us don't have a college degree, and I'm not trying to step on anybody's toes here. But a 26 year old who has been to college has a bit different perspective on life, than a 26 year old who has not.

And that is not even talking about getting experience in a military service.

Good luck to you young fella!

 

Thnaks Don ive been looking at truckpaper there are some decent trucks. There cheap if i had the money i could buy a truck and a reefer and stick a driver in it. But for now these are just plans not something that might happen. If trucking goes good when im old enough might as well study then buy my own truck.

 

Always wanted to drive a truck since I was a kid(It just looked cool LOL).When I got laid off from a job I dedicated 5 years to I just snapped and went for my life long dream and couldn't be happier.

 

I was the same way-ALWAYS looking at the big rigs rolling down the road.In fact,there was a time that I mentioned to others that I planned on driving a garbage truck.This was as I was attending a private school and around the seventh grade.HAHAHAHAHA That really alienated me from the rich kids.An old girlfriend that went to the same school and and UGA at the same time as I did reminded me of that about a decade ago when our paths crossed again for a short time.
Driving a garbage truck may be pretty cool about this time in our economy.I know the trucks have progressed in technology and all.Then again,what has not?
But anyways-
To add to my earlier post,my education is antiquated about now and would probably NOT get my foot in the door of my other field.It has only been about 25 years since I finished up.I imagine that much has changed so therefore i'll remain a driver.It could be worse and I could be miserable-

 

I started driving at age 12. Mom had phobias and couldnt drive on the bigroad. Became a chauffer for a guy that owned a bunch of 5 star hotels when I was 19. Did a stint on the PD and realized that law enforcement doesnt pay enough to get dirty and started trucking.

I love driving. I'm one of those guys that would truck for free. When freight slows down, I drive harder. I make good money and I look for those loads that "have to be there." Clean record to boot. Ive never seen the trucking company that I couldnt make good money at.