Why I Decided NOT To Become A Trucker

Hello everyone

Been reading here quite a lot and thought I'd share my decision not to drive a truck and why, in the hopes that it helps someone else make the choice that's right for them. Let me lay it out for you:

Let's start at the beginning. I have a friend who is an o/o, have known the guy for years. Was talking to him one day and he told me I should consider getting on the road. We talked about the money that could be made, etc etc. At the time, I thought - no way, I have a wife and 6 year old. Then the other side of my brain kicked in. If I could make some good money, I could provide a better life for them, not having to constantly worry about money, struggling to get by - you know the drill. So I started seriously considering this whole trucking thing and of course, ended up here.

Once I got here, I started reading any and everything I could, trying to get an accurate perception of this industry. And I did. I read with great fascination all the places you go, things you see and do, etc. I also read quite a bit about the bottom feeder companies, training, and turnover rate. I looked at this quite a bit as that was the route I was considering going. See, I don't have the cash to pay for a school and am not qualified for any gubment assistance since I'm not a veteran (no help there) and employed (and rich - according to them) so I'd be out of pocket for the training. Like I said that's not an option, so now I'm looking at who will train me on their dime in exchange for a contract.

That's where some of the shine started to come off the idea of hitting the road. Let's say I go with company x, they pay for my training, I haul for them OTR for a year. OK, there went my idea to bring home more money, since I'll be starting off lower than industry standards to repay them for the school. OK fine, you never start at the top in any industry, so I'll bust my butt to make as much as I can then get with a better carrier once my contract is up.

Then I started thinking - if I'm willing to make these sacrifices (crappy loads, low pay, never home) for a year or more, why not take that year and get more training in my current job so I can better my situation that way. I work in corporate America and competition is stiff, but not like what you guys/gals do.

I also started thinking about my 6 year old. He was actually the main consideration in all of this. Ultimately, he is what is most important to me. He's my boy. The idea of not seeing him for weeks/months is more than I could bear. He and I are peat/repeat. No matter what I could try to provide for him financially by driving, I could never replace the lost time, missed birthdays, holidays, etc. That would kill me. I know there's always the possibility of something regional with weekends home, but for me that's not enough. My son needs his daddy, and daddy needs him. I need to be there to teach him how to hunt, fish, drive, shave, etc.

Finally I thought about my wife. She's probably the greatest woman in the world and would support me no matter what. If I called her right now and told her I was going to be an OTR driver, she'd support me. She would do whatever she had to do to make it work. Problem is, that's not fair to her. I'd be shifting 100% of the burden to her and although she'd bear it, it's not much of a life for her. It would mean every doctors appointment, dentist appointment, trip to the grocery store, sons sick at school, would all be on her shoulders. She'd also have to assume both roles (mom and dad) since I wouldn't be there. I'll be with her till the day I die and just can't do anything that would knowingly make it tougher on her. I feel like my job as her husband is to make it easier, not harder. Yeah, money's a little tight but I can't abandon her to raise our son alone in the *hopes* that it will lead to something better.

So, after weighing everything out, I've decided to keep my butt at home where it's needed.

All that being said, I hope that someone else out there reads this and it helps them to decide what's important to them and which way they need to go. From what I've read here, I think a lot of newbies tend to gloss over some of the points I've raised, and I think that leads them to making a bad choice. I would advise anyone considering this industry to learn all you can here, and listen to these people who tell you how tough it can be. Make sure you take that into account when weighing out your decision.

 

I agree with everything you said, and my hat's off to anyone who is away from their family - soldier, trucker, salesman, etc. Don't get me wrong, we're not destitute, just struggle sometimes and it gets annoying pinching pennies. But, we always get through it. Seems like our cycle is: WHOO HOO We're RICH! OH GOD WE'RE BROKE! WHOO HOO WE'RE RICH! OH GOD WE'RE BROKE!

 

Thanks for pointing that out, I meant to include it in my post/book. If you're young, single, no kids - jump on it! I wouldn't have thought twice if I were a single guy. So for some, it may be perfect. Or if you're a couple and both drive, etc. There are a lot of situations that it could work, and be a great job or even career choice. Who knows? Maybe once my son is in college I'll take another look at it, but for now I'll wait. I did feel a little twinge of jealousy looking at Giggles and Countryboy's avatar...

 

I'll be honest, I think the tipping point was when I read a thread on here started by a guy in a similar situation as mine. Went by the name Overtheroadguy. Started when he was considering it, followed him through school, getting hired, and onto the road. 18 months later noone knows where he is or what happened to him. He did say his wife had MS so something may have happened there, but it really got me thinking that he didn't make it 2 years and was really motivated, seemed intelligent, really thought out his decision. Then one day, he's gone. There was a guy on the thread with him that went through school with him and he's gone too.

That really stuck out to me because that could have just as easily been me. It seems like if one thing goes wrong, the whole house comes down. If my wife got sick right now, I could take care of the family, get her to doctor, etc and my employer would work with me. If I was driving, I'd have to park the truck (and my paycheck) to do it.

Funny thing though, I'm still reading this forum with great interest. Seems addicting even though I won't be joining you guys on the road