Worrying about leaving my job for OTR trucking

Hell, what do you do now, volunteer?

 

Nope. I'm a maintenance chief at a hotel. Was promised 25k starting out. Been there two years in this position and after taxes I only made 20k. I didn't have 5k taken out in taxes either. More like 1500.

 

OP, I burned bridges and went for it 8 years ago. I had no job to go back to if I didn't make it! I made it, and so can you. Do the research.

 

haha you think thats funny, i made just under 13K last year between 2 jobs! so if i start at that pay that will be almost 2.5x more money then what im making! ,so when i go to school i can quit my job lol and still be in the positive! by the way, i work in the auto indstry(Parts/Shop) and i will not miss it one bit!

 

Sounds like we're both in the same boat, man. Only I've turned in my resignation and applied for school already.

Bottom line for me was simply that driving to the same office, sitting at the same desk, doing the same thing, and putting up with the same office drama BS was not what I wanted to do (better yet, put up with) for the rest of my life.

Our differences is that I'm in an office with very close to zero chance of promotion, and a company owner that has beaten cancer once already, and is now developing cataracts in his eyes. I don't know about you, but I wouldn't want to have a half-blind CPA.

So, I guess when it comes down to it, you have to answer a question you've heard all of your life...What do you want to be when you grow up? If you want whatever you answered badly enough, you'll fight tooth, fang, and claw (little Nugent for ya) to get it.

I know it's not a straight up, yes you should, or no you shouldn't answer, but how many of those do you get in life?

 

Wow I am so glad that I found this forum today and realizing that I'm not alone in this situation. I work a good job in the radio broadcasting industry but the thing is that I've been doing this since college, for 15 years and I just need a break and a want a change. All my life I've always wanted to be a truck driver.. just one of those things. I went to a local school and had the chance to get in a truck and drive and backup through a cone course with a 40' trailer and didn't hit one cone. But now I'm reading a lot of these posts and realizing that it takes time to make some decent money and find a really steady job. I've got 2 kids at home so losing income is not really a good option for me. BUT still, I have this itch for truck driving that I need to scratch. Sure I could wait til my kids get older, but seize the day right?!? Ugh, decisions decisions.

 

Good luck guys, obviously pay is a motivating factor but with trucking home time is a close second. Its tough to be gone from the kids. Most mega fleet training and first 12 months requires 4-5 week road time.

 

Plain and simple. If you love being around other people(wife, kids, parents, friends), don't bother driving truck. It's a lot easier if you generally hate being around people.

 

Thanks for this helpful info.. How do even get into trucking anyway. I'm looking at jobs online every day and everyone wants at MINIMUM 3 months OTR. So the hell do you get the 3 months?!? None of the job posts I see say 0 experience. I thought it might be a little easier to get in and truck and get going.

 

You get the 3 months by getting hired by a training co(WERNER SWIFT etc)If you already have a class A from a school,you are in a better position,than a person who owes the training co, for the CDL. Don't think you will make lots of $ starting out in training,maybe $300 a week clear;and this for being gone away from your home,months at a time,sleeping in truckstops or while the rig is rolling. If you have young kids, stay at that radio job till they grow up,you can always pursue this dream later IMO.