Sales are down and I’m making very little money now. In fact, I make less now than most truck drivers. I never really enjoyed sales, but just did it for the income, which is no longer there. As the recession began to hit full force (a few months ago), I started looking at other jobs. I was looking into Human Resources, Occupational Safety positions, etc. More “White Collar” type positions that don’t pay on a commission scale. I began getting somewhat depressed because I could not find an office job that I could get excited about. I began to think, “what do I want to do with my life? How can I just go to work and just be happy? Why do I have to “settle” on a job? Why can’t I get excited about any of these positions I’m looking at?” Maybe that sounds familiar to you?
I stumbled across a job position as a manager for a major railway company. As I researched this position, I started thinking about non-office jobs within the company (train engineer, conductor, maintenance, etc.). The thought of traveling was exciting, and made me re-think truck driving. The kid in me started to conjure up the possibility of beoming a truck driver. This led me to researching the trucking industry and…low and behold, I found myself becoming excited about the career possibility! Of all the jobs I looked at (I looked at a lot of ‘em!), this was the only one I actually felt excited about!
So, after weeks of research and fighting with my own emotions, I finally made the decision…..I wanted to give truck driving a try. Maybe I’ll love it, maybe I’ll hate it. But you know what? We only live one life, and if I don’t do it now, I probably never will. Life is all about experiences. Even if I wind up hating it, I’ll be able to experience traveling the country for a while, and I can always quit if it doesn’t work out. This isn’t a life sentence. And thankfully, I have a degree to fall back on.
Why did I decide to become a truck driver? Well, for one, I’ve always been a bit of a loner. I had my 3 or 4 close friends in High School, and I was cool with that. I never aspired to be a popular kid. In fact, I never wanted anything to do with the “popular” crowd. Even as a young child, I remember I hated attending birthday parties. I don’t do well in large groups….never have. I certainly don’t mind being alone. I actually enjoy being alone! Imagine that! Not a trait many people have (humans are social beings by nature), but a necessary trait to be an OTR truck driver. Now don’t get me wrong, I have friends and I’m not a hermit. My point is, I can go a long time being alone and I won’t feel lonely. As long as I have my close knit group of friends to visit every now and then, I’m happy. I will admit though, that I’m a bit of an introvert. Many see that as a bad thing, but I’m quite content with being introverted. If I’m happy being that way, so be it. Introverts don’t care much about what others think. At least that’s how it is in my case.
I’m young, I’m single, I have no kids, and I have nothing tying me down. There is nothing keeping me here at home. Why not get paid to travel the country? I love to drive…I mean, I really love to drive! Especially going on road trips. In the past, I’ve hopped in my car and just started driving. I didn’t have a destination in mind, I just wanted to drive. I usually went west since there was a lot less congestion out that way. I loved driving through Kansas, Oklahoma, and Nebraska…the states with small populations and little traffic. You just set the cruise control and go.
I took up storm chasing, and I’ve driven over 1,000 miles in one day. I love being out on the open road! Chasing storms was just an added bonus, and more of an excuse to go driving. I love to travel this beautiful country. I don’t think most people appreciate this country’s beauty as much as I do. Most people find driving through farmland to be boring. I find it to be absolutely beautiful. The sunsets and the sunrises in different parts of the country have their own look, and they’re all equally as gorgeous in their own way. Most people find driving through the mountains to be a pain. I find it to be breathtaking. Most people hate the boredom of driving for hours on end on dark, desolate roads or empty expressways. I find it to be very relaxing and it often provides for great self reflection. And even though I’m a bit of an introvert, I still enjoy meeting people from all aspects of life and from different parts of the country.
I think it takes a very unique individual to succeed in truck driving. It’s no secret that there’s a lot of turn-over in the industry. But I think I have the traits necessary to succeed. I guess I’ll find out, and you’ll find out with me. Not only am I going to be the guinea pig for this website, I’m going to be a guinea pig for you. Follow me, and decide for yourself if this is the career for you.
So here I am, ready to get started. Follow me through my journey….right from day one. There’s a long road ahead (pun intended), and I look forward to sharing my experiences with everyone!
Until next time, drive safely.
Mike
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TruckerMike,
I’ve been reading through most of your posts and just wanted to say thank you for taking the time to document your experiences. Its really been a pleasure.
Josh