Profile For acrwdyt

I'm done trying to make it work in an office setting. I'm tired of working around people, especially the kind of corporate snobs who care less about the quality of the work you do than whether or not you're being a "team player" while doing it or some such nonsense. I'm sick of stressing out about my piece-of-crap Honda and footing the bill for all the repairs coming up lately. I'm tired of paying $1,000 a month for a hole in the wall to sleep in. Money comes in then it flies right back out. I want to get away from people and simplify my lifestyle. Trucking seems like the only industry that allows for that. Your transportation is your truck, your home is your truck, the company pays for fuel, the company pays YOU to stay in it, and since the company owns it they handle repairs when something goes wrong. Sounds ideal.

I've done some homework on the industry and the lifestyle. I know truckers spend the vast majority of their time alone, that's fine... I spend tons of time alone. I'm enough of an anti-people person that I'm scared to death of the training period and having to spend a full month (or two months, with Prime according to their website) in some guy's truck who I've never met and may or may not get along with. I snore like a walrus and I like my sleeping area to be chilly, so odds are one of us is going to be miserable. Solitude is no hurdle for me... as long as I have decent internet and air conditioning.

Here's the rub - I don't know **** about trucks or the inner workings of motor vehicles (I was never taught any of this stuff growing up, my dad doesn't know anything either). I've never operated a manual transmission either. Do all schools/company programs start from ground zero? I'm not kidding when I say that I'm clueless. I can gas up and open the hood of my own car, that's about it. I don't think I've ever checked my own oil... if I have, I've since forgotten how. I just take it to the shop every few months and let them do it.

I've looked into companies a bit. Prime seems like a good company but also picky with hiring. I know Swift isn't highly regarded (although I don't know why), but if I have no other option. Roehl seems well-liked but Florida is outside of their hiring area. I've talked to Stevens recruiters but they don't host any kind of CDL training, they want me to go some junkyard across town for 12 hours a day (not an option without reliable transportation, which my Honda is not). Opinions on them seem to be mixed anyway. CR appears to be universally disliked.

I don't know. Based on what I've said, is this industry right for me? Is there something important that I'm overlooking? My biggest fear is that training period. I know it's necessary, but I can hardly spend 4 hours with somebody before needing to escape. 4 weeks (or more)? In a truck? Yikes.