Trucking Or College?

Hi y'all, I just registered for this forum and was looking for some advice on what to do here. First a little background on me; I come from primarily a college educated white collar family, but trucking has been something that has peaked my interest in these past couple years. I'm currently a freshman at The University of Alabama studying geography and map designing, however I'm struggling currently in my classes and I'm really having a tough time deciding if this is even worth studying. My parents want me to finish school and personally I think it would scare the hell out of them if I told them I wanted to give trucking a shot. But I'll be turning 21 in a couple months and have until then to decide. I love to travel and always enjoy a good adventure so I think trucking would be good for me but I don't want to disappoint my family. Just wanted to get some opinions from current drivers or people that are in CDL school what they think about my situation. -Ridge

Welcome to our forum Ridge!

You pose an interesting dilemma...

I'm really having a tough time deciding if this is even worth studying. My parents want me to finish school and personally I think it would scare the hell out of them if I told them I wanted to give trucking a shot.

Brett, was in this same situation at one point in his young life. He had all kinds of brains and was doing college level courses when he was just a kid. He chose trucking because he wanted a life of adventure, and his mom just about passed out when she heard the news!

It is an interesting choice one makes when they are young, and not always an easy one. I went to college, started a business, and spent 30 years doing that. Now I am driving a truck for my second career, and there are days I wonder why I didn't just do this in the beginning - I love doing this job.

I can't advise you one way or the other, but I do know we have had this discussion many times in here. Try just putting the word "college" in the search bar at the top of this page, and you will find a lot of former discussions on this very topic. Best of luck to ya, and we would love for you to hang around in here with us and share your personal journey into whatever you determine is best for you.

Here's some additional information that will help you understand the trucking industry.

Truck Driver's Career Guide

Also this is a great and easy read that you will won't want to miss out on.

Becoming A Truck Driver: The Raw Truth About Truck Driving

Trucking is a pretty grand adventure for the right person but it's also an extremely difficult and demanding job. It's far from a paid vacation. So you certainly don't want to look at trucking as an easier path than college. I've done both, and college to me was a lot easier than trucking, but a lot more boring.

I've actually done a podcast on this topic. Have a listen:

Episode 16: A College Education Versus Truck Driving: Not As Simple As You May Think

I too am a college graduate. And like Old School have questioned the wisdom of waiting until I received the AARP card before committing to trucking. It's quite a quandary...especially when considering the cost is equivalent to the price of a house. Wasn't like that when I attended.

College isn't for everyone, for a variety of reasons. The thing is, going through school now (possibly with parental financing assistance) and graduating is the least resistant path you could possibly take. Attending school later in life, is far more difficult and typically a secondary focus requiring a protracted amount of time to earn a degree. Once you have a degree, it's almost like a birth right, cannot be taken away.

Trucking will always be there for you. Attending college maybe not...

Good luck with this.

3 of the top guys just gave you a lot of great info to think on. I'm not much of anybody...Yet...LOL, but I thought I'd throw in my 2 cents briefly.

There are statistic out there that claim the average person changes careers about 5 times in their life.

Sooo...here is another view from my perspective: I went straight into the military after high school, and served honorably for 12 years. Not saying join the military...but like many of us vets we come back and it is like we are plopped down where we left at 18. Yeah, I gained tons of life skills, and various job skills that many can't say they can replicate or come close to, but it was very difficult for me to find my place.

So what did I do? I started where I left off at 18 and asked myself...What would I have done if I had not joined the military? My first thought was "Go to College"....So that is what I did...I have a Bachelors in Recording Arts and a Masters in Business. I found out quickly that as much as I liked music and business, it just wasn't me.

So, I did some soul searching and the topic of trucking came up. My father drove for 25 years, my step mother for maybe 10-15, a cousin who is still driving today after 25 years. I remember doing everything with them and their trucks as a kid and teenager, and I remember I loved it.

I struggled over making the decision, so I started asking questions, like you are doing now. Did some research, and boom I was hooked. I will admit I rushed into it way to quickly and left my company just as quickly, but that was a "me" issue. I have since corrected and continue to work on the things I lacked the first go around and plan to get back into a truck in the next 90 days or so, because to me...I just have to. I don't, nor could I, imagine myself not driving for quite some time.

With all that said, the above 3 gentleman explained everything to exact specifications.

The biggest notes to take away from each are: 1. The links Old School put up. READ THAT STUFF!!! Such great insights. 2. Brett's mention that..."college to him was a lot easier than trucking, but a lot more boring". Maybe you'll find out that a different focus in college or a change in your major will keep you more engaged and interested. 3. G-Town is a great communicator and said it perfectly..."Trucking will always be there for you. Attending college maybe not..."

In closing, I am glad I went to college and have my degrees...Another check off the bucket list...I am especially glad for my Masters in business, because that will help me in the long term future if I choose to do O/O - Owner Operator.

I might use my education in my spare time or for fun, maybe I'll mix it with my trucking career, LOL. I can see it now..."The Musical Trucker"... but trucking will be what I love and keeps the money flowing for me.

Just remember Hindsight is 20/20.

And now my $0.02. You are now an adult. You can vote, kill or die for this country, and at 21 you can drink and get your CDL. (Don't start drininking with a CDL.) With that said, it is your life to live. At 50, I started driving. If I had started at 21 I would be looking to retire soon. So, live your life, have your own successes and failures. Respect your parents. No matter what you do, they will love you. Lastly, why geography?

I agree with all of the above. There's nothing wrong with skipping college for a career in trucking if that's what makes you happy, but the opportunity to go to college can be valuable, so consider carefully before giving it up.

Here's an idea, maybe talk to your parents and tell them you want to take a year off to try it. If you love it, great. If not, maybe you'll be more focused on your course work when you return.

Someone else asked about your choice of major, is that an interest of yours? I think college can be difficult even for very smart people because it takes discipline. You need to learn things that you might not be interested in or that you think you'll never need, especially in your first years. But maybe you could change majors to something more related to the trucking industry. Then try driving and if some day you're tired of it, look to move to an office job.

If you have parental financial support for school, i would stick it out. I dropped out my sophomore year of college due to not having the funds and whether i like to admit it or not, i didnt have the discipline to do my work.

Another thing, if you just see trucking as an "easy" alternative, you are wrong. Long hours, a lot of them being unpaid, its a rough lifestyle, and the alone time will either make or break you. For me it has been a great blessing, but i knew how hard it was going to be before i got in the seat.

Trucking isnt going anywhere, i say get the degree and then look into it or something else. If trucking is all you want to do, then heck, go for it.

I was a high school honor student and a Lieutenant governor of an international.charity organization in 10th grade. i skipped college to "have a life" and totally regretted it. i then went back to college in my late 20s and it took 12 years of part time classes plus working 60 hours a week to get my degree. i graduated with honors but i never got the "real.college experience" i totally regret not going to college when i was young.

why not do both? get the degree and then use the motivation that afterward you could always go into trucking to get you through it. Perhaps you need to change majors, which is common.

all of the replies above show you that it is never too late to get into trucking. it can be too late to enjoy "college life" if you decide to go back.

things to consider about waiting for trucking: the more car drive time you have, the better judgment you have when driving a big rig. It is just an experience thing. You mentioned Alabama.... so have you ever driven a car in snow? i know quite a few new drivers who feel overwhelmed by northern winters because they were raised down south. that is when the years or decades of auto driving experience and judgement could come in. so entering trucking at a younger age could actually be much more stressful than at a later age.

You might not think that college degree is worth anything, but many employers see it as "not quitting". my friend had a BS im culinary arts but got hired as a buying manager at a big named store making huge money. it only mattered that she had a degree, they didnt care what the major.

Guess im going to play the motherly role here....(which is rare).... stay in school. go to parties, meet friends, go on spring break, enjoy your youth before you start getting into debt, buying houses, and having responsibities that will make you grow up too quickly. use the years in college to improve your car driving skills.

trucking is wondeful, but isnt going anywhere. and it is a very very serious and dangerous job. you can kill someone and yourself. or worse, kill someone and live to regret it. or wind up in jail for vehicular homicide. having relationships out here can be really difficult. meeting a new love can be almost impossible. dont waste that portion of your youth on the road either. many long time truckers have gone through several marriages for a reason.

you only live once...so do it all.

And now my $0.02. You are now an adult. You can vote, kill or die for this country, and at 21 you can drink and get your CDL. (Don't start drininking with a CDL.) With that said, it is your life to live. At 50, I started driving. If I had started at 21 I would be looking to retire soon. So, live your life, have your own successes and failures. Respect your parents. No matter what you do, they will love you. Lastly, why geography?

Haha, well geography seemed like the best choice for me at the time because I love learning about different cultures and regions of the world, but I also always enjoyed reading maps so it seemed like a logical choice.