Finally Time To Introduce Myself!

I too am only 22. I did a couple semesters at a local jr college. I hated it. I lok at all my friends who have graduated with 2 or 4 yr degrees. They have a mountain of debt. And in my area there are no job opportunities so they are working minimum wage jobs until someday they get a job in their field. How valuable is college really? Its only valuable if you are guaranteed a job. Truck driving doesn't have to be all or nothing. With online classes and flexible schedules it may very well be possible to drive AND go to school. (Especially if you could score a local job) when you are ready to go back to school.

With online classes and flexible schedules it may very well be possible to drive AND go to school. (Especially if you could score a local job) when you are ready to go back to school.

Very wrong.

Susannah, our weeks are between 60-70 hours. This isn't a 40 hour per week job. I'm 22 and I've tried to do online classes in my truck and I can tell you that its simply impossible. Our schedules are not flexible nor are they even remotely predictable. One day we can start our day at 6am, the next day we can start our day at 2am.

As a driver, we only do a handful of tasks per day:

Inspect Equipment

Drive

Shower

Eat

Sleep

There really isn't time for anything else besides the occasional dinner.

Also consider this, more often than not you will not have a strong internet connection. More often than not, I park and try to use my Iphone - only to discover that my internet won't even load Truckingtruth. If it can't load a forum, how will it load a textbook/video/etc. Sure, you could get Verizon, but even Verizon has many weak spots.

Scoring a local driving job won't help at all. You're just as busy with a local job than with an OTR job. In a local job you're constantly unloading your trailer, dealing with traffic - by the time you go home you're exhausted. You go home and have just enough time to shower, eat, and sleep. Then its back to work!

Having said all of that, I just want you to be aware that doing classes online really isn't a viable option when your trucking. This lifestyle is difficult by itself, cramming in schoolwork and tests will make your life a living hell.

Now let me play devils advocate and give you yet another proseptive...

I never went to college. Never wanted to. I spent $3500 for my cdl and I make close to $40k a year. I have ZERO debt from school.

College on the other hand you go to 2 to 4 years and rack up a mountain of debt just to get a job pay $30k to $35k and you only make that amount if you are lucky enough to stay at your job 10 to 15 years. Not to mention IF f you are lucky enough to find work in your choosen field.

Just something to think about.

College does not have to be really expensive. It all depends on what school you choose. Plus things like Pell grants can drastically reduce the cost. Not saying you are wrong.... just saying.

Daniel while I totally hear what your saying and agree that that often is the case, my boyfriend has been able to take some classes while drivin, the company he worked for at the time was willing to work with him so he would have time to study. And he plans to go back to school once gets the local job his current company is offering him. Also for those driver who are able to get home weekly depending on what day they are home schools are offering some classes that are one day a week. Even on saturdays. All I'm saying is that its not completely impossible.

It's not completely impossible to study on the road but time is extremely limited and your schedule is erratic like Daniel mentioned.

If you can find an online course that lets you work at your own pace on your own schedule you can squeeze in a little bit of study time out there. I never took any courses but I did learn a lot of computer programming over the years from books in my spare time.

But the question is - can you plan on getting a degree that way and truly moving yourself ahead in life? That would be a tall order.

my boyfriend has been able to take some classes while drivin, the company he worked for at the time was willing to work with him so he would have time to study

Just so people know, that is going to be extremely rare. It never hurts to ask, but you'll almost never find a company that's going to give you any sort of assistance when it comes to your own personal endeavors. Trucking companies won't even assure you that you'll have time for church on Sundays. If they won't assist you with an official visit with God, they certainly aren't going to assure you time to study with mere mortals.

Self-taught or do it at your own pace kinda stuff you can squeeze in a bit. But anything that would require any sort of a schedule like required visits to do lab work or online class meetings will almost certainly not work.