Trying To Decide On A Career Change In To Trucking

Avoid becoming a Trucker, Lol... but if you must become one Good Luck

Hummmm......I may be wrong....but I think I've just been insulted..... Brett?

Hummmm......I may be wrong....but I think I've just been insulted..... Brett?

*blinks*

Wow! I can relate to Sam. I am fast approaching 52 myself. Until 3 years ago, I was a successful business man in the retail goods industry. Since selling my business and returning to California (1st mistake), I found it increasingly difficult to find a job. Now, business owners don't care that you have a 6 yo and 8 yo to raise and help put food on the table. So I started thinking about this very same thing. Truck Driving or OTR. Sometimes we have to make the sacrifices in life to do whats right for our kids.

After a year of considering it. I now have to decide what school or company to go to. Being in Valencia California, I wouldn't know where to start. I did call CR England. But they weren't even ready to answer my questions. They just wanted me to give them an app over the web site and call it day. Matter of fact, I tried to get them to answer some questions and he just ignored me. Big turn off. He didn't even try to sell me on the idea.

Any suggestions and company ideas?

Thanks

Welcome aboard Dean!

I highly suggest you go through our Trucker's Career Guide. It covers every topic imaginable that pertains to getting your career started in trucking. It's a must read for anyone considering a trucking career and it will really help you get going in the right direction.

Hi all. I'm an export from England...I've been over here two years. I'm 55 years of age and I've come five thousand miles to get here and would love to see the rest of America. I work in a car dealership at the moment, but I've just signed up for my CDL.

I research the hell out of anything I do and this site is worth its weight in gold...thank you Brett. I'm going to pay for my training (on your advice Brett)...I start on the 8th April.

The only thing that I would like an answer on is how do you get through the winter months when the weather gets to bad to drive and still make enough money to get by?

Thanks,

Mick

Well, Mick.....we get thru the winters here, with the snow, ice, wind, and bad roads by driving when we can, chaining up if we have to. Freight is slow in the winter, so any load you can get is worth the bother. For those that don't have alot of winter driving experience, I would love to see them start their trucking school in the early spring, so that by the time they are confronted with winter, they will have months of practice driving on the roads, and have some confidence built up. And they are gonna need it.....winter isn't any time to change the rules of driving.....

< I'm sure I will take a pay cut if I do this, but I don't think I can put a dollar figure on my sanity. I have always wanted to give it a try.

I've always told my kids that it's not worth the money if you're not happy.

Eye opening, indeed. Thank you for your candor.

I'm going to enjoy reading up on this business from this site. I think ;)

Welcome aboard! Old School's replies were fantastic - as always.

I'm going to add this though...when it comes to getting a career started in trucking, I generally try to gently steer people away from the trucking industry if they're not interested in travelling. Why? Because the best part about trucking is the travelling. Getting to see all the beautiful scenery, meet a ton of interesting people, and spend some weekends running around in places like Vegas, New Orleans, and Miami - that's what is so special about trucking.

When you look at trucking as just another job (like if you're running local) as opposed to a lifestyle, it doesn't add up very well. You put in a ton of hours, you're dealing with piles of stress and headaches all the time, it's risky, it's frustrating, and overall it's more trouble than the pay is worth in my opinion. The perks from travelling are what make it unbeatable.

That being said, there are plenty of people who drive truck locally and enjoy it. So I'm not saying you should stay away from trucking, but I am saying that I think you'll be missing out on the best part of it by running local and you might find better opportunities in other fields.

One other huge thing to consider - if the people you're in charge of are driving you insane, how would you feel if the roles were reversed and those same people were now in charge of you? Here's what I'm getting at...

As a driver, you are at the mercy of everyone. You are low man on the totem pole everywhere you go at all times. You have no authority. You're going to be picking up and delivering at places all the time where the dock workers & shipping clerks & floor supervisors are the ones that are going to determine when you get loaded and unloaded. The office personnel at your company will determine what loads you'll be hauling. The DOT and other police forces will be inspecting you regularly to determine if you're legal to drive or not. The other drivers on the road will be driving like maniacs around you all the time. And God of course will send rain, snow, and wind at you relentlessly.

Truck drivers are looked down upon as about the lowest level you can be in our society by most people - that's just how it is. Nobody is going to show you much respect - not the dock workers, office personnel, police forces, or other drivers on the road. That was one of the toughest aspects for me personally - being treated like junk a lot of times by people whom I'd never even met - simply because I was a truck driver.

I'd have to say that trucking will not be an escape from the people that are driving you insane. In fact, instead of being in charge of those people, you're now going to be at their mercy on a daily basis. Factor in the risk, the super long hours, the stress, and everything else - and believe me - trucking is no escape from anything other than the comfort of your own home.

I drove for 15 years and I absolutely cherished my years on the road. But that's because I was looking to travel and I wanted all of the adventures and challenges the world could throw at me - and man did I find that in spades.

So please understand - I'm not telling you to stay away from trucking. But what I am saying is that the problems you're hoping to escape from will likely be 10 times worse as a truck driver than they are now. You may enjoy the job - I don't know. I mean, driving a big rig is as cool as anything you can do. But the stress, pressure, and poor treatment you'll deal with are very difficult challenges, and they never let up. They're relentless.

So just keep reading through the links that Old School mentioned above and learn all you can about the job and lifestyle of a truck driver before making the leap. Otherwise, as Meatloaf sang so awesomely - you might be "Jumping out of the frying pan, and into the fire."

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