What Do You Say To The Naysayers???

So since I've thought about getting into trucking, I've met many folks who actually do drive trucks - some company drivers and a very nice couple that were Owners/Operators - and they each had nothing but good things to say about trucking. They weren't plugging their companies, didn't give me any references so I felt that they were being honest. Contrast that however with a family member and also a close friend who are darn near adamant about me not getting into trucking, that it's not all I'm pinning my hopes and dreams on. So what do you or have you said to the naysayers? Cause I'm not naive, I don't expect trucking to be some kind of golden ticket, that all that's wrong with my life will be magically resolved, but I'm looking at it being better then where I am in life now. I'm looking at it as the funding for a good financial future, as I'm having direct experience with an elderly parent who didn't save anything and seeing how he's having to live. My naysaying family member calls to my attention a house, which I purchased years before I thought about getting into trucking, and how I'll be paying on a house that I won't be living in save a few days a month. That at least I say, I see the house as an investment. It's a cheap mortgage, less than a thousand a month and I'm already a third of the way into it on a thirty year mortgage. I could choose to see it as an opportunity to travel while making enough money to plow into the mortgage and get it paid off sooner, saving however much interest to boot.

But I'm curious if you've had to deal with family naysayers...

Not a naysayer comment, but why not rent out the house and just use AirBnBs for your home time or something like that?

So since I've thought about getting into trucking, I've met many folks who actually do drive trucks - some company drivers and a very nice couple that were Owners/Operators - and they each had nothing but good things to say about trucking. They weren't plugging their companies, didn't give me any references so I felt that they were being honest. Contrast that however with a family member and also a close friend who are darn near adamant about me not getting into trucking, that it's not all I'm pinning my hopes and dreams on. So what do you or have you said to the naysayers? Cause I'm not naive, I don't expect trucking to be some kind of golden ticket, that all that's wrong with my life will be magically resolved, but I'm looking at it being better then where I am in life now. I'm looking at it as the funding for a good financial future, as I'm having direct experience with an elderly parent who didn't save anything and seeing how he's having to live. My naysaying family member calls to my attention a house, which I purchased years before I thought about getting into trucking, and how I'll be paying on a house that I won't be living in save a few days a month. That at least I say, I see the house as an investment. It's a cheap mortgage, less than a thousand a month and I'm already a third of the way into it on a thirty year mortgage. I could choose to see it as an opportunity to travel while making enough money to plow into the mortgage and get it paid off sooner, saving however much interest to boot.

But I'm curious if you've had to deal with family naysayers...

I know exactly how you feel. To be honest, the only positive encouragement I've received was right here, every person I've come across has been very negative as far as my plans to be a driver. I've reach the point that I don't even react anymore to the negativity, I just tune them out because I've heard it all before. Just keep in mind that all the naysayers have one thing in common, they are NOT living your life, they DON'T know your thoughts, and they DON'T have your passions and desires. Just smile and say "Yeah, possibly." . Then go and do it. Show them they ARE wrong.

My mother hated it and call it a filthy dirty low life job.... Until a few years into it. My brother was always very supportive.

My mother's problem was fear. She was terrified of me in the bad weather and breaking down on road etc. I made a video showing her how my company inspects the trucks every time we go into the terminal and showed her my messages telling dispatch I was parked due to storms. After awhile she got excited to get post cards from every state and watch my videos of cool and different tourist stops and truck stops. It may take time

However most people never consider the reality of trucking....so check out this video where I talk about things people often don't think of.

Reality of OTR

Yep totally agree, forget what people who have NO clue about the career say. It's YOUR life, and you should live it as you see fit, period. Now think about this, not knowing what you make at your current job. Where else can you get a job to potentially make up to and beyond $80-$100k in 2 years,or less, WITHOUT a college degree, and the debt from getting that degree? NO WHERE lol.

And as you say, you could pay off your mortgage a lot faster. Plus rent it out to someone you know maybe you can trust to take care of it as if their own, so you're not having to deal with issues on the road.Because yeah, you wouldn't want to be constantly bothered by the tenant that this or that broke etc......

My naysayers/best friends wife mostly, and oldest daughter gimme crap about my moving to Asia and live there full time retired lol. His wife is negative about anything and everything on ALL topics, the first thing she says is what if this or that happens (negatives) That's just her.

They were high school sweeties and never been single since, and they've been married going on 43 years, so I'm used to her constant negative outlook on everything. And just let it go in 1 ear,and out the other, and ignore it. She does have a heart of gold, and would and does help anyone in need

So listen to your heart and gut, not those who wanna keep you down by their negativity, of thing they know nothing of.

Live your life as you decide.

Just let it roll off man. I wasted so many opportunities to better myself because I let other people's fear of change and new things limit my choices. My father was the worst about my career choice.

I was in no particular order:

• Abandoning my (19 year old) kid to his own sink or swim apartment
• Giving up my life
• Going to fail because I couldn't back up a boat trailer 22 years ago
• Going to be raped or kidnapped
• Know nothing about my company (Prime)
• Going to be assaulted by my male trainer

The bottom line is, I made a choice that is right for myself, and myself alone. People who don't understand are speaking from a place of fear and ignorance. My dad didn't settle down until I put him in the truck, and explained the panic button, that they can identify where our trucks are within so many feet, and there are safety plans in place. He finally, after I turned 41, told me he was proud of me. Gee dummy, I did NOTHING to be proud of?

I digress. If you make the sacrifices to do this, and keep an eye on the end goal, you will be fine.

In less than a year, I raised my credit score by 100 points, paid off all consumer and medical debts, and put a small dent in my student loans. That's without being super money conscious either.

Bottom line, you have to live with your decisions, not them. Smile, nod, and move on.

The more they pull, the more it pushes me back out on the road.

You'll discover just how many people close to you, including family want you around so you can do what they want/need you to do for them.

The Mrs had plans for my construction skills, my brother and business partner had plans for my contracting skills, one of them actually had the audacity to say, you can't go be a trucker, you're a carpenter.

To all of them I just maintain that it's my choice and I'm doing something for myself. If they want to be in my life, they can support my choices, if not. See ya.

Thanks everyone, I really needed to hear all your responses. I should really practice what I preach, because I pretty much think to myself that one should live their life as they care to so long as they aren't bringing harm to others, to themselves and being able to provide for themself. I don't think I'd want anyone else living in my house as a renter or a B&B. But yeah, after having given it a lot of thought I'd arrived at treating my house as an investment. Considering it's due to be paid off in 2045, when I'd be seventy-three I figured if trucking can be as profitable as you're led to believe (assuming you're willing to put in the work obviously), then why not work at paying it off as quickly as possible so you can enjoy it and not be making mortgage payments into your elder years? And for the query about how much I make that someone touched on... I work in hospitality for now, I had been making $33k annually as an Executive Auditor overnight which I enjoyed but left my financially wanting. After getting laid off I got a new job making $40k as a Front Office Manager at another hotel, which I don't enjoy and am already looking to make a change.

You place too much emphasis on the opinions of others. If it's not a spouse or a dependant child, the opinion shouldn't matter. If the naysayers aren't going to support you, they have no business telling you how to support yourself.