Considering A Trucking Career - Advice?

I’m considering switching careers to truck driving specially OTR. A big part of me wants to get this going — although part of me is slightly anxious for the change in career. I could always try it and if I end up not liking it, then I have backups. But I really think I will like it! I have no problem driving hours on end and driving long miles. I have done it extensively driving 900 mile trips from one state to another over a dozen times recently. For me, driving has always been meditative to me. The lifestyle sounds so appealing to me and feels like freedom. I know it’s hard work and what I would get myself into but to see the country is priceless. I have done my research on trucking companies and everything in-between with CDL training etc. I’m considering applying for the Swift training program and looking for general advice. And really just talking to other people in the business too is all I’m after.

Welcome!! There are tons of information on the site you can search for. What you are considering is a lifestyle change as well as a career change.

This career does involve driving, somedays many miles, however is far different than taking a long trip in a car.

First and foremost the gov’t tells you when you can drive through the use of the ELD. This can be challenging at times to make appt’s on time. Some customers set appt times with too much time, others will set it as short as possible. Mixed bag. Some companies have the ability to relay a load instead of one driver doing the entire load, other companies don’t.

Parking must be planned out well because we can’t just stop anywhere when we run out of hours. This can be a big issue on a daily basis.

Different companies operate in primarily different areas. True OTR loads have been getting less and less over the years. Today more than ever before drivers want to be home more and companies have changed some of their routing and business model to accomodate this.

This career is one of the most diverse offered in this country. Many ways to accomplish the same thing, IE move freight from point A to point B.

Just a couple big differences to consider based on your post.

Best wishes in your pursuit!!

Hello Mikenzie, and welcome to our forum. You'll be doing yourself a huge favor by hanging out with the drivers here. They are friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable. Engage yourself in the ongoing conversations and ask as many questions as you like. We understand how hard it is finding reliable trucking information on the internet, and we do our best to help with that issue.

One thing I want to mention to you is the Commitment required when trying to switch over into the trucking career. You mentioned...

I could always try it and if I end up not liking it, then I have backups.

It's best to go into trucking with a full fledged commitment of trying it for one full year from the date you start driving solo (without a trainer). The challenges when attempting this career are unbounded. Many people give up during their first three months. That's the most challenging time. If you are counting on having back ups you will easily decide trucking isn't worth it and bailout. You need to walk this tight rope without a net. You need a commitment to success. Without it you're easy prey to discouragement.

Now, I also want you to know how much many of us love this career. I can't imagine doing anything else. This is a second career for me and I'm passionate about it. I had a really difficult entry, but because of my commitment I survived the difficult part and have been very successful and happy as an OTR driver.

Since you are doing research... here's some of the really great and free resources on our site. Enjoy reading them and please engage yourself in our forum.

• Truck Driver's Career Guide
• Brett's Book: The Raw Truth About Trucking (free online version)
• High Road CDL Training Program
• CDL Practice Tests

In addition to the great information from these two veteran drivers, I would suggest reading posts on here about drivers training new drivers, about issues we face on the road. These posts will give you a real world view of what driving a truck for a living is about. There's no sugar coating here. No one tries to put a friendly and welcoming face on an industry that can be harsh and brutal. The members here are friendly and welcoming, but the business of trucking isn't.

I came into this career with very much the same mentality that I really enjoy driving and the idea of being paid to see different parts of the country was exhilarating. Well, driving a truck is so much different than that. It's not a paid vacation. I very much enjoy my new career, but it's more difficult than I anticipated when I first began the process to start this career. You don't realize how big and difficult an 80+' commercial vehicle is to maneuver until you find yourself in a situation where space is limited.

Use this site to gather as much information as you can. When you have questions about things you are reading, post questions, as many questions as you can think of. After a period of time, you will be well informed to be able to make a sound decision on whether or not to move forward with a career change to truck driving.

Thanks everyone for the replies!

And Ryan when you mentioned:

If you are counting on having back ups you will easily decide trucking isn't worth it and bailout.

I can understand that statement, but it would hurt me if I didn't try trucking. I know there's risks to everything and that its a job — I'm resourceful when it comes to planning and I learn fast :)

I am considering swift because of its close terminal in Michigan. All in all, I'm definitely doing my research.

A couple of things to ponder.

I think driving completely changed my life. I know leaving this industry within the next 5 years isn't going to happen, unless something catastrophic happens. Knowing how much I love doing this, I can also say there were days, and even weeks that I thought I was a total failure, a screw up, and couldn't hack it. I know I am an amazingly strong and resilient person. What would have happened if I had a bail out option in those moments? I'm pretty sure if I had that safety net, I would have given up. It's that big of a learning curve.

Would I do it all over, knowing what I know now? In a heartbeat.

Realistic expectations is the name of the game surviving training. Knock the chips off your shoulders, and be a sponge. Absorb every bit of information that you can when you are with a trainer.

As for choosing a company based solely on terminal location, just don't. With many companies, it only matters if you live in an area they have enough freight to get you home at the frequency they promise. The closest terminal to my "home home" for me, is Salt Lake City, 12ish hours away. Closest to "home" is Pittston PA, roughly 13 hours away. Don't count out a good company based just on terminal location. There are many threads that pick up this topic as well.

Happy researching!

Thanks everyone for the replies!

And Ryan when you mentioned:

If you are counting on having back ups you will easily decide trucking isn't worth it and bailout.

I can understand that statement, but it would hurt me if I didn't try trucking. I know there's risks to everything and that its a job — I'm resourceful when it comes to planning and I learn fast :)

I am considering swift because of its close terminal in Michigan. All in all, I'm definitely doing my research.