Career Change After 30 Years In Cubicle Land
Topic 4453 | Page 1
Good to see you make your way out of the cube farm. I tried that once early on, I'm just not built for it.
Do the positives of this career generally outweigh the negatives?
-Lee
I'm just a newb with my CDL and a mere job offer and starting soon, hopefully, but to answer your question: yeah, so far! Stick around here, k? We could use some of your cost-based analyses.
-mountain girl
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
- Any combination of vehicles with a gross combined weight rating (GCWR) of 26,001 or more pounds, providing the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of the vehicle being towed is in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 or more pounds, or any such vehicle towing another not in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any vehicle, regardless of size, designed to transport 16 or more persons, including the driver.
- Any vehicle required by federal regulations to be placarded while transporting hazardous materials.
Congrats on breaking out of your velvet-lined prison, too. Maybe seeing the country-side is just what the doctor ordered!
-mountain girl
The numbers will never add up, Drivers are underpaid why owners pocket all the money. I don't care what anyone else says about being a Owner Operator and how you still don't make money, you do! I've got family members that own their Trucks and Trailers out right and make $$$. Be a company driver and see if you like it and if you do consider owning your own rig.
Owner Operator:
An owner-operator is a driver who either owns or leases the truck they are driving. A self-employed driver.
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I’ve been in finance/management/cubicle land for 30 years. As long as I can remember I’ve always thought about truck driving as a career, but just never pulled the trigger. I always took the “realistic”, predictable, comfortable road for a career. After 15 years at this last job, I decided I’d had enough. I resigned, and just got back from a week long 3000 mile motorcycle trip with a great bunch of supportive guys.
But, between the net and some of the honest answers I’ve seen on this site, it makes me pause a little. For example, from some of the math i've seen on the pay, it looks at times like you are consistently losing money. (I never calculated what I earned per hour in previous jobs, so I can't image it being much less. Ha.) My long-term goal is to be an owner operator in a few years or so, but I’m second-guessing myself after the constant negativity I’m seeing.
My bottom line is that surely the positives outweigh the negatives – otherwise no one would do this for a living, let alone make a career change into it. I’ve read some of Brett’s answers, and he is brutally honest – and not hiding behind the anonymity of some websites – I really appreciate that! I know it is case by case, and I have to make the decision to get into this career.
Do the positives of this career generally outweigh the negatives?
Owner Operator:
An owner-operator is a driver who either owns or leases the truck they are driving. A self-employed driver.