What Did You Do Before Becoming A Truck Driver?

I’m a beauty school dropout!

Serious answer, I’ve worked front-desk type jobs my whole life, struggling to make ends meet the entire time. Tried the college thing, I couldn’t pick a major and years of studying plus compounding student loans made it so not worth it for me. So, I worked, I traveled the world a little bit, spent a couple summers in Italy as an au pair, worked some more, and started to lean into some of my passions, cosmetology being one of them. I enrolled in school and not a week later, COVID hit. My job description changed from “hairdresser” to “front-line worker” and “self-sacrificer” overnight, and that was NOT what I wanted to do. Not for minimum wage at least. Plus, the public response that they “needed” their haircuts and highlights..... people are dying, Karen.

So, I did some more soul searching, and came across trucking by chance! Then I discovered this website, hours of research turned into weeks into months and well, my first day of training starts any minute now!

This is a great thread, keep em coming, good reading, all be safe out there, over and out

Other than a three year hiatus from 2012-2015, I was in the flooring business since 1992. An ugly divorce burned me out and I'm completing training with Millis Transfer to get my late in life career change going.

In my previous life I was a Chief Engineer in the Merchant Marine industry for the past 20 years bringing in 120-150k per year. The money was great but I really hated the job, so 2 years ago I walked away from it and took 2 years off to make up my mind. Now I am currently enrolled in a 6 week driving school at a community college to get my CDL and learn some driving skills before I start filling out applications. I did drive for 1 year in the early 1990’s and really loved it, so I am currently getting back into what I really like. The money won’t be even close to what I was making but at least I will be happy with what I am doing.

I was a member of the management team for Delaware North, a Fortune 200 company specializing in the hospitality industry (lights flashing and buzzers sounding akin to a warning notifying one of a low air PSI level), at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati. I was the Vending Manager - I identified talent, hired, trained, scheduled, managed on a game-by-game basis and verified the payroll for a staff of nearly 200 ‘Type A’ personalities who sold food and beverages to fans in their seats at Reds’ games.

On March 25 my life changed forever as I listened (along with literally thousands of others) to a recorded call from the President of Sportservice as we were advised that due to Covid-19, a ‘business disruption plan’ was being implemented effective April 1 (yes, I’m aware of the irony). Since that time I’ve heard from many of my co-workers and constituents who have been permanently furloughed as DN plans for a leaner (and no doubt smaller) future.

I’m not one to stand on the sidelines and wring my hands while Rome burns. As a nearly 40 year veteran of the Hospitality industry I have often been type-cast when applying for positions that would appear to be a solid fit for the skills I’ve developed over many years of working with people and organizing and operating a wide variety of events.

I have a cousin who is successful in the trucking industry (three million accident-free miles fits my definition of ‘successful’ as it applies here), therefore as my thoughts for future employment began ranging into areas where I had zero knowledge or the necessary skills I found myself searching for truck driving schools in southwestern Ohio. I ended up at Napier Truck Driver Training School, Inc. In Hamilton, Ohio.

My first day of class for Tuesday, July 7, and my last day was Tuesday, October 22. Was I there longer than the average student? Absolutely. Of the 15 students in my class I was the last one to sit for the CDL exam as I was unwilling to test until I was confident that I could and would handle anything that might occur on ‘Test Day’. I was often the first in the door each day, and was usually the last one out as I sought to develop and hone the skills and gain the knowledge necessary to safely, competently, and correctly operate a commercial motor vehicle.

I crushed the ‘pre-trip’ examination, successfully completed the ‘maneuvers’ portion of the test while surrendering three points on the straight-back, off-set (left to right) and ‘driver’s side parallel parking’ exercises. I failed the driving portion of the test when I impeded traffic after missing a shift when I had the rpms too high when shifting from sixth to seventh gear while approaching an interstate entrance in Medway, Ohio. I was eight minutes away from ‘one and done’. I will return on October 1 at 9:00 a.m. to clear this last hurdle and gain entrance to this very elite fraternity.

Thank you to all the contributors to this forum. Your information has been invaluable to me. The professional manner in which opinions are shared and debated is refreshing.

I look forward to a rewarding career as I turn the page and begin a phase in my life.

Who did you end up choosing?

I’m a beauty school dropout!

Serious answer, I’ve worked front-desk type jobs my whole life, struggling to make ends meet the entire time. Tried the college thing, I couldn’t pick a major and years of studying plus compounding student loans made it so not worth it for me. So, I worked, I traveled the world a little bit, spent a couple summers in Italy as an au pair, worked some more, and started to lean into some of my passions, cosmetology being one of them. I enrolled in school and not a week later, COVID hit. My job description changed from “hairdresser” to “front-line worker” and “self-sacrificer” overnight, and that was NOT what I wanted to do. Not for minimum wage at least. Plus, the public response that they “needed” their haircuts and highlights..... people are dying, Karen.

So, I did some more soul searching, and came across trucking by chance! Then I discovered this website, hours of research turned into weeks into months and well, my first day of training starts any minute now!

I was a roughneck I worked derriks on a oil rig for 7 yrs

Some people were chiming in on Laura T.'s "I hate Nursing" topic about what they did before they became interested in trucking. I put the question in the title for others to tell what they did "before".

I taught middle school math and science for eleven years. Finally I "had it" with both student attitude and administration pressure to get my students to pass the annual testing.

Also, rookie truckers make just about as much as rookie teachers do, without all that college!

So, what did you do in your "previous life"?

Bump for Lone Wolf

Im assuming we mean real jobs and not high school/college stuff. 8+yrs combat construction as a Navy Seabee. 7+yrs heavy haul (105,500 GCVW) aggregates in end dumps, pups and transfer bodies. 19+yrs combat intelligence for the USAF. Just started training with Pride Transport today!

Roughneck loved it

Some people were chiming in on Laura T.'s "I hate Nursing" topic about what they did before they became interested in trucking. I put the question in the title for others to tell what they did "before".

I taught middle school math and science for eleven years. Finally I "had it" with both student attitude and administration pressure to get my students to pass the annual testing.

Also, rookie truckers make just about as much as rookie teachers do, without all that college!

So, what did you do in your "previous life"?