Truckers, Help Me Make My Mind Up! Prospective Truck Driver Here!

Hi guys. After doing quite a bit of research, I'm thinking about becoming a truck driver. Can you guys help me decide whether or not it's right for me?

A little background info: I'm a 25 year old male who currently works an irregular schedule, putting in anywhere between 40 and 50 hours a week for alright pay, but the stress is NOT worth the job. I run a crew of 50 people, mostly people who are in the 18-20 year old range just looking for a job. Most people guess I'm upwards of 30 due to my mental maturity and how I compose myself, but this job is wearing me down. It's made me get in 4 different medications that I'd rather not be on, and is causing multiple other issues. I've worked my way up to where I am from the ground, making just over $8 6 years ago to right around $19 an hour right now. I'm not shy and I'm not trying to brag, money isn't an issue for me, never has been and probably never will be - I've worked hard to make sure I have a nice safety net and have always provided for myself and my long term girlfriend, so IMO I'm pretty money-smart.

Enough about me. Recently, I took a road trip from North Carolina to upstate New York (5 minutes from Canada). That really got into my mind about being a truck driver - yep, driving 4 wheels is a lot easier than 18, but the scenery and the serenity is what captured me. I'd love to see the rest of the country, capture the beauty in first person, but I know there's other sides to the story about being a truck driver.

I've read some blogs here and a lot of people thoroughly enjoy trucking. Can you guys help me decide if it's for me? Any advice, anything, will help. Be as real as possible, this would be a big change for me! I don't have a house payment or rent, I'm not committed to where I am right now, although I live close to my folks so it'd be nice to not have to move, but I'll take everything into consideration! Thank you for your time!

Steve, it's a really good thing to make a thorough investigation before you take the leap. Yes most of us here enjoy the job. Take a look at Brett Aquila's Book. We have other links that help you get a good idea of what's up: Truck Driver's Career Guide, a survey of Trucking Companies and Truck Driving Schools. Advice on how to choose a Trucking Company or a Truck Driving School.

Then prepare yourself by studying the High Road Training Program to get through the CDL test.

Good luck, Steve, and ask all the questions you want.

I say do it. If you feel the itch, there's probably a reason for it. Scratch it!

The only way to know for sure if trucking is right for you is to try it. The nomadic lifestyle, the endless hangups at shippers and receivers, the load planners and dispatchers who fail at math, the bureaucratic BS of DOT regs, the long stretches of time away from loved ones, and the inconsistent pay from week to week are some of the challenges you'll face, but you're the only one who can decide if you can hack it. This is a career that you'll either love or hate, and it isn't for everyone, but until you've given it a shot it's pretty much impossible to say which it will be for you. If you do decide to try it, give it at least a full year before you make any decisions about staying or leaving. That first year is the toughest, and the learning curve is STEEEEEEEP, but you'll be able to say with some certainty whether this is right for you.

Good luck!

Fatsquiatch sounds a bit down, but that is the underside of the reality - lots of waiting, $250 on one week's pay (waiting for a repair, slow week), being alone. But for 99 1/2% of us drivers, the benefits outweigh these: Travel, working on your own, seeing the USA in an air conditioned RV (OK! a One Room RV!).

The only bit I'll comment on is where you mentioned medications. If you decide to take a dip in the waiting pool (see what I did there?) Check with your doctor and make sure you are on approved meds for a CDL A driver and that you have all documentation (your recruiter can tell you more about what you'll need here.)

If you do decide to try it, give it at least a full year before you make any decisions about staying or leaving. That first year is the toughest, and the learning curve is STEEEEEEEP, but you'll be able to say with some certainty whether this is right for you.

I've read on here about the steep learning curve - and I'm a bit curious (if that's the right word) about it. If I do it, I'm thinking of going to a private trucking school, so there's plenty of time backing up and on the road time to boot. However, the solo part has me kind-of worried, at least for the start. I don't mind driving a car solo for hours on end, easy task with today's technology. I will say I'm not 100% using a map, though, that's for sure - I guess you get some sort of training in school though with that. Another thing that is weighing on my mind is being alone for the first time - potentially hundreds of miles from home, at a stop that you have no idea where you are. I don't think the alone part would bother me too much, sure I like attention from my family and friends, but working away from home has never bothered me... but I've never been on the other side of the country, either, you know? I'm just worried I'll get somewhere out west and get a crushing feeling to get back home after 7 days on the road... and still have to work another 7 or 8 days before a day off so I can see them.

heck with your doctor and make sure you are on approved meds for a CDL A driver and that you have all documentation

The medicines I'm on right now are simply due to stress at work, from what my doctor has told me today. I went on vacation and got away from my current place and didn't have to take a single one - and actually felt human for the first time in almost a year. Sure, there's stress at every job, but I can't imagine the stress of trucking being anywhere near the stress of what I'm currently doing - especially when there's nobody in my truck with me!

Now I did have another question (and sorry for bombarding you guys, but you've all been very helpful so far!) - if I did want to bring my girlfriend with me on a trip or two, or even more often than that if she wanted, would that be up to the company I work with to approve, or is that something that is more in my wheelhouse to decide?

I'll look into the book mentioned above and read up, and again, thank you all for your responses!

You'd be surprised about stress levels on the road. Tight deadlines, traffic, shippers and receivers taking their slow sweet time, not finding parking at night. It is what you make of it. As far as a passenger, each company has their own passenger rules in place, so that's up to them.

I take my wife with me a lot. It will of course depend on the company. You my have to pay a nominal fee for a little insurance for her. Mine is like 100 bucks a year so a little less than $10 a month is cheap.

Good luck with your decision and think loooooooooong and hard about it.

.02

One day you will have the best day out here and enjoying life the next you're debating giving up and going home.... that's the lifestyle off a truck but if you really enjoy this type of work you will figure out how to deal with whatever problems arise...