Considering a career change

[BA]

Hello to all...first time posting here and after reading for awhile, I think this might just be a great place to hang my hat. However I'm still somewhat of a rookie with these online forums, so excuse me if I posted this in the wrong place.

After almost 30 yrs busting my knuckles and taxing my brain for the General(GM), I want to hit the road...literally. I've always had an interest in driving, both local and long haul. In fact I've made the coast to coast trip several times during my life, but only with a 24' box truck or 32' motorhome. No doubt...this is my next passion!!!

What I would like to ask from the pros here is what are your opinions and pros/cons of the biz? Give it to me straight up...is it worthwhile to give this gig a shot? I'm 48 if it matters, but still feel as good as I did when I was 30-35 <G>

btw...This coming Monday, I have a rep from NETTS coming to make his presentation about their school. Based on what I've read, I believe getting the training on my own(versus company provided) would put me in a better position for when I start driving. Any comments about going this route?

Any and all comments would be appreciated...thanx

[LOAD IT]

Since CDLs have turned into a student loan scam, I would say get your training as cheap as possible, whether its a company school, outside school, or on your own with a local tester. After 30 years in the plant, you need to get out and see some daylight and moonlight, and snow and sleet, and tornadoes, and oceans, and mountains, and sunrises, and sunsets, get the picture? Go for it!!!

[redsfan]

No one will know if it's a good decision or not, but you. My advice would be to just be sure of what you're getting yourself into. It may be right up your alley or it could be the best decision you've ever made. IMO, the worst part if you have a family is being away from them for several days or weeks at a time.

I will say that in my opinion, you are better off to pay for the training yourself if you are in a position where you can afford it. No sense in being locked into one company for a year or two if you can avoid that. Other than that, the good and bad will vary from one individual to the next.

Good luck!

[joasis]

The main factor in driver success in my opinion, and I doubt others will disagree, is what is your home life like? If you have kids at home, or you really like being home, think of something else for a career. If you want to make good bucks, see the country, don't mind the hassles and filthy restrooms, hit the open road. Nearly everyone I have seen fail in trucking was because of a wife/girlfriend/kids at home and it is a killer to load your stuff after being home for 2 days and out the door for 3 weeks or more. If you have an ailing parent, remember, it will be tougher yet. Good luck.

[BA]

LOAD IT

No doubt about the loan scams, I just discovered plenty about it. OUCH!! Any comments about going the local community college route instead?

I love the outdoors in ANY weather, but as for Tornadoes, not sure about them...do hurricanes qualify? Probably not

btw...I've been working at the dealership level, not in the Generals plant itself...even though it probably feels the same.


redsfan & joasis

Yes I have family, which consists of my wife and daughter. My daughter moved back home after college. Trust me...hitting the road would be a dream come true after living with 2 women all these years :wink: Seriously though, I am aware of the consequences of becoming a OTR driver. I've reached a point in my life that I need ~my space~ and the need to get away, and my other half does support the idea. Only way to find out if it will work for us is to go for it. I can always return to my current profession if it doesn't work out.

[joasis]

Sounds like you might be one to make it happen...good luck to you. BTW, if there is any way you can do your training on your own, through a state tech school or community college, do it...then you won't be scammed by Billy Bob's trucking school....and you can be selective about who you work for.

Just remember the main rules, never quit under load or abandon equipment! And don't jump company to company..stick with a company at least several months before deciding to leave.

Hi BA,

I see you are from New England. If you are close to Mass you can give Roadmaster a call. They are in Lawrence Mass. I went through there school part time at a cost of $3,600. They only teach you to drive and pass the driving test. You must get your permit before showing up.

The owner is Jim and his number is 978-683-7016

[BA]

joasis
Thanks for the vote of confidence...this has been a life long passion for me, but I never persued it. My goal would be to become an O/O with a team player. Too bad my wife doesn't have any interest in driving one of these rigs. There is the possibilty that after I get my wheels in motion and start driving, she could travel with me and change her mind. Probably wishful thinking...but isn't that what dreams are all about?

[BA]

Hi BA,

I see you are from New England. If you are close to Mass you can give Roadmaster a call. They are in Lawrence Mass. I went through there school part time at a cost of $3,600. They only teach you to drive and pass the driving test. You must get your permit before showing up.

The owner is Jim and his number is 978-683-7016

Yes, I'm in CT, could you elaborate about the permit part? What is involved in getting one?

It's the written test you take at the DMV. You can get the book to study from there or go to your states DMV online and the book will be there. Read it like 5 times then take the test.

[BA]

Thanks steve. I did come across CT's manual online somewhere. I'll go back and find it and start reading.


edited to say...ctrl H works great. I found it!! Thanx again!!

[redsfan]

redsfan & joasis

Yes I have family, which consists of my wife and daughter. My daughter moved back home after college. Trust me...hitting the road would be a dream come true after living with 2 women all these years :wink: Seriously though, I am aware of the consequences of becoming a OTR driver. I've reached a point in my life that I need ~my space~ and the need to get away, and my other half does support the idea. Only way to find out if it will work for us is to go for it. I can always return to my current profession if it doesn't work out.

Good gosh man, I didn't know were living with two grown women! Forget any other advice I gave you, just run! Don't worry about whether you pay, they pay or if the school is worth a hoot or not, just get out while you can!!! :wink:

[Jason607]

Hello fellow auto tech turning trucker!!! Damn, remember not too long ago, money was nice fixing cars, now, it just sucks. Either the shops are dead, or they don't want to pay squat anymore, sometimes it's poor pay and poor work. I decided to go to trucking school because it was a good career to get into, plus it has always been an interest, but I have always been so into the technician thing.

I am going to America's Driving Force, in Georgia. $2,400 if you pay up front, but yeah, if you finance it, it's $4,800. They do it because so often people don't pay it back, but I think it is unfair to make the responsible one's pay. Even if you have to use a credit card, your better off. Watch out for these companies that will send you to school, it sounds nice but you have to sign a contract with them, and it comes out of your paycheck and when it is all said and done, you paid twice if not much more. Some companies will reimberse you, which is somewhat better, but it's best to not be obligated.

BTW: your knowlege of automotive helps a lot for CDL testing.

[Deerhunter]

if you dont mind flatbedding then you might want to consider Maverick they pay for school and you are only obligated for 6 months. 1500 bucks and that is pro rated so if you stay 3 months then you only owe half. and they get you home nearly every weekend. the pay isnt to bad either. They start you out at .35 a mile.

[hitman]

BA, welcome to CAD. I build 'em and you fix 'em :wink: It'll be 30 years come Feb. that i've been working on the General's assembly line, and i'll tell you what, i'm getting pretty darn tired of it. It's time for a change for me also, and truck driving is something that I have wanted to do for a long time. It will be a perfect time for me to enter the profession. Still fairly young...i'll be 50 next year, and from what I have read, age has nothing to do with it, just as long as you can pass the physical. As a matter of fact, us "older" guys who have a squeeky clean driving record and a stable work history, have a much better chance of being hired on by companies, rather then someone who is in their early 20's and just entering the job market. And money will not be an option for me either, since I will be collecting a pension from the General. So if trucking doesn't work out for me...i'm confident that it will...I can just move on to something else.

I am going to go through a community college for my training. There is one here in DE...Del Tech...about an hour from my home. One of the perks for working for the General, is that they will pay $1,500 towards the tuition. That's a good thing :wink:

I am also married, but no children, and my wife supports my decision 100%. Heck, I work 2nd shift now and only see here on weekends, because she leaves for work before I wake up, and I leave before she comes home. So even if I just see her every other week is no big problem for us. We both realize that the first year will probably be the toughest. After that, she should be able to come along with me...and maybe get her to drive also.

So come here often, ask questions and do your homework, before you decide on which company to drive for. You will learn real fast on here, which companies to stay away from. Best of luck to you...Dave

[BA]

Hello fellow auto tech turning trucker!!! Damn, remember not too long ago, money was nice fixing cars, now, it just sucks. Either the shops are dead, or they don't want to pay squat anymore, sometimes it's poor pay and poor work. I decided to go to trucking school because it was a good career to get into, plus it has always been an interest, but I have always been so into the technician thing.

I am going to America's Driving Force, in Georgia. $2,400 if you pay up front, but yeah, if you finance it, it's $4,800. They do it because so often people don't pay it back, but I think it is unfair to make the responsible one's pay. Even if you have to use a credit card, your better off. Watch out for these companies that will send you to school, it sounds nice but you have to sign a contract with them, and it comes out of your paycheck and when it is all said and done, you paid twice if not much more. Some companies will reimberse you, which is somewhat better, but it's best to not be obligated.

BTW: your knowlege of automotive helps a lot for CDL testing.

Hey Jason...yeah the $$$ was nice, in fact it still is if you can tolerate all the BS and work 3 times as hard as you used to. I'm 6'2"/230# and it's a flaming bitch for me to even fit in some of these tin cans, never mind get my hands into places to test or change a part. Worse part though is the warranty crap. Now that the General is going with the 100K warranty, added to the fact that half the public thinks EVERYTHING is covered by warranty, it's time to move on. Here in the northeast the pay is great, but so what!! Pay is about $30 per hr(you need that to survive around here!!) for top notch techs, but if you only get paid half the time(warranty times) needed to diag and fix these rolling elec ***** boxes, why bother. At times I feel like just going to MickeyD's and flip burgers.

[BA]

if you dont mind flatbedding then you might want to consider Maverick they pay for school and you are only obligated for 6 months. 1500 bucks and that is pro rated so if you stay 3 months then you only owe half. and they get you home nearly every weekend. the pay isnt to bad either. They start you out at .35 a mile.

When you say "if you don't mind flatbedding" is there any reason I shouldn't? Other than having to worry about losing a load off a flat due to carelessness, what are the differences between flat and box?

Thanks for the tip about Maverick...I'll search for some info about them later today.

[BA]

BA, welcome to CAD. I build 'em and you fix 'em :wink: It'll be 30 years come Feb. that i've been working on the General's assembly line, and i'll tell you what, i'm getting pretty darn tired of it. It's time for a change for me also, and truck driving is something that I have wanted to do for a long time. It will be a perfect time for me to enter the profession. Still fairly young...i'll be 50 next year, and from what I have read, age has nothing to do with it, just as long as you can pass the physical. As a matter of fact, us "older" guys who have a squeeky clean driving record and a stable work history, have a much better chance of being hired on by companies, rather then someone who is in their early 20's and just entering the job market. And money will not be an option for me either, since I will be collecting a pension from the General. So if trucking doesn't work out for me...i'm confident that it will...I can just move on to something else.

I am going to go through a community college for my training. There is one here in DE...Del Tech...about an hour from my home. One of the perks for working for the General, is that they will pay $1,500 towards the tuition. That's a good thing :wink:

I am also married, but no children, and my wife supports my decision 100%. Heck, I work 2nd shift now and only see here on weekends, because she leaves for work before I wake up, and I leave before she comes home. So even if I just see her every other week is no big problem for us. We both realize that the first year will probably be the toughest. After that, she should be able to come along with me...and maybe get her to drive also.

So come here often, ask questions and do your homework, before you decide on which company to drive for. You will learn real fast on here, which companies to stay away from. Best of luck to you...Dave

So your the guy whose building these nightmares that I have to fix <G> Where the he!! do these engineers get the idea that stuffing everything into the tightest possible place is the answer. Especially when they bury a part that you have to tear half the vehicle apart just to test it? These clowns need to come out into the field and fix, never mind diag all the headaches they design.

Yeah you guys have some pretty good perks working at the plant. Too bad they don't exist at the dealership level. We do get our perks, but not the type you get...pension, tuition reimbursement, 'No' flatrate...to name a few.

Thanks for the welcome

[BA]

Well, gotta make this quick as I have to head to the salt mines shortly. Thanks for the welcome guys. It's been a rough couple of days after the nasty storm we had this past weekend. We lost power for most of Sunday and part of Monday. My house survived with minimal damage, but I had one he!! of a mess ouside due to the high winds. Living on a hill top does have it's problems.

Just a quick update...last night the rep from NETTTS came and spelled out there program. Up front it sounds great, but $6800 for a 20 week program? OUCH!!! I didn't make any commitment yet, since there are finacial aid benifits available. Thursday night I'll find out the details. I seriously doubt I'm gonna have to cough up that kind of coin. What I like about going this route is I can take the training on weekends and still keep my current job...which I need to do in order to survive. The bad part is losing 20 weekends.

Gotta run now, but I'll post more about it later tonight.

[wot i life]

Hello to all... I want to hit the road...

Any and all comments would be appreciated...thanx

Driving has given me a very good standard of living and I,ve seen most of Europe during my time on the road.
It,s an unforgettable experience when you set out on your own for the first time,nerve-wracking,daunting and yet, at the same time, exhilarating
Go follow your dream :wink: