I'm thinking of changing careers..Life is short

[milby]

I live in Missouri.

[DBW]

Trucking is a job best left to those who have no family or responsibilities. After my 16 year marriage came to a conclusion at the age of 36 I felt the need for a change. Handed in my resignation at a job I'd been at 14 years where I was earning $40K annually to chase a boyhood dream.

I actually enjoyed it to be honest. But only because I had no ties to anyone. No responsibilities, no debt after my bankruptcy, nada, zip.

Today I'm once again married with a wife and step-daughter. I'm a driver who looks forward to getting home to wife and house. I still enjoy driving, but it's not the same as when I was between marriages. My current wife accepted me as a driver and realizes it's a part of who I am and what I do so she's okay with it.

Stay in LE. Look at other ways of improving your life. And as others have said you still want to try your hand at driving after retiring, then go for it. But for now I'd recommend sitting tight with what you do.

[Useless]

I live in Missouri.

I'm going to shoot you a PM, but it will be sometime thurs. before I can do it. Let's see if we can get some rusty wheels turning, and let's see if we can come up with some ideas to
1.) Reduce your spending
2.) Increase your income
3.) As Dave Rammsey would say, let's find ways to "Make your money behave".

I'll shoot a PM to the Mods to make sure that you can receive & send PM's.

Peace!!

[Useless]

[quote="milby"]After reading all the replies I guess it does sound kinda stupid for me to change careers with only 12years left to go as a cop.

Useless wrote-

"And if you trade the druddgery and burn-out that at least offers a steady paycheck for excitement and adventure that comes in the form of an industry which offers a trunover rate of well over 100% annually, an unsteady paycheck, trip reprts (that make up that unsteady paycheck) that mysteriously "get lost", thus shorting you even more, a job where you work 80 to 85 hrs. per week, log 70hrs., and get paid for 40 hrs., and a very unsteady income flow, along with the financial responsibilities that come from having 3 children of any age, then trucking should be your next move."


Milby Wrote:

I am wondering if that is everyones attitude why would anyone want to be a truckdriver?

Milby;

With absolutely no sarcasm intended, when I stop to think about the work and the life of a police officer, I find myself asking that same question!![/quote]

[milby]

Thanks "Useless" I will look forward to the PM.

[Mackman]

Well i been drivin since i was 18. am 23 now so for 5 years thats what i did. I just quit drivin to go work on tugboats and i hated it. Now i quit tugboats and going back to drivin. Am a 4th gen driver in my family. Thats what i was made to do drive a truck. Thats all i want to do. Its in my blood. But 36k a year to be a cop thats un real. I made over 49,000 last year drivin. BTW i drive local never did the OTR thing so am home every night. Best of luck to you. I think you may want to look into truckin. 36k am not trying to put you down but that is a joke to deal with all them nuts out there on the streets.

I work 4 -10hr. days and am off 3.

Jeez, do you know how many guys would park their rigs in a heartbeat to get a schedule like that?

$36,000 for a 40 hour work-week? Driving truck OTR, you'll make that your first year working DOUBLE the hours and living out of a sardine can. No pension, no overtime, hometime a crapshoot, and crappy bennies with high co-pays. 60 dollars for holiday pay...that is, if you even rate it.

These cut-rate mega haulers will use you, abuse you, and spit you out so they can fill their seats with yet another wide-eyed .28 cpm wannabee. And by the time you figure it out, it's too late. Then nobody wants to hire you for a straight job due to the lousy reputation this industry has.

Don't do it! It's not worth it!!

I have enough vacation built up I may go through a trucking school and get my CDL next summer just to see if I would like it. Would that be a good idea to get a taste of trucking?

No.