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

[milby]

Hello,

I have been reading this forum for a couple of days and am facinated by the truck driving culture. I have been and still am a police officer for 17 years now. I have 12 years to go before I can retire. However I am almost 40 years old and feel like I am just waiting for retirement. I have been studying the life of a truck driver on the internet and think I may like to give it a try. I would like to hear from others who have changed careers in mid stream and get advice from you professional truckers.

What do you think...Should I go for it?

Thanks!

P.S. I have a wife and three kids.

[Mattangcobra]

Lets just trade jobs. All I've ever wanted to do is be a police officer. I had bad credit and a little overweight at the time of picking my course in school. So instead of BLET I took CDL. I wouldn't trade the exp. for nothing but I would jump careers in a heartbeat. I'm surprised this job hasn't made me hate cops because I've lost alot of money in Cali. grrrr

[Useless]

Hello,

I would like to hear from others who have changed careers in mid stream and get advice from you professional truckers.

What do you think...Should I go for it?

Thanks!

P.S. I have a wife and three kids.

How stable is your marraige, and how old are your kids??

Does your wife work?? What is your debt to income ratio?? How much do you have in the way of savings, or investments that can be accessed within ten days if a financial emergency arises?? What about health insurance?? Can you afford to make COBRA payments for the next several months while you are waiting to become eligible for health insurance through your new employer??

No one here can really answer your question; this is a question of your own design.

Can the career jump be made?? Yes!!

At the same time, and especially considering your age and finacial responsibilities, you need to have a good, solid financial game plan developed and in effect before you make the change.

As a rookie, the first year is always the hardest, and the while home time is important, it can also cause serious financial strains. If you are thinking of developing a financial strategy AFTER you take to the highways, then you will be flirting with some serious trouble.

BOL!!

[peterbilt]

Milby:

Though I'm not a driver (yet..still contemplating!), Hopefully I can offer you some advice. Ever since I can remember, all I've wanted to do was become a police officer, however, due to my employment history, that's out of reach for me at this point. I find value in helping others, and would enjoy restoring peace, and hopefully my day may come, sooner or later.

I do, however, work in the trucking industry, and I have heard horror stories from Over The Road drivers. I've gone on a few trips with my friends who are drivers, and I don't think I could handle OTR driving! Speed limit restrictions, harassment by police officers (yes, this comes from someone wanting to be a cop!), and driving in all types of weather. It comes with a huge liability. If you have an accident, I've been told by my friends that the truck driver is treated like a second rate citizen, and in most cases, its the driver that has to defend himself, even though someone in a car may be 100% at fault...the driver is most always being grilled (though some drivers DO deserve it however.)

During my trips, it was fun at first, but just staring at open roads 24/7 got boring real quick. Truck stop food, truck stop showers, nasty weather, idiot drivers on the highway...don't think I could do OTR, but perhaps a local gig. If you did do OTR, depending on the company, you'd spend a MINIMUM of 20 days on the road, and maybe, if you're lucky, 2-3 days at home. This job might be perfect for a single guy, but with 3 kids, I think you'd find yourself in a sticky situation, wanting to return to LE, or perhaps do a local job.

A buddy of mine has a 2 year old son, and though he makes a ton of money, he's on the road for a minimum of a month at a time, with only about 3-5 days at home. He doesnt' like it because he's missing seeing his son growing up, teaching him things, like fishing, hunting, mechanic stuff, you know, guy stuff. He also hates dispatchers who expect you to get to a destination at times when its just not feasible. It makes you wonder: should I do this and risk violating DOT laws and getting a hefty fine, or should I drive these miles to protect my job?? Some companies are that cut-throat. If you do decide to drive, think it through! LE is a great job. If you leave, you'll probably not stand a chance in getting back in with all the testing that's required.

Give me a call if you want to chat more 630-664-4767.

Erick

Hello,

I have been reading this forum for a couple of days and am facinated by the truck driving culture. I have been and still am a police officer for 17 years now. I have 12 years to go before I can retire. However I am almost 40 years old and feel like I am just waiting for retirement. I have been studying the life of a truck driver on the internet and think I may like to give it a try. I would like to hear from others who have changed careers in mid stream and get advice from you professional truckers.

What do you think...Should I go for it?

Thanks!

P.S. I have a wife and three kids.

[Evinrude]

ya right your going to give up 17 years of service to be a low paid truck driver. There is no defined pension plan in trucking. Trucking is the lowest pay for the most dangerous occupation out there.

[hitman]

milby, if I were you, i'd do the 12 more years in law enforcement, then give trucking a shot. You'd have a pension just in case you didn't like it, and trucking would be a 2nd income if you do like it, plus your kids will be grown, depending how old they are. And 52 is not too old to start, as long as you are able to pass a DOT physical. I just retired after 30 years with GM. I'll be 50 next month and plan on starting my trucking career next year after a move to PA. No kids and my wife is o.k with it. Good luck to you...Dave

[milby]

thanks for the replies. I have no debt other than a mortgage. No saving either though. I only make about $36,000.00 per year. I don't know, I guess I am just burnt out and need to try something different. You hear all the time "If you are in a job you don't like move on...life is too short"

I work 4 -10hr. days and am off 3. Are there any driving jobs that I could try part time on my days off.

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?

Thanks again.

[GTR SILVER]

start making phone calls to all the local trucking co.'s

tell them who you are and what you want........you never know!!!!! :wink: :wink: :wink:

all the best!!! 8) 8)

[Snowman7]

Hello,

I have been reading this forum for a couple of days and am facinated by the truck driving culture. I have been and still am a police officer for 17 years now. I have 12 years to go before I can retire. However I am almost 40 years old and feel like I am just waiting for retirement. I have been studying the life of a truck driver on the internet and think I may like to give it a try. I would like to hear from others who have changed careers in mid stream and get advice from you professional truckers.

What do you think...Should I go for it?

Thanks!

P.S. I have a wife and three kids.

Milby,

Every guy I know, including myself, has gone thru a mid life crisis. It's usually in the early forties. Hate your job blah blah blah. For some it passes, others do something about it. In my case I had some money after years of good income in sales, my wife has a good job with benefits, and my kids are grown (but not gone!). I had no pension plan or seniority to lose. If I wanted to go back I could. I chose to give it try and I dont regret it but it was alot harder than I thought it would be. In your case I would suck it up and finish your LE career. Then rethink driving. You cant throw away your seniority, benefits, vacation time, and pension. They took years to get. I did not have those things. All I walked away from was my income and I could get that back if this didnt work out. I say dont do it.

[stamptildawn]

I think the first thing you have to do is talk to your wife and know that it might take her a while to warm up to the idea... if ever.

My husband had to change careers because of an injury, but prior to getting hurt he was miserable at his job. When he first brought up trucking I said "No way!" But he persisted. He did a lot of research and we talked about it a lot. I brought up every negative thing I could find about it and said "have you thought about...."

It was a long process, but in the end I recognized that it was something he had to do and I couldn't tell him no.

It has not been easy and the first year was horrible. We took a big cut in pay and it took patience on both ends to get through it.

Now that we're a year into it, the pay has increased and things are getting easier.

There's no way you can make this change without the love and support of your wife and you need to truly undertand what you are asking of her and she needs a good support system at home.

For us, it's working. He truly does love it and I love him so we've adjusted and made the best of it. I don't think I could've supported him and done it if our son was younger. (He's 17) He still misses Dad, but he also recognizes how much happier dad is.

We enjoyed reading blogs and message boards when we were making our decision, so he started a blog to share his journey with others. www.atruckerandhiswife.blogspot.com

(I'll have to remind him to update. He just went back after some hometime and hasn't quite gotten back on schedule yet.)

[larz0142]

Look it's not my or anyones place to tell you anything.I've work for 12yrs in resturants 19-31yrs old.Watched a brother-in-law start out trucking about the sametime I started,he's got 5 acres and a house now worth over $300,000,4 trucks about to buy 4 more and 1 divorce.The funny part is that driving a truck prolonged his marriage.I don't have a pot to wizz in.I'm going into driving because of the money and freedom to live anywhere I want to.If you got your wifes support what does it matter.Pay your dues and find a local job.I'm doing beer or something like that..

BOL truly

[ddog]

ya right your going to give up 17 years of service to be a low paid truck driver. There is no defined pension plan in trucking. Trucking is the lowest pay for the most dangerous occupation out there.

Lower pay and more dangerous than a police officer?

The government may be the last with a pension plan, but how much is that worth?

Sounds like he's working through his personal strategy well. I really feel people need several disciplines now to make it. The few available industries left after manufacturing has disappeared from America are being regulated to systematically squelch income. Police and truck driver would be two good marketable skills that are still left.

This site is a great find and great resources on companies and education to get you ready for knowledge test; in addition to great expert advice throughout. Best of luck in whatever you decide.

[BigWheels]

...I work 4 -10hr. days and am off 3. Are there any driving jobs that I could try part time on my days off.

You will miss the 4-on/3-off schedule you have now. As others have said, starting out in the OTR trucking you will be out for 2+ weeks before coming home for a short stint. Although you might not mind being away from home for long stretches, your family--especially your children--will miss you terribly. It will impact them significantly not to have dad around (like you are now).

If you have friends in the trucking business, ask them if they would consider you driving for them to pick up the slack. Chances are, however, that most companies (friends included) will need to see some OTR road experience before hiring you (mainly due to insurance purposes).

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?...

An over-the-road driving position is very different than attending a trucking school. It is fun to learn how to drive an 18-wheeler in a controlled environment. However, driving a big rig in an uncontrolled environment for weeks at-a-time, all by yourself isn't for everyone.

Some guys who are experiencing a mid-life crisis (not saying you are!) may be content with taking a vacation to learn how to drive a big-rig at a trucking school. Other guys may need to jump in with both feet for a year and see how it goes.

Make sure you and your wife talk this through before making any life-changing decisions! Remember--walking away from a pension is something you don't do lightly!

Best to you in your decision!

[Skywalker]

Personally....were I in your shoes, I'd think long and hard about this decision.

How many years do you have remaining until you qualify for your pension? If its only a few, I'd stick it out. I realize you are wanting to do something different....and I also think you may be in the midst of the mid-life crisis thing, like just about all of us old dogs went through.... But, I gotta tell you this: Stick it out, qualify for the pension, then discuss your possibilities with your family. Include the wife and children, because they are all involved.

You've plowed most of the farm already....why give up now. Trucking will still be here when you retire, but if you make the change now, your pension won't be. And if you cash out on a lump sum...the taxes will eat a lot of it.

Maybe going ahead and getting the CDL and getting a part time job even driving a straight truck on your days off will satisfy your need for change.

One thing to do before deciding: Take the $$ per month your pension will pay, multiply it times 12 then multiply it times 30....and that will be close to the amount you will throw away. How much college, vacations, etc will that amount pay for....??

Think long and hard about it..... and as I said, "trucking" will still be here when you do retire. 8)

[milby]

I work for the state so I will get a pension no matter what. I have 12 years left and will qualify for early retirement with full benefits. If I quit now I will still get the full pension, I will just have to wait until I am 65. If I do stick it out for 12 more years I will still have to work somewhere at least part time.

[dle]

Whatever you think you think what the lifestyle is like, the actuality of it will be something entirely different.

I was a computer programmer for 27 years before I moved to driving. I spent over a year researching this and other possibilities. TALK to your wife and kids, then talk to your wife and kids, then talk to them some more.

good luck

[finger_lakes]

Man, I know what you are thinking. I'm 48, computer programmer for 25 years. I have one kid who is a senior in college, another in the 11th grade. My company has had 5 layoffs in 5 years as well as changed hands 2x. It's run by jackasses. My job went from something I love to something I can't stand.

So after lots of thought I decided that in another 5 years or so I'm outta here in a big truck (that is if they don't wack me first). By then the kids should be gone and the mortgage mostly paid for. My wife has a good job with the school district (low pay but cheap benefits) so we are good there. She knows what I'm thinking and has even asked me why I'm waiting.

In the meantime I'm saving what I can and counting the days.

Trust me at 40 you have lots of life ahead of you. Do the 12 more, finish raising your family and set yourself up for a good retiremement. Then go do what you want to do. You will still be young enough.

[Useless]

thanks for the replies. I have no debt other than a mortgage. No saving either though. I only make about $36,000.00 per year. I don't know, I guess I am just burnt out and need to try something different. You hear all the time "If you are in a job you don't like move on...life is too short"

I work 4 -10hr. days and am off 3. Are there any driving jobs that I could try part time on my days off.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?
Thanks again.

Milby;

Let's start at the bottom, and work our way up.

Would spending a few weeks at a Wholesale Freight Relocation University" (Truck Driving Diploma Mill) give you a good taste of driving??

No. Just like a rookie cop who just graduated from the police acadamy, you'll walk away with a credential and just enough knowledge to be dangerous. Truck driving school offers you just enough training to gain just enough knowledge and experience behind the wheel to enable you to pass your CDL exams.

It will not teach you about working with dispatchers, saftey dept.s, or how to deliver a load of green beans from a shipper to a grocery warehouse, nor will it teach you how to deal with people who's IQ's are exceeded by their shoe size.

As for driving part time on your days off??

I won't say that it can't happen, but your work as a police officer would still have to be counted into your 70hr/8 day work restrictions. Also, even if you can find a p/t driving job, local jobs don't usually pay very well (there are some exceptoin for f/t driving jobs, if you have experience!!) so why would you spend thousands of dollars to get the training neccessary in order to get a $9.50 p/t job??

That's going backwords, dude!!

As for the vacation time/diploma mill training course:

How would you pay for it?? You stated that you have no savings, which would most likely mean having to finance your training. Why would you choose to take on debt if you are not going to make a career change??

"If your are in a job you don't like, move on.....life is too short!!!"

Very True!!!

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.

Life may indeed be too short, and the stress that accompanies the life of a driver is an excellent way to make it even shorter!!

I only make about $36,000. per year.

$36,000/yr. isn't a lot of money, but realistically (again, with a few anecdotal exceptions, 36K is about what you would gross as a 1st. yr. driver; thats BEFORE road expenses!! Living out of a truck isn't cheap.

I carried my own groceries & drinks, etc. because truck stop meals are expensive, and bad for your heart. Eating out of the truck can get very lame very quickly.

No Savings, either!!

Milby, part of the stress and the burnout that you relate to your police work is not, in fact, being caused by the work itself, but rather by the stress of feeling trapped. 17/yrs. in a career with only 12 to go, but having little to show for all of your work.

That would be kind of like the Pollak who decided to swim The English Channel, made it 2/3 of the way accross, got tired out, and then decided to turn back and swim back to the shore!!

You need to develop a sound financial game plan; that means taking a good hard look at your lifestyle, making cuts in spending, and finding ways to increade your income.

You are a police officer; you have more income producing skills than you give yourself credit for. Now, you may work 7 days a week for a while, but I've spent many years working 7 days a week for months at a time, watching nice pickup trucke pulling nice boats out to the lake or down to the coast, thinking to myself, "Man!! It sure would be nice to...." Of course the vast majority of those boats, travel trailera, and trucks came with nice hefty monthly payments, and over-extended owners.

The flip side??

I was financially set to retire before the age of forty; when I began driving, income was the last thing I had to worry about. Now transitioning from being a CEO to being a driver trainee was quite an adjustment, and my 1st yr. was very, very stressful; that, BTW, was having the privilledge of working for a very good company with some really wonderful people. My dispatcher was awesome!! Most noobs don't seem to be so lucky, si I had it very good comapred to most noobs.!!

Most people that I know who have no savings claim that there is nowhere that they can cut; RUBBISH!! It's not a question of their ability to reduce spending, but rather one of their willingness to cut spending, and their lack of financial discipline and committment to start building. The main reason that people don't save money is not due to lack of income; it is due to the lack of a sound financial game plan.

You & your family need to get your butts into Dave Ramsey's "Financial Peace University".
I require everyone who works for me to attend, whether they think they need to or not.

BOL,
Useless

[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."

I am wondering if that is everyones attitude why would anyone want to be a truckdriver? I would like to hear from someone out there who has actually made a career change into trucking and actually thinks it was a great move or anyone that really does love their job as a trucker.

By the was "Useless" your advice was very good and I read over it several time. I actually saw a sign on a church here in my town advertising the Dave Ramsey class. I will look into that.

For now I will continue on continueing on in law enforcement. But it is nice to know that if I would happen to lose my job (not likely though) I could always give trucking a shot since the demand is so high.

[Useless]

Where do you live. Milby??