Is trucking right for me?

[BanditsCousin]

I would agree 100% with the above statement. Once I got into HHG, I did do my homework and got out of it. I was a hair away from hauling cars (enclosed) for one of the big boys you see oput there, buit went with special products/ special commodities against my Dad's advice.

[KW10001]

Thank you all for your responses! I really appreciate it.

[sdloe]

Reading through the posts, I’d say you get a pretty good idea of what to expect. Keep in mind, we have some negative outlook truckers who post regularly on the boards, so balance it out…not saying they are wrong, they just hate this business. I’ve had more jobs than you have fingers, finally wised up and went for the one I loved, thus I drive a truck.

I have a NCSU AAS degree and a BS from NC A&T. Also spent three years teaching in public schools, I’ve been licensed, certified, and have other qualifications from various occupations but constantly found myself behind the wheel of a truck so finally gave up searching for the career I was happiest with and stuck to trucking.

A lot of people view trucking as the least common denominator (“I can always drive a truck”) but it ain’t so. It is far from easy, but for me I absolutely love it. It is what I’ve always wanted to do, especially since my father and grandfather also drove. I’ve dreamed of it since I was a kid.

If you do pursue trucking, keep in mind the first years are toughest, you will make mistakes, be criticized, have the worst routes or pay, etc. It takes a while to get a feel for it and find an employer who rewards you for good work and these usually have little turnover so you have to put in your time with a lower ‘rated’ company before you have a clean record and are able to move up. In addition, there are A LOT of different truck driving jobs, for some weird reason the Over-The-Road (OTR) truckers get the most focus whether it be positive media or negative, advertisements, job offers, etc. I drive a city route and find little comparison to OTR other than I drive a semi.

Above all, I agree with the others that you need to finish your degree, even if your heart is not in it. Most often you can use those credits towards another degree should you find one you are interested in.

Trucking is in a ‘flux’ right now (the politically correct term would be ‘fluid’.) We are not paid as well as we used to be, even owner-operators are having a hard time with increased fuel costs, shipping insensitivity to hours of service, increased mandates, the implications of CSA 2010, and the ridiculous application of Hours of Service as a ‘One Size Fits All’ mentality. Not necessarily a good time to join.

StevenD

[golfhobo]

Thank you all for your responses! I really appreciate it.

Well... I ain't DONE yet! But....

Are you and bOOm Twins???

[KW10001]

@sdloe, Thanks for the insight! Appreciate it.

I thought I was the only one with Stig as my avatar.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Stig

[Markaic]

I'm surprised there's so much good advice here. Stay in school and have fun kids cause truckin sux.

[Steel Horse Cowboy]

If you enjoy 80hr work weeks, not being home for a week or two at a time, can handle some of the stupidest people on the face of this planet, have a pension elsewhere or another income, and have a wife that will put up with you never being around and a few weeks w/o pay..... you were born to truck.

[KW10001]

I'm a very independent person. I see myself being single for a very long time. The idea of living in a small town, by myself, in a small house sounds like the perfect existence for me. Likewise, living in a truck, being on the road for weeks, and not having any dependents just seems to fit my personality.

I can see how a social family man, who loves the white picket fence existence would cringe at the idea of being a trucker. But it just sounds awesome to me.

[Steel Horse Cowboy]

I'm a very independent person. I see myself being single for a very long time. The idea of living in a small town, by myself, in a small house sounds like the perfect existence for me. Likewise, living in a truck, being on the road for weeks, and not having any dependents just seems to fit my personality.

I can see how a social family man, who loves the white picket fence existence would cringe at the idea of being a trucker. But it just sounds awesome to me.

Untill you don't get laid for 4 weeks...... then we will see how your story changes LOL

Honestly, best of luck to ya in anyway possiable.

Please for the love of god tho, take pride in your job. Don't be like half these guys out here wearing sweat pants, flip-flops, tank tops, cussing and talking **** and not have showered for 2 days. Just be curtious and a DRIVER, not a steering wheel holder for hire.

[RockyMtnProDriver]

I will tell you thing the same thing I told both of my children when they where out of high school.

Finish the first thing you start, no matter how much you dislike it, or how much the grass seems greener on the other side of the hill.

It will be come the foundation of everything you do, even if all it does is to prove to yourself that you can make a decision and stick to it.

As a personal note, I never saw truck driving as the thing I wanted to do forever. I always saw it as something I can do, if everything else goes sideways and I need to eat.

Sort of a Plan B if it where. Now, I love Plan B and love to drive, so it is a bonus.

I got my license back in 1978 and here is a quick synaps of how it has gone.

Drove truck.

Owned a succesful buisness, sold it.

Drove truck

Worked in construction camps as an expediter

Drove truck

Software engineer (had my own Tech company, sold it)

Drove truck

Opened, and still own, a very successful Commercial Driving School ( but semi-retired now and let the crew run the school, while I do the "Big Think"

Now, once again...... Drive truck. (now I have the luxury of not having to do it for money, and can do it for sport )

No idea what is next, but maybe go to University, or write a book, travel the world.

But be sure that I will drive truck, in some capacity or another, until they pry my license out of my cold dead hands....

I just never saw it as the only thing I would ever do, or that I would do it forever as my main source of income.

Interesting though, it has always been what I have come back to, when I wanted a change or needed money or was looking for a stop gap between one thing and another.

And that is what I tell every potential student who comes to my school. It will be something you can fall back on for the rest of your life.

Your 18, and you have 70 years to grow up. Don;t try and do it quickly.

[Joey Shabadoo]

You will clock-in 80-100 hours per week driving truck OTR.
But you will only compensated for about half those hours.
The hourly rate breaks down to around 6-10 bucks an hour...you'd make more at McDonalds flipping burgers if they worked you 70 hours per week.
No overtime after 8/40 hours.
Worthless benefits with high co-pays (if you even get them).
Hometime a roll of the dice.
No friends, family, or social life whatsoever.
Treated like a 4th class citizen at some shippers/receivers.
Traffic, tickets, fines, DOT/LEO's watching your every move.
8th most dangerous US occupation.
No place to park in some areas of the country.
Sedentary nature of the job combined with poor diet and irregular shifts will take a toll on your health.
Median age-of-death of truckdrivers is 61 years old...16 years less than the general population.
Highest divorce rates of ANY occupation.

There's a reason the turnover rates are so high in this biz.
It's because the carriers can't keep drivers due to the low pay, long hours, and drivers having NO LIFE.

[Syncrosonix]

You will clock-in 80-100 hours per week driving truck OTR.
But you will only compensated for about half those hours.
The hourly rate breaks down to around 6-10 bucks an hour...you'd make more at McDonalds flipping burgers if they worked you 70 hours per week.
No overtime after 8/40 hours.
Worthless benefits with high co-pays (if you even get them).
Hometime a roll of the dice.
No friends, family, or social life whatsoever.
Treated like a 4th class citizen at some shippers/receivers.
Traffic, tickets, fines, DOT/LEO's watching your every move.
8th most dangerous US occupation.
No place to park in some areas of the country.
Sedentary nature of the job combined with poor diet and irregular shifts will take a toll on your health.
Median age-of-death of truckdrivers is 61 years old...16 years less than the general population.
Highest divorce rates of ANY occupation.

There's a reason the turnover rates are so high in this biz.
It's because the carriers can't keep drivers due to the low pay, long hours, and drivers having NO LIFE.

c'mon, you of all people should know that's what trucking is about. trucking ain't for sissies. it's all apart of the lifestyle and job!

[GMAN]

You will clock-in 80-100 hours per week driving truck OTR.
But you will only compensated for about half those hours.
The hourly rate breaks down to around 6-10 bucks an hour...you'd make more at McDonald's flipping burgers if they worked you 70 hours per week.
No overtime after 8/40 hours.

I have never met someone who works at McDonald's who can make even $30,000 their first year, much less $40,000+ after a couple of years in the business unless that worker is a manager.

Worthless benefits with high co-pays (if you even get them).

Like with any other profession, it depends on the company. Some have better benefits than others. Keep in mind that the greater the benefits the lower the pay. There is only so much money to go around.

Hometime a roll of the dice.
No friends, family, or social life whatsoever.

Most carriers try to get drivers home when they need to be there. With the nature of this business and the current economy it may be more difficult these days. I have friends whom I stay in contact even though I am on the road. It is a matte of making the effort to stay in touch. Whether you are a trucker, salesman or executive, you can be away from your family and friends. It isn't unique to this business. I have known some couples who do better when they are not together so much. They have told me that it keeps their relationship fresh. Others find it difficult. Those people are likely to have had problems regardless of what the husband or wife does for a living.

Treated like a 4th class citizen at some shippers/receivers.

This can be true, but for the most part I have been treated fairly well at most shippers/receivers. I have found that when I treat people well they usually reciprocate. If you go in with a crappy attitude it will also be reciprocated. Any time you are involved with the public there is the chance that you can not be treated well. It isn't unique to the trucking industry.

Traffic, tickets, fines, DOT/LEO's watching your every move.

The DOT is taking a closer eye on truckers. If you keep your speed down and do your job you are not as likely to have a problem with the LEO's or DOT. On the other hand, we are among the most regulated industries in the country. As such, we come under greater scrutiny. It is part of the job. I don't like it any more than anyone else, but you either learn to deal with it or find something else to do for a living.

8th most dangerous US occupation.

I don't recall where we fall in the most dangerous occupations, but I would not be surprised. Any time you drive 100,000+ miles per year you area at a greater risk of having an accident than someone who drives 10,000. I would like to know the criteria they use to classify this industry as one of the most dangerous. Sometimes when an organization takes a survey or compiles data it is the matter in which the data is compiled or how the questions are structured. Some will structure a question to get the results they want rather than an unbiased answer.

No place to park in some areas of the country.

Some places are better than others. It can be a problem in certain areas of the country.

Sedentary nature of the job combined with poor diet and irregular shifts will take a toll on your health.

There are things we can do to stay healthy. We can control our diet and eat better. You can stay away from the buffet and eat a balance diet. We are not forced to take 3 trips to the buffet. We can control what goes in our mouth. We can eat a nutritionally balanced diet and control our portions. We can also park at the back of a truck stop rather than finding the nearest parking spot. That is not much, but can help. I have also met those who take weights and other assists to stay healthy. We do have some control over our health. And this is not the only sedentary profession. Office workers also lead a sedentary profession.

Median age-of-death of truckdrivers is 61 years old...16 years less than the general population.

I don't recall having read anything about the average life expectancy of drivers. If true, I am sure there are other professions where the live expectancy is not as high as some other professions.

Highest divorce rates of ANY occupation.

I would question that this industry has the highest divorce rate of any occupation. I am not so sure that it is the occupation as the people. An occupation will not force people to divorce. My wife and I have been married for more than 30 years. I know others who have been married longer and are still in the business. I think that it is a relay stretch to try to blame a high divorce rate on any profession.

There's a reason the turnover rates are so high in this biz.
It's because the carriers can't keep drivers due to the low pay, long hours, and drivers having NO LIFE.

Fast food has a turnover rate at least twice as high as trucking. I have not checked recently, but a couple of years ago we had an average turnover rate of 136%. Much of that is what we refer to as "churn" or movement from one carrier to another. Some fast food companies have a turnover of 300% or more. You like to draw a lot of negative conclusions about this industry. I would be interested in knowing why the turnover is so much higher in fast food than trucking? You can't use the excuse of long hours or being away from home or having no life.

The truth is that you can earn an above average income in this business. There are few occupations you can do where the cost of entry is so low. You can start with only a few weeks training. There are those who come into this business with unrealistic expectations. During a slow economy, some may come from other professions as a means to earn a decent living with a minimum of time invested in training. Some may go back to their professions once the economy improves.

[RockyMtnProDriver]

You will clock-in 80-100 hours per week driving truck OTR.

It is not possibe to do that and stay legal with a log book

But you will only compensated for about half those hours.

Not true. If you get paid by the load, the non driving hours are part of your rate. Most places that pay by the mile have a work rate for hours when you are loading, but not driving. Some are low, but that is a decision you make when you sign on with the company

The hourly rate breaks down to around 6-10 bucks an hour...you'd make more at McDonalds flipping burgers if they worked you 70 hours per week.

I have friends that make 80 grand a year and work 50 hour weeks to get it. That is about $40 an hour. NO, you dont get that to start, but they are doing it in three to five years. Show me one person at Macdonalds making 80 a year.....anywhere....I can give you a list of people who do it, and show you some who make over 100 grand

No overtime after 8/40 hours.

as opposed to only getting 30 hrs a week at Walmart so they DONT have to pay you benefits??

Worthless benefits with high co-pays (if you even get them).

Depends on the company

Hometime a roll of the dice.

Dispatchers will work to get you home, when you want to. If not, then find a company that will. Mine will.

No friends, family, or social life whatsoever.

I have all three, and a RV, Motorcyle, cameras, computers, etc, etc....

Treated like a 4th class citizen at some shippers/receivers.

No job is perfect. Suck it up Sunshine.

Traffic, tickets, fines, DOT/LEO's watching your every move.

You only get tickets if you do something illegal, and you should get them if you do something illegal, just like the rest of the driving world

8th most dangerous US occupation.

I know lots of million mile drivers who have never been in wrecks. It comes down to if you are an amature, or a professiuonal in your attitude

No place to park in some areas of the country.

OK, not my experiance, but I have not been everywhere

Sedentary nature of the job combined with poor diet and irregular shifts will take a toll on your health.

That would apply to any job. Life style is a choice both inside and outside of work

Median age-of-death of truckdrivers is 61 years old...16 years less than the general population.

I have never seen any data to support that. Show me the numbers

Highest divorce rates of ANY occupation.

And the truck driving will only be consideration of that divorce, not the overridding one. I have a buddy who just celebrated his 55 th wedding aniversery and he has 5 million miles of OTR

There's a reason the turnover rates are so high in this biz.

It is because it is so easy to get into it. four weeks of school and off you go to work, with no idea of what the real world is. doctors get seven to ten years to decide if the job is right for them, before they ever go to work,.

It's because the carriers can't keep drivers due to the low pay, long hours, and drivers having NO LIFE.

It is not low pay, it is long hours, and the life part is a choice you make each and every day.

[KW10001]

You will clock-in 80-100 hours per week driving truck OTR.
But you will only compensated for about half those hours.
The hourly rate breaks down to around 6-10 bucks an hour...you'd make more at McDonalds flipping burgers if they worked you 70 hours per week.
No overtime after 8/40 hours.
Worthless benefits with high co-pays (if you even get them).
Hometime a roll of the dice.
No friends, family, or social life whatsoever.
Treated like a 4th class citizen at some shippers/receivers.
Traffic, tickets, fines, DOT/LEO's watching your every move.
8th most dangerous US occupation.
No place to park in some areas of the country.
Sedentary nature of the job combined with poor diet and irregular shifts will take a toll on your health.
Median age-of-death of truckdrivers is 61 years old...16 years less than the general population.
Highest divorce rates of ANY occupation.

I'm not becoming a Truck driver for the benefits, the home time, or pay. I'm looking for adventure, freedom and hopefully some day, owning my own truck to become more independent. (Don't give me the whole Qualcomm spiel about how they are always tracking you, it has absolutely no resemblance with a boss looking over your shoulder in an office.)

[Flying W]

"I'm not becoming a Truck driver for the benefits, the home time, or pay. I'm looking for adventure, freedom and hopefully some day, owning my own truck to become more independent."

KW10001...If you want to become a truck driver do so, but your statement gives me some concern. Anybody becoming a truck driver looking for freedom seems to be a bit confused on the meaning of the word. It's a job and/or a lifestyle, but please don't confuse it for freedom as you'll be anything but. I enjoyed the job, but would not be naive enough to confuse it for freedom. You'll will have more supervision as a driver than you likely had before. Whether we want to admit it or not, the guy from Boston is absolutely right. Become a driver because you want to do it, but don't do it thinking you'll find freedom as you won't. Being comfortable in your harness does not make you free.

[Joey Shabadoo]

I'm not becoming a Truck driver for the benefits, the home time, or pay. I'm looking for adventure, freedom and hopefully some day, owning my own truck to become more independent.

Looking for adventure? LOL!!!
Who cares about pay, bennies, and hometime? Jeez.
Own your own truck, eh?
Want to be like GMAN?
40 years in the biz and still grinding it out on the road with a disabled wife at home?
Is that how you want to spend your golden years?

Most of these guys are beyond saving.
They're stuck behind the wheel for the rest of their lives.
But you've got choices...don't end up like them.
Once you go down this road, there's no going back...

[xcarsalesman]

Looking for adventure? LOL!!!
Who cares about pay, bennies, and hometime? Jeez.
Own your own truck, eh?
Want to be like GMAN?
40 years in the biz and still grinding it out on the road with a disabled wife at home?
Is that how you want to spend your golden years?

Most of these guys are beyond saving.
They're stuck behind the wheel for the rest of their lives.
But you've got choices...don't end up like them.
Once you go down this road, there's no going back...

Man , i laugh every time you post!!! You remind me of archie bunker!!!! keep posting

[Bigmon]

The only way to know is to try it.

[golfhobo]

I can't believe it! I agree with almost everything said by GMAN ... AND... RockyMtnPro in the SAME thread!

I "totally" understand KW (ten thousand and one) What does that mean? ..... when he says:

I'm not becoming a Truck driver for the benefits, the home time, or pay. I'm looking for adventure, freedom and hopefully some day, owning my own truck to become more independent. (Don't give me the whole Qualcomm spiel about how they are always tracking you, it has absolutely no resemblance with a boss looking over your shoulder in an office.)

Which is why I must disagree with Flying W, who said this:

Anybody becoming a truck driver looking for freedom seems to be a bit confused on the meaning of the word. It's a job and/or a lifestyle, but please don't confuse it for freedom as you'll be anything but....

I've had several "jobs" that WERE "lifestyles" (1) Wearing a flight suit to work, and sitting in an operational "seat" or rack on a reconnaissance aircraft in the Med. (2) Surveying for oil in the Rocky Mtns.... which meant WALKING about 15 miles/day, and living in "weekly motels." (3) And owning my own publishing/advertising company, and later a Laser printer and cartridge service company. ...... OH..... and trucking for about 5 years.

ALL of these let me get "out of the office" for long periods of time (or totally) and see the world and the beautiful NATURE of this and other countries. THAT... my friend.... is FREEDOM! Especially when it is PAYING the bills and stimulating the inquisitive part of the mind... and soul.

You will have more supervision as a driver than you likely had before...

Maybe... but, not ALWAYS! I TRY to tell newbies to look for companies like the one I started with! They RARELY knew (or cared) where I was, cuz they trusted me to get the run completed. I fueled wherever I wanted to, and when I wanted to. I didn't have to "send in" a QC message everytime I stopped to take a leak! I sent one when I arrived, delivered, and was empty/ready for dispatch. That was IT.... for a week at a time.

Apparently, you have never worked a cubicle in a "Call Center." I hate to admit that I HAVE... but at least it was for ONSTAR! Still... having management over your shoulder is the WORST! Trucky doesn't HAVE to be like that.

Become a driver because you want to do it, but don't do it thinking you'll find freedom as you won't.

I DID. Pure and simple... as much as ANY job will give you, and some economic freedom to boot!

Being comfortable in your harness does not make you free.

That is not really true, especially for ALOT of people. When jumping out of a plane, a secure harness imparts ALOT of freedom. I'm quite sure that being "strapped in" securely and safely gives a NASCAR driver a HUGE feeling of being FREE to drive the wheels off that thing! And, in the most basic sense, a plow mule is "Free" to think what he wants while "in the harness" of a CARING employer.

I don't wear my seatbelt in the truck... cuz I don't WANT to. I stop WHEN I want to. With my last company (I'm on dedicated now,) I chose which RUNS I wanted to which parts of the U.S! I have a "meal ticket" in my wallet that allows me to CHANGE my situation, job, home, lifestyle.... pretty much ANYTIME I want!