I thought I would put this poll up. Partly for curiousity, partly for research.

But here we go:

How long have you or were a truck driver and why do you want to stay in or why did you get out.

Sorry for so many choices, but from the last time I did this kind of poll, I realized that I needed different year breakdowns and some different options.

 

Only reason I am not behind the wheel now is that the wife needed me at home to help care for our newborn while she finishes nursing school.

 

I've driven for 5 years... only 3 months of that have been otr.The plan is

to stay reasons being I don't know what else I could do. This is going to

sound pretty stereo typical but working in a environment where I saw the

same four walls... day after day after day punching a clock... having a

buzzer go off telling me I'm allowed a 15 min break... then again to tell

me i have 30 mins for lunch... not a second more. ..:x .. not for me.

Driving allows for many more options. For the most part I can plan MY

day. Eat when i want listen to my music since I don't have to fight

with 2 or 40 other people for a decent radio station. Sad as this sounds...

I'm a smoker. Being able to light up whenever... (I am on a quitting

program ) Of course this happens as the load permits. But just having

that option is worth it in ways words can't describe.I also

enjoy the constant work my brain gets. Yea.. it can be mundane... but

when your driving a big truck... your paying attention to so many different

things. This is the only job where you can't even safely close your eyes

for even 1 second while driving. I never finished

high school ops: but got my GED :lol: I've always told my self that

driving for ever was not an option.. but the longer I'm in the cab... leaving

appears to be not an option. :shock: . I would love to realize my dream of

one day going O/O (i hear the groans already :wink: ) These are reasons

I stay.

:x

 

I have 23 years in and I don't care to do anything else. I enjoy my drive evey night. Now if I lose my partner I will retire. I'm not a solo driver, we are in business together until one of us can no longer do the job. :wink:

 

Thanks for the responses so far.

 

I like trucking because of the freedom. I oncew worked for UPS for 3 years, the remaining time spent in Industrial Engineering and hated working under bright lights and computers. So what did I do? I went to college for like 5+ years and got a degree in it! Now I drive as o/o for a large agent of a large HHG carrier and the money flows in 3x as quick as it would witha college job.

 

I think that you can never have too much education, BanditsCousin. It is something which benefits you in a number of ways. The great aspect of having a good education, is that should something happen where you can no longer work in trucking, you stand a better chance of earning a living. It is interesting that you can make more money in some professions without the need for a degree than you can sometimes earn using your degree. Just look at plumbers, electricians and trucking. Not everyone will make more driving than by using their degree, but many can. Even with the possibility of earning more money, I think that enjoying what one does for a living is more important than the money. 8)

 

I agree on the degree. I mean, how long can my body take bedbugging? Not that long! :lol: I give myself 10 years before I make the transistion to enclosed car carriers like Reliable 8)

However, my roommates brother is a typical story nowadays- Graduated with a 4 yeah degree in electrical engineering and got a 85,000/yr job and got laid off over a year later. Now he's a Union electrician and loves his job, and makes 1/2 as much :shock:

If you like your job, its easier to get out of the bed (sleeper) in the morning and go git r done :wink:

 

GMAN I agree in principle of what you are saying about education. Yes, it is important to have an education ... BUT .. The problem with getting a degree in something like IT or engineering is that unless you continually get your skills updated then the degree will do you no good.

That is one reason why there are a number of IT people looking into truck driving as a new career. The folks that got their degree's in the early 90's or earlier, who have not kept up with the new technology (through education) ops: :cry: are finding out that their positions are being eliminated and they can't find a new job in IT.

Those emotion icons are there because of that is what happened to me.

 

11 1/2 years an I'm sick of it.

Truckin is somethin I've wanted to do for as long as I can remember, but now I'm just sick of it. Time to move on, but I'll not give it up completely aint no sense in lettin the exp go to waste.


With any luck the new plan will be up an runnin this year.