Hi ya'll just need to tell someone I'm a bit apprehensive...and exhilarated...about my move into this new industry. This section of the forum is called "new truck drivers get help here" ...so...help !!!!

Is it dumb for me to get a bit emotional almost every time I see a big beautiful truck going down the road? Yesterday, I was driving from my home in Vallejo to Sacramento and my eyes watered up real bad as I passed a Swift truck while I was listening to Audio Slave.

Also, even though I still have 20 days to go, I have never been away from my wife and daughter for more than a few days at a time and I miss the terribly already.

Yeah, I am a 43 year old Man, but I do feel. If I get a little teary eyed in the beginning - will my trainer try to kick my a** (figuratively) cause he thinks I'm a wimp for missing my family? ops:

Dumb post - I know.

 

It takes a real man to admit that he misses his family. The fact that you miss them only proves that you love them. There isn't a damn thing wrong with that!

As far as getting teary eyes over Swift...well lol we'll leave that open.

 

Are you sure this is the job for you? See you on the road rubberducky

 

Not a dumb post! I don't get teary eyed very often, but when I do, it's usually over a Pete or Classic, pulling a trailer with what we call "chicken hauler" lights all over it late at night! Man.... that's beauty!

Another one that gets me down deep, is when I see a really good picture of a good looking truck parked on a pullout with a snow covered mountain range behind it! There's NOTHING wrong with loving trucks!

Hobo

 

My daughter is 13 years old - my wife and I waited a few years before we began our family. I told her (my daughter) that the reason I need to go into trucking was so I'd have the money to buy her a Mercedes when she graduates high school (pre-owned low mileage c230 sport coupe). Also, I want to be able to make sure my 13 year old daughter is able to finish her Ph.D.s in, law, medicine and finance. And that we need to buy a house again. (I got sick for a few years and lost everything.)

As far as local runs - there are a ton of trucking jobs hauling freight out of the Oakland Docs, but you need a few years experience. Being that Oakland is only 25 miles down the road from me, that is a very serious consideration. However, after reading that Swift Mentors can be making close to or slightly over 90k / year after 5 years of service is tempting.

Then again - money isn't everything. I used to work 60 - 70 hours per week in the mortgage industry. Kicked down 6 figures a year consistently, BUT HAD NO LIFE. I was on call to the Realtors I worked with 7 days per week and was expected to drop everything when they rang, to go take an app. - Did it for 12 years and had the lifestyle to prove it - but after the novelty of all the toys wore off (i still had to make the payments on the mortgaged toys) and had a major tragedy in the family - I rethought my priorities and now I appreciate my wife and daughter. So 2 years of sacrifice is not a big deal compared to being home with my family and enjoying the rest of my daughters growing up years and counting the years til my wife and I hit out 150th anniversary. (I told her we'd try the marriage thing for that long, before we even considered the option of divorce. If, at that time, she's dissatisfied with our marriage, she would then be free to leave with no argument from me.)

 

buying a mercedes for your 18 yr old daughter :shock: .....lucky gal

 

They cost about 20k - I never told her I'd get her a SLR McClaren. But I did make her promise to buy me one once she's accomplished all her Ph. D.s 8) - heck they cheap, only $465k. If I'm gonna invest in my retirement plan...opps...I meant my daughters future... i want a good ROI. :lol:

 

Having just started in July I know exactly what you mean. Wait until the first time you get behind the wheel. It is AWESOME. Just keep that in mind when you get down and things seem hard. I just got my own truck this saturday and have been having a ball.
Loads from Arkansas to St. Louis, St. Louis to Ft. Smith, AR. then on to Temple, Tx. Short hauls but the long ones are coming. If you think you want to be a trucker - GO FOR IT.
You will miss your family, but knowing that you are taking positive steps for their future is well worth it. Cell phones sure help.

For what it's worth, I found that I do better without my trainer and have had no problems so far, just always remember that it's safety first and you are driving an 80,000 pound piece of equipment that you have total control over. It's your baby.

The folks that post on this site are really helpful and you can learn much from them. Best wishes on your career choice - hope you will be as happy as I am

 

I'm gonna cut straight to the point.

A 13 year old daughter has allready gotten from YOU what she needed most. From here on out, most of what she needs will come from her Mother!

If you tell her you are going trucking so that you can buy her a car, you will be her HERO!

If you have lost your house, and need to buy a new one, she will be on your side. (But... you might think about moving somewhere cheaper.)

Do the 2 years OTR, getting home as much as you can. Research your companies of choice. Not ALL require you to be gone weeks at a time. MINE doesn't.

Then, go local for a few years while your kid is in High School. You won't want to miss ALL of this.

THEN.... when she goes to college, or work, you can rejoin the OTR gang, with LOTS of experience, and be a mentor if you can stand the strain.

There are MANY avenues in trucking. You can make MORE than that "mentor" pay by driving heavy haul. Usually, within a short distance of home. After you have the experience, getting hired with them is not difficult. Do some more research and planning.

I think you are on the right track. As my Dad keeps reminding me... your CDL is a Gold Mine in your pocket! Protect it. Use it. Plan on it.

You will NEVER have to stand in an unemployment line. And you should NEVER lose your home again (unless you try O/O without the knowledge needed.)

I don't have a website for this company, but check out Combined Transport. If you can't find the site, PM me for some phone numbers. I met one of their drivers a couple of weeks ago, and he drives north and south along the I-5 corridor. He gets by his house on EACH leg, and has weekends off.

Best of Luck to you.... and QUIT crying!! "There's NO crying in truck driving!" :lol:

 

No, no, no... hold on a minute... ok. First, certainly not a dumb post and your human so you are going to miss your family, hands down. Are you already in school for trucking or have you started training with Swift? Here is the good news for you if you find you can't take those teary eyed moments. Drive local. By the time you can't take missing your loved ones anymore, you will have enough experience.

Everyone told me a couple of years experience to get local, its not necessarily true. I will use me for an example, I only had 6 months experience, landed 3 local jobs in my area with big strong companies. Not straight trucks either, I am talking the real deal, you know 18-wheelers all 3 jobs. Also I am talking bankers hours (literally) 40hrs a week and weekends off. The place I am at now, I even get holidays, I was off on 4th of july and labor day. This is all good, but you know what, OTR was kind of fun too. I guess what I am trying to tell you, deal with the missing part if possible because you won't have to do it for very long if it becomes too much. Heck there are even local companies in my area that take driving school graduates. Good luck!