This is the BEST option I've heard yet!! Double L, are you the Larry from the Lady 18 wheels site? If so, I remember you, and your enthusiasm has always impressed me. But..... you ARE very young!

Trying to break into trucking at your age would always be an uphill climb! Joining the military will give you the training and experience you need, and SO MUCH MORE!

I'm pretty sure you can cross train in diesel mechanics while in there, too! When you come out, you will have the world by the tail.... and a bit of maturity to help you handle it.

I wish you the very best! And keep us posted!

Hobo

Sorry, I just reread both our posts, and realized you weren't talking about joining the fulltime Army. And you DID mention the dual training. I should have started this post over, but decided to leave it as it was.

Your plan is okay, but I can't help thinking a fulltime "hitch" would serve you better. But, that's just MY opinion. Best of luck, whatever you decide.

 

My mom doesn't want me to do 88M and I don't blame her, but I am gonna do 63B (Bravo) and 63S (Sierra) which is light and heavy wheeled mechanic. Yeah Hobo it's me from Lady18Wheels! So Tuesday I take the east test and then I think that day I do my meps (miliatary entrance program) and then I meet my unit and then I can start my weekend a month and start drawing a paycheck anywhere from $100-$300 a month. Then this summer between my junior and senior year do basic and then when I graduate high school do my AIT (Advance Individual Training). Maybe later on in my military career I'll switch over to 88M, but for the time being I'm gonna take college classes in small business!

 

Good for you, Larry! Business courses are always a good idea! But, WHY doesn't your mom want you to go 88M?? Seems truck driving would be a major plus for you!

I'm GLAD you found this site! There's a great deal of good advice and info here!

BTW.... you might want to think about HHG! Bandits Cousin started EARLY in life doing that, and has done WELL! Many of their runs are IN STATE, so age isn't a problem. With your interest in owning a business, being an "agent" for a major "Mover" might be right up your alley!

Best of luck!

Hobo

 

Well come to find out I can't join Army because the gas chamber would kill me. So I'm gonna get my CDL this summer and see what goes on from there! May get my own dump truck who knows haven't decided.

 

I'm gonna hold off and get my CDL until I graduate high school and then go to college take diesel mechanics and business classes.

 

Have you considers flight training, my ten year old son isnt too young to start. Join a local club and it entitles you to free groung school, pass your FAA written and then you can take flying lesson and with mini 20 hour flight time you can do your pre solo. Pilots make alot of money and the younger you start the better.

Actually all my kids have flight time including my six year old. The ten year old has actual flying time. Think about it. My ten year old plans on making it his career and my thirteen year old want to be the plane mechanic.

 

No ma'am flying is not in me. Driving a truck is! I prefer to do local, short haul, or a dedicated run to where I'm home every night or every other night, also I need to do local so I can get my degree in diesel mechanics and business. I already got college credit, all I took was nothing but computer/business related classes through out my high school career. Next year (Senior) I'm gonna take Business technology and Desktop publishing/Webpage design. That will give me more credit towards college so that means alot less time in college! Ever since I was little I always wanted to run over the road, but not that I've gotten older I much rather be home every night or every other night. I'm just not fit for the over the road life! Later on down the road the diesel mechanics and business classes will pay off for sure! The scholarship I got also helps too. I'm too smart for my own good! :lol: Whenever I do buy my own truck, I'm gonna get a Peterbilt with a sleeper, if I can do any type of run it would be from St. Louis to Indiana, Pennsyvanlia, Arkansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Illinois, Tennessee, Ohio. I prefer to specialize in flatbed (steel hauling). Also I think with being in the area I'm in, I can get home everyday or every other day with a flatbed. I prefer to haul steel but the insurance for hauling steel is outrageous or more strict. I don't plan on starting my own company until I get atleast money saved up for insurance, authority, truck and trailer. All of that is easy to get but in my opinion you got to have business smarts. I notice alot of new trucks being put up for sale, alot of them are chromed out or got lights galore, just seeing that tells me they wasted their money on chrome and lights or just don't know how to run a business, I know that sounds mean but sometimes the truth hurts. Looking cool is nice but in today's economy and cheap freight rates it's not always the most practical thing to do. Remember "business first, fun and pleasure later!" What do you guys think??

 

I just noticed something, lol kids at school are very very jealous of me. I got a scholarship and I already got college credit and I'm pretty much making straight A's. I had one kid tell me today I'm gonna lose my scholarship cause I miss alot of school and another kid is gonna tell me how am I passing all my classes and miss alot of school? I always miss alot of school not because I don't feel like going but it's because of my asthma/lung condition as a result of my mom being in the military, 1lb and 5 months premature. I miss alot especially at the beginning of the year and around January/February. I told them when I miss I do my make up work and I don't slack off and I respect all my teachers even and all my teachers respect me cause I have manners and morals. I guess they think cause I'm black (I go the a mostly white school) that I'm just a dumb and stupid. I don't let it bother me, I actually find it funny because they are one's who are dumb and stupid no stupid doesn't describe them......ignorant is the word I'd love to use. But ya know whats even funnier is they expect me to talk black and dress black. First of all I wasn't raised that way and second of all I don't like to dress with my pants hanging off down to my knees. They say I'm weird because I wear my shirts tucked in, with a belt, my pants at my waist and with boots everyday. I should get a pair of cowboots and see what they say about that, lol they may call me a wannabe redneck. Then I got to hear oh your gonna be a truck driver, I bet your gonna be getting the lot lizards and blah blah blah. I just tell them not all truck drivers are homosexuals or perverted. I take truck driving very seriously and with a sense of pride in knowing I get to help keep not only our country but our global economy moving!

 

You sound like a very intelligent young man. Keep up the good work in school and don't worry what anybody says. I met some of those ignorant people that you talk about in college. They were the ones that usually failed out.

I am also learning a lot about truck driving, just reading on these boards actually. My respect for them has grown ten fold. I met one a few years ago that changed my view of them and broke the stereotype everyone sees(at least for me). I owe much to that person.

 

Thank Mommee, trust me a smart, mature 17 year old with manners and honestly is very hard to find these days!