Red12, again don't take this as me discouraging you on this decission, but if you have a happy marriage and enjoy the time with your wife, why would u want to get back in to OTR, especially with Swift or these other large carriers, they're going to throw you out for weeks at a time, and if she wasn't with you the first go round and doesn't know what OTR is all about, who's to say she's going to put up with it. It's no different out here then it was in the past, infact it's worse, way more sitting around, much harder to get you home it seems, there are very few companies, especially with your experience level, that are going to offer you much of a home life. I know you've stated you matured and all that, but honestly take a good hard look at everything before you do this again, maturity doesn't mean that you'll enjoy being gone from home weeks at a time, I thought i had to prove something to myself and show myself i could drive OTR, it's just not for me, and i dealt with all the same feelings about it as you did, and probably still are, not trying to go all Dr. Phil on your here, but put some serious consideration in to it. I, and probably many others would agree especially with a new marriage, this will only be detrimental to the outcome of things.

 

I understand what all of you are saying but im at a know where job im only making 22k a year and wanting a better income. My wife knows what to expect and we have talked many of times since I quit driving and she understands. I know the economy isnt the best right now but has it really gotten that bad to where. You guys are telling people not to get into driving and stay away from it. Its not so much that I have to prove something to myself its also I love to drive thats what I love to do im tired of working at this hard labor of a job. I was thinking of only doing it for about a year or 2 and then try to find something local.

 

Well seems you've made your mind up, hopefully it will work out, but i think you should stick it out for a while and see how the industry turns around, atleast until maybe regional work offers something for you, OTR on a new marriage is not a good scenario, but you say she knows what to expect, i wonder how considering you've not driven OTR while together with her, I just think the situations i've been through relate exactly to the thoughts you're having, and i've regretted every decission to return to OTR driving, it's never what i think it's going to be, and i've had some great jobs running out of state, but it's all the same, you miss your wife, you miss your home, i could go on........

 

If you do get back in this business you need to make up your mind to stick it out for at least a year, preferably with the same carrier. Two years will be better. It can be stressful on your marriage being away from home so much. If you leave the new carrier after such a short time it will be extremely difficult for you to find another trucking job.

 

I got out for about 10 years.

Saved myself a lot of headache by just accepting the fact that I was "starting from scratch" and found one of those CDL "mills" nearby...signed up...breezed thru....got that piece of paper and went to work.