So you were sitting in your office ...............
 

thinking about becoming a truck driver.

What was your motivating factor that pushed you over your fears?

I know some of you may have had a family connection to driving.
Perhaps some were forced due to layoffs.
Maybe some were semi-retired and wanted to fulfill a dream.

I've read all of Stevebooth's thread in the O/O Forum and he seems to be having alot of fun...except the food poisoning episode (been there done that have the soiled and stained t-shirt). I, perhaps like alot of people, are reluctant to give up the security of my 9 to 5 (more like 6:30 to 5:30+) to make the transition.

So my question to all of the newbies that have just started driving...what was your catalyst?

Hubby went b/c he was told about how much $ truckers have! :lol:
..or was is to get away from me?Hmm..... :lol: :lol: :shock:

With that avatar, I think we need to change your handle to MADKATT....lol :P :P :P :P :P

Scratched and clawed my way up to mid-management. Hated it once I got there. Had 25 years in, was 50 yrs old, and went through a divorce. I was no longer forced to chase the all mighty $. Kids were grown and on their own, no wife, no big mortgage. Made mid 50K per year but it was killing me.

Once I was no longer encumbered it was my opportunity to do what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. It was a huge hurdle. I know I'm only going to make about 35K my first year out. My ex gets half of that. I'm chained to her for 3 years. By then I should be into some much better money. I'll mostly live in my truck and crash in my son's spare bedroom when on home time.

I'm not fooling myself. It's not going to be easy. But, I don't think my health would have held out many more years in my old career. I've personally found that money and stuff doesn't buy happiness. I'm not in this for the money (good thing, huh?). LOL!

I am in day 3 of orientation with the company I hired on with. I'm a little overwhelmed with all the information they're pushing at us. It doesn't help that there are a couple "Super Truckers" in the group. It's old hat to them. I only understand about half of what I'm hearing. I keep telling myself that I will have time with the trainer to really learn this stuff. I'm not going to retain it from the classroom.

Wow! I kind of went far afield here. Sorry!!! :oops:

No sir, that's exactly what I'm looking for.
Thanks for the reply.

I'm just hesitant to make the leap. I do have bills to catch up on and I know if I do make the decision to drive I will only be incurring more debt in the short term.

mapleleaf_1,
Congrats on the hubby and especially the support he gives you in your career.

What pushed me over the edge? Going from one job to another with no guarantee they will be around tomorrow. I use to be a software engineer doing embedded Windows CE, Platform Builder, Device Drivers and Operating Systems.

At one point 15 years ago I was making $190,000 per year. The job I just quit I was making $120,000. The owner is in his 80's and the company will be sold to a competitor and shut down. Yet another job I have to start all over again, if I can get one.

It's been a cycle the past 10 years. Work a job for maybe a year or 2 then they lay off or go out of business. Use up my savings for 6 months until I find another job. Work and save my money for the next dry spell. Sick of it!!!!

It's not like the old days when I could ALWAYS count on a paycheck. Now it seems I'm always waiting for the next Axe to fall and this is the way it will be from now until the time I'm too old to work. Then where? Bag boy in Florida living in a trailer park retirement community and heading over to the Eagles club to get shitfaced every night.

So, I figure while I'm still employed I'll get my CDL, get my authority and go out on my own with my own truck. Something I can do well into my 60's and possibly longer if I want.

I'm not making what I use to but I have piece of mind that I'll have a job tomorrow, next year and 10 years from now. Feels good.

I've been doing this since November of last year and yes, it is fun!!!!

Truck Driver
 

I grew up around it. Dad was an o/o. He tried to get me to drive his B model Mack with a duplex transmission. I never could learn to downshift that dirty son of a pig. :oops:
Soo...I worked at several barge lines for about 15 years. They had a bad habit of going bankrupt and I could sure pick those pretty good. Then I worked at several factories and I couldn't pick those any better. One moved to Mexico, one burned down, and 2 downsized my department out of existence. :shock: My cousin won't tell me where she works.
Should i just pretend to be crazy and draw SSI?
I finally got a cdl and went to work for a bottom feeding company that wouldn't fix anything and tried to make me lie in my log book. I quit after a month. :roll:
Soo...now I have gone through orientation with a large company that has a less than stellar reputation and I sit at home twiddling my thumbs while waiting for a trainer. :x
I hate my life but I dislike the alternative even more! :shock:

Re: Truck Driver
 

What company are you going to now?

Waiting
 

I debated with myself whether or not to answer you because of all the negative postings on this board and others. Well, it's Swift. There I said it! :P