Opinions- my Life choices
 

Hey guys. I sent this message to a couple of guys that I have great respect for on here but for those of you that I don't know very well, I'd like your opinions. Here is a synopsis of me and my situation:

I'm 30 years old and I get married in 2 months. My fiancee has a wonderful 8 year old daughter. I'm a also moving from Tucson, AZ back home to Huntsville, AL. I've always had a passion and want to get into trucking. However, I don't want to be gone all the time. I am currently a manager for a large company and I make $70K a year. I also have an MBA from Arizona State. So, I have business and management skills. I'm at a point where I'm ready for a change. My fiancee is getting out of the Air Force and she is planning on opening a day care at our new house that i"m building in Alabama. She also sells Mary Kay on the side and she'll is retiring from the military so we'll have abouta 2K check a month from the government each month on top of whatever our earnings are. We both have strong entreprenurial (spelling) desires. I have narrowed my new career path down to:

Trucking- to learn the industry on someone elses dime. I looked at Roehl 7 on 7 off and then I can run a part time business the other week. If I like the trucking, I might consider O/O later on.

Commercial and/or residential cleaning- VERY low initial investment- good money in this but obviously hard work. A good friend of mine with business sense started this 2 months ago and is at 5K gross a month in contracts. Hard work and odd hours like nights and weekends though.

Mobile Car detailing service- Seems to be a good industry with a low initial investment of 6K or so.

So, knowing my situation, what is your opinion? Thanks!

Anthony

Choices
 

Forget trucking, you have too much going for you. At a minimum, wait until the daughter is in college. BOL

If I were you I would forget about trucking and do the entrepreneurial thing. Do not miss out on your family time and enjoy life. Trucking is a fine career for some, but in your situation I would not even consider it. Good luck and remember you can always drive a truck. kids are only young once.

Agreed! 8)

Anthony1995


I am in your same situation. I have a good paying managerial job, but have been at this for 7 years. I need a change too.

Hometime with the family is an issue as I look to trucking and it is the biggest negative. I say, also understand I am just starting out and the drivers answering your questions have the experience, it is all about what you want.

I have talked to several drivers who have worked many years in trucking and have been married and raised children and live enjoyable lives.

I have been married for quite a few years, and my biggest word of caustion is only being married for a short time, this will be a big adjustment for your wife. I remember having a job when I first got married that required on avevarge 65-70 hours a week. When I was off I was exhausted. It did not work out well so I changed jobs. Just a word of caution.

Big Dabble

Hey Anthony1995 if you want to be home why don't you try to find a local truck driving gig.

Truck Career Today
 

Anthony, I'm just a rookie. But I also intended to switch careers, and I am also educated at the post graduate level.

The industry has changed, and I tend to think that the veteran drivers you have spoken with either are no longer driving themselves, or they were able to establish themselves as drivers "in the good old days".

It won't take you long to find out that entering truck driving today is a form of indentured servitude.

Those individuals who defend the lifestyle on this board have really burned all their other bridges, or they are the lucky ones who didn't start out since deregulation of the industry.

It's a nice dream, but leave it on your pillow.

Have a good life.

From a recruiter's standpoint, I would say steer clear of trucking, too. You are in a very enviable position with current salary and job and potential married life. She has an 8-year old girl...having a father-figure around is going to be extremely important to her.

As someone else said, wait until she's in college, before considering it. Who knows then...maybe you and your wife decide to do it together and team.

For now, though, stay home or at the very worst, find something that will keep you local and home every night.

If I was married it would take me about 5 minutes to ditch trucking as a career opp. Unless you value a job driving more than your new wife I would skip it. It sounds like you have more options that will give you two a much better quality of life.

Well .... this is the 3rd or 4th time you posted this same topic.
How many more are you going to post?
Your young, your just getting married, and have a little girl.
I think you should stick around home myself.

Me? I'm old, got 5 kids, 2 left at home ( very close to leaving and going to college ) Plan on going OTR for 2 years then find something here in town.

Anthony, I was in the same position about 15 years ago that you are looking at today. I have a business managment degree and was mid level manager for a large oil company. Then I went trucking. The first year I drove I was gone 6 weeks at a time..paying my dues so to speak..then went to work for a company where I was home each weekend, but you still miss out on alot. I've also worked for an LTL company, dispatched and worked in safety, but driving is still my love and today I am a driver.

Your income will be limited about 35k first year and 45-60k as you gain experience. The best paying gigs are in LTL and private fleets like Walmart and Kraft. 60-80k with the top tier companies is realistic but takes time.....3 years experience with perfect driving record to apply with Wal-mart for example.

But when you look at it as a business decision you make alot of personal saracifices with your time and you don't get alot for it.

I enjoy what I do and make a decent living doing it but, I am not going to sit here and tell you what you should do, you have to do that for yourself.

Re: Truck Career Today
 

From reading are you driver or a wanna be???

The trucking industry today is better than it has ever been. Rules and Regs than get rid of the dopers and careless drivers and it shows in the fact that the fatlility rate per miles driven is the lowest ever. Companies are doing things to attract and retain employees that they never would have done years ago.


Drivers today have in cab wireless internet, cell phones , APU's, qualcomms, and a host of other things that make life on the road better.

But on fact still remains: Only one person can drive a truck at a time and it is a lonely business sometimes. Now I don't know what "good ole days" you are talking about but I sure would not want to go back to them today, not even 15 years ago when I first starting grinding gears.

You need to look forward, not backwards or GET OUT of the business.

This is true in life. Yesterday is gone and tomorrow isn't here all we have is today. I use the past to learn from and use tomorrow to plan, but today I live.

I am only considering trucking because my kids are all out of the house. My youngest is 23 and this whold decision is still causing a lot of problems within my family. My daughter is very angry, both of my boys don't want me to go driving and my wife is beside herself. This is not an easy decision to make if you have a family or people that you care about.

Personally I would not consider driving if I had kids at home.

Your other options will also take a lot of time. Starting any business is not easy and can take up a lot of time. Even though you are physically at present at home does not mean that you will be there mentally. I know a lot of small business owners and their families have suffered just as much as if they were not even there at all.

Again this is your choice, but there are different driving opporutnities within the trucking industry.

Hans the mi_rookie

My advise is if you don't want to deal with the family thing, i.e. wife and daughter, then get into trucking. You can be a cowboy on the highway w/ the wife at home w/ the kids.

I have no family and this is why I'm otr cowboy trucker. All I have is my bank account and my truck! Freedom!!!

You wont have 'honey do' lists, and chores. Never! Think of that. But then again, you might want to see your daughter grow up and spend time with your future wife. If that is the case, stay far away from the trucking industry!

Oh yeah, you make $70k now. Case closed.

Re: Truck Career Today
 

This industry is not better these days:
You say:

"Drivers today have in cab wireless internet, cell phones , APU's, qualcomms, and a host of other things that make life on the road better."

If you think this has made the industry any better, your crazy!
I wonder how we all survived so long without all the comforts you love so much. I for one don't have time for the Internet and the phone, talk about a road hazard, get that cell phone out of your ear driver....lol


You say:

"The trucking industry today is better than it has ever been. Rules and Regs than get rid of the dopers and careless drivers and it shows in the fact that the fatlility rate per miles driven is the lowest ever. Companies are doing things to attract and retain employees that they never would have done years ago."


There are the same amount of dopers and wreckless drivers, when they get rid of 1, there is always another 2 to take their place, don't live in a dream world! If you think a company cares about you, you are sadly mistaken!
Company's say 1 thing to look good to all the peering eyes, then want you to do what ever it takes to get their precious load there on time. the only good thing I see these days, is the trucks are more comfortable than they were 30 yrs ago. You can say things are better now than they used to be, but you were not around in the old days, so you cant make that statement.
They put people in trucks these days, that have no business being in them at all. I will tell you something, go back to the 70's and get in a truck, and you will have a different opinion, believe me!

You say:

"You need to look forward, not backwards or GET OUT of the business."

How can you even look forward without even looking backwards?
This makes no sense!

Okay, so I have my radio playing an old Bread tape. So you really just think that today's drivers are not as good as you were. Has nothing to do that the trucking industry is better today than in the 70's. So I guess you were a super trucker right out of the box?

Equipment, yeah , I want to go back driving a spring ride cabover.....by the way that's what I drove when I started driving. Today we have air ride conventionals with power everything. Trailers....air ride and slide

Pay....for a company driver with a little experience 40 plus cents is very realistic......50 plus cents in the LTL segment and a select few otr .
Plus all the bennies , health ins, life ins, disability ins, dental, vision, 401K, profit sharing, stock purchase and I am sure I am leaving a few out here.

Hometime: many companies run regional operations so being gone weeks on end is not as common.

Truckstops: Todays modern t/s was just in the begining. There are more of them today and offer more services than anything in the 70's as a whole.

Todays Drivers: Have to go to a driving school, pass tests to get a CDL and must go thru a company training program........that's a lot better than every driver in the 70's having a license from 10 different states. Plus subject to random drug test, post accident drug tests, pre employment drug test, resonable suspicion drug tests.
Tickets / violations even in personal vehicle go against CDL.

Todays drivers are held more accountable than ever before.

Freight: most companies have no touch or pay for lumpers. Alot of drop and hook.

HOS: at least now there is a limit on the work day 14 hrs and companies are being held accountable to operate within them. See many articles where drivers and companies are being jailed for violating HOS. In the 70's multiple logbooks or no logbooks at all was commonplace.


If you wake up every morning thinking that yesterday was the best there can be you are already dead.


So, since the "good ole days" of trucking was so good, let's here from everyone who wants to go back to the days of old.

ANY TAKERS????

Air ride suspension (over spring) and cell phones 9over stopping, finding parking, and using a payphone) are a few comforts drivers have gotten since the old days. Its still the same ball game 8)

BTW- I started wayyyy after deregulation and am doing better than a lot of drivers out there.

I, myself, have an industrial engineering degree and chose bedbugging as my profession- (caps on)- YOU HAVE TO LOVE WHAT YOU DO FOR WORK!!!! :lol:

Seeing as how you and many on this forum were not around in the "old days" the experience will keep you and many on this forum out of your own poll. I do like to listen to the band Bread, but I have them on CD now. I used to have them on cassette, and on 8 track also...lol
As far as HOS, they took away 1 hr a day from the way it used to be, big deal! If you think drivers are trained any better today, your kidding yourself. I never had more than 1 drivers license, didn't need one I just didn't get caught...lol
Gee with all this testing, I guess it doesn't mean much because there are still idiots getting caught with dope and booze, so the problem has still not been eliminated...lol
Now for the T/S's, a shower, restaurant, and enough parking is all you really need, they don't impress me a bit!
Now the benefits, they used to give them to you, now you pay for them, yea that's something we are all happy about!
Lets talk about freight, people today are to lazy to really work for a living. They are afraid of a little hard work! This in my opinion is 1 of the downfalls of this country!
Home time still sucks for a lot of drivers, just read the boards!
Pay has not changed much, when you factor the cost of living the way it is today, not to mention you pay through the nose for every benefit they give you now!
I agree with you with the old trucks, but get in one back then and it would put hair on your chest for sure...lol
Yea, I think that this industry is not producing the caliber of drivers as it used to, not saying that every driver these days is bad, but look at the turnover rate, and a high % of drivers now will not even be in the business more than a year then tuck tail and run! Look at the work ethic a lot of people have today, not just in trucking but everywhere.
No I wasn't a "super Trucker" out of the box, I don't even like the term, but I come from a generation that was raised with a strong work ethic, morals, listened and learned and didn't come across as as a know it all. The seasoned driver as I like to call them, knew that the world didn't owe us a living, we had to work to make the life we wanted. You know with the world going to hell in a hand basket, you actually think anything is getting any better? It sure is not in the trucking business! You need to pass that JOINT so I can see things your way....lol
You have no Idea of how this industry used to be, and trying to explain to you would be a waste of time, but when it comes crashing down on your head someday, remember this conversation!

Both views are right. SSoutlaw is correct about the pay, and its inability to keep up with living expenses.

The trucks are better today, and we do have drug testing since 1990.

"Can't we all just get along?" :lol: :lol:

I am getting along...lol I have never put him down just stating facts as I see them over the years he dose not have...lol

I jump at any opportunity to quote Rodney King :lol:

However, having been there, and done that, your insight supports your remarks. The only thing I can comment on is that we have better equipment. I'm still wet behind the ears after my extensive :lol: (2 1/2 yr) career lol.

Keep at it and work hard, nothing wrong with being wet behind the ears, it doesn't last long...lol

Kips is still wayy off on one point totally-

Todays Drivers: Have to go to a driving school, pass tests to get a CDL and must go thru a company training program........that's a lot better than every driver in the 70's having a license from 10 different states

I never went to CDL school. well, I did attend the CDL School Of Hard Knox 8) . My buddy did the same- learned from a local outift and makes $20/hr driving CDL-B. Some "trained" drivers from the CDl mill still can't back into a spot at the t/s!!!

And the drug testing is a joke. You can get a $50 drink from GNC and pass any test they throw at you. I see/hear about dopers and alcoholics coast to coast.

We do got good equipment though! My dad told me horror stories. plus, when I was 5-/6 years old i spent 5 weeks in the summer in dad's 1920 peterbilt cabover with no a/c, single unk, spring ride, hunk of crap...... :lol:

You better ask your dad again on the year of that peter car, didn't have trucks like that in the 20's. You must have meant the 60's or 70's....lol

I know, I was trying to emphasize how old that dinosaur was :lol: He had the infamous GMC cabover before that, and don't get me started on that Model-T wanna be 8)

Gman and Yoopr can comment on it though!

:) :) :) :)

You seem to have issues, have you gotten off your meds???

You have not made one point on how the industry was so much better years gone by. Every industry has changed, you seem to be unable to handle change, only bitch and gripe about it.

Today, people live better and have more than ever before, too bad you are such a bitter person, it is a shame that you talk down to people.
From your comments you have no respect for todays drivers, or the industry.

I don't think ssoutlaw is bitter, I do think since his surgery some of his post were made while on meds tho. :lol: He did point out the wages being comparable to todays wages. 30 years and not much change in wages, thus you could support yourself better 30 years ago. Also 8 track tapes, boy do I miss them.. :lol:

There are a lot of drivers on here I would like to bump into after I set out on my own. ssoutlaw being one of them.

LOL had to change...comparable to to days wages, to...comparable to todays wages, and I've been off my meds for a long time.

My opinion?

This is the best advice you will hear;

Find someone without kids.

Now, about the other stuff:

1) You have an MBA and you want to try company sponsored training. How does this not suprise me? On paper it looks good, but they make you sign guarantees that you'll stay with them for a yr or 2. What if it doesn't work out? What if they starve you out? What if they lose a lot of their contracts-----it happens.

Business is all about minimizing risks----you should know that by now.

Going to school by yourself virtually minimizes these risks and provides almost unlimited options. According to your self-description, you ought to be able to scronge up 3-5K pretty easily. Then again, you did state that you had an MBA. (kidding, just kidding; i was trying to imply that since you had an MBA it really means you have no business sense, but i kid)

2) Cleaning service; i don't know much about these. You say your friend grosses 5K a month. First off all that is not hot. Secondly, don't worry about gross, worry about net.

3) Car detailing. "Seems" to be good industry. According to who? The two people i know that did it aren't doing it no more.
I think getting a dealer's licence will be more lucrative.

What kind of crock answer is that?
Just because YOU don't like or want kids, doesn't mean he don't.
Have you thought that maybe he loves her, and HER KID?

oops.... NO YOU DIDN'T....
Could be because your still a kid.
Most of your replies amaze me.
I'm really starting to think you are slider64683 with the replies you have posted and just got another user name. :roll:

At least my meds are prescribed, unlike that joint you smoke, and then pretend to know what it used to be like! I wish the pain meds clouded my mind, it would be a cheap high...lol Bitter, not me, you sound like you are, talking about something you know nothing about...
For an industry that doesn't keep up with the times, yea I would go back to the way it used to be and keep more of my MONEY. You can throw all the insults you want, but in the end you can still not voice an opinion of how it used to be. You must not read these threads in this forum about your NEW RESPECTFUL drivers these days...lol Now read back in my post and see the word alot of drivers, this does not mean I think all new drivers are like this!!! You guys use words like "MILLS" for training and then expect us to have respect for all the new drivers, yea right! The only reason this bothers you is you are 1 of these drivers and it has hit close to home...lol Speaking about something you don't know puts you into this category with all the other snot nosed brats who think they know it all. None of this was ever an attack on you, but your guilty conscience kicked in, and you went on the defensive!
I live just fine in this industry today, but the fact still remains, this industry has gone down hill, and nothing you say will change this!
The 8 track thing was a joke, I do like Cd's better...lol Bread was still a good band though...lol You need to lighten up kip and read all the threads in this forum to see just how wonderful this industry really is! Times don't get better, we have already had the best. Forget trucking for a minute, look at this world we live in, and show me how life has been any better than when I was a child, or our fathers were kids???? Its on the news every day, open your eyes man!!!
Now don't worry about my pain meds, I hate drugs and only use them at bed time for the simple fact of what it does to your body, so again, don't mix up my pain meds with that joint you love so much....lol

You are an IDIOT.

You are just bitter becuase you did not save for your retirement and now your old wore out butt is pissed because you think that you are being cheated.

Still waiting on the specifics on what was so great about trucking in the '70's.


You really need to stop watching so much CNN and FOX and get out and do someting nice for the drivers that you look down your nose at.

Again this statement is true for about all unskilled labor, white and blue collar. My job has not kept up with the cost of living. I had gone 5 years without any raise and only got more money by coming back to Ford. I am not one that uses the old adage that the rich get richer crap, but it is a fact that the more a person makes is representative of how much more they are making now.

I read an article the other day that the top .001% (that is not a typo) has received around 150% pay increase over the past ten years. 98% have received less than 2.5%, inflation for that time period is around 4%. This is country wide not just in the trucking industry.

There is something wrong in our culture, not just in trucking.

Look at all the anger inside of you, name calling is for 1st graders. I really know you have deep deep issues that a DR. would be able to help you with! Just read all the threads in this forum and see how wonderful your new career has become. I think your problem is you have nothing saved up for a rainy day, that's why you commented to me like you did. I am no where near retirement, so quit pulling insults out of the air like you love to do. All you need to do is read these forums to find out how it used to be. This industry is more dangerous these days than it ever has been, but you go ahead and be lead around like a bunch of cattle, by the company's, Ins. company's, etc. with all these rules that will never make this industry and the public any safer and let them tell you how to lead your life and how to do your job! I'm done talking with you, you know it all, and I don't have time to listen to your childish BABBLE. I don't look down at drivers in general, just the ones that think they know it all and are really a danger to me and the public in general! Have a wonderful life and may God bless you. See Ya!!!

Forget Trucking for Now
 

After almost 30 years of this, I can tell you now is not the time for you. Pursue othr businesses, you will likely make more money at them thn you will as a first year driver. Also, right now freight i at the lowest it has been since the last reccession. Even Yellow Freight had a drop in stock due to slow fright these past months.

My point is, wait, enjoy your family, be there, and when every is doing their own thing, you and even the misses can take a year to see if you love it as much as you think. Hope we are helping.

According to my dad, the money was wayyy better back then. His solution is to pay drivers what they are worth, then we'll see less turnover.

Back then, he said the othe week to me-

"You just showed up and they handed you lots of money!" 8)

But, anyway, anyone with an MBA and wants to do trucking has my respect! However, if its for the money, you've lost it!

1) whoa, take it easy there big boy:

2) I never said i didn't like/want kids. I said to find someone without kids---there are plenty of people like that out there. I never said you were a piece of crap because you, yourself, are in that type of situation.

3) He don't truely love her or the KID. Come on, you know it and i know it.

It just doesn't ever really work out in situations like this (anna nicole.....); You know it and i know it. Why are you so mad? Could it be you know i'm right?

So i stand by my original advice in spades.

This is the best advice you will hear:

FIND SOMEONE WITHOUT KID(S). It is not that hard. Do it the right way.


"Could be because your still a kid.
Most of your replies amaze me.
I'm really starting to think you are slider64683 with the replies you have posted and just got another user name. "

4) You are thinking too hard. Don't think too hard.

[quote="Lewis friend"]I'll think as I please, and stand by my last reply.

I agree with outlaw a million times over, this industry has more rules and regs and it restricts a driver from making serious money anymore, soon you will only be allowed to drive 300 miles a day if the government keeps messing with the rules.. I know truckers from the 70's and there old and retired and tell me that if starting out today, they would find a different career for sure.... They tell me stories and i must agree trucking back then was way better than today, these days being a owner op is getting harder to make a buck and being a company man well is like being in prison and getting screwed when you don,t want to. The rules have changed and most old timers say for the worse and the only thing that has improved is the design and technology of the trucks. The roads have not been any better thats for sure, the lot lizards are more skanky and the price of everything has gone 4000 percent higher except your paycheck. Now how is that better ???? .....