I would agree 100% with the above statement. Once I got into HHG, I did do my homework and got out of it. I was a hair away from hauling cars (enclosed) for one of the big boys you see oput there, buit went with special products/ special commodities against my Dad's advice.

Thank you all for your responses! I really appreciate it.

:thumbsup:

"To drive or not to drive, that is the question..."
 

Reading through the posts, I’d say you get a pretty good idea of what to expect. Keep in mind, we have some negative outlook truckers who post regularly on the boards, so balance it out…not saying they are wrong, they just hate this business. I’ve had more jobs than you have fingers, finally wised up and went for the one I loved, thus I drive a truck.

I have a NCSU AAS degree and a BS from NC A&T. Also spent three years teaching in public schools, I’ve been licensed, certified, and have other qualifications from various occupations but constantly found myself behind the wheel of a truck so finally gave up searching for the career I was happiest with and stuck to trucking.

A lot of people view trucking as the least common denominator (“I can always drive a truck”) but it ain’t so. It is far from easy, but for me I absolutely love it. It is what I’ve always wanted to do, especially since my father and grandfather also drove. I’ve dreamed of it since I was a kid.

If you do pursue trucking, keep in mind the first years are toughest, you will make mistakes, be criticized, have the worst routes or pay, etc. It takes a while to get a feel for it and find an employer who rewards you for good work and these usually have little turnover so you have to put in your time with a lower ‘rated’ company before you have a clean record and are able to move up. In addition, there are A LOT of different truck driving jobs, for some weird reason the Over-The-Road (OTR) truckers get the most focus whether it be positive media or negative, advertisements, job offers, etc. I drive a city route and find little comparison to OTR other than I drive a semi.

Above all, I agree with the others that you need to finish your degree, even if your heart is not in it. Most often you can use those credits towards another degree should you find one you are interested in.

Trucking is in a ‘flux’ right now (the politically correct term would be ‘fluid’.) We are not paid as well as we used to be, even owner-operators are having a hard time with increased fuel costs, shipping insensitivity to hours of service, increased mandates, the implications of CSA 2010, and the ridiculous application of Hours of Service as a ‘One Size Fits All’ mentality. Not necessarily a good time to join.

StevenD

Well... I ain't DONE yet! But....

Are you and bOOm Twins??? :lol:

@sdloe, Thanks for the insight! Appreciate it.

I thought I was the only one with Stig as my avatar. :lol:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Stig

I'm surprised there's so much good advice here. Stay in school and have fun kids cause truckin sux.

If you enjoy 80hr work weeks, not being home for a week or two at a time, can handle some of the stupidest people on the face of this planet, have a pension elsewhere or another income, and have a wife that will put up with you never being around and a few weeks w/o pay..... you were born to truck.

I'm a very independent person. I see myself being single for a very long time. The idea of living in a small town, by myself, in a small house sounds like the perfect existence for me. Likewise, living in a truck, being on the road for weeks, and not having any dependents just seems to fit my personality.

I can see how a social family man, who loves the white picket fence existence would cringe at the idea of being a trucker. But it just sounds awesome to me.

Untill you don't get laid for 4 weeks...... then we will see how your story changes LOL

Honestly, best of luck to ya in anyway possiable.

Please for the love of god tho, take pride in your job. Don't be like half these guys out here wearing sweat pants, flip-flops, tank tops, cussing and talking **** and not have showered for 2 days. Just be curtious and a DRIVER, not a steering wheel holder for hire.

I will tell you thing the same thing I told both of my children when they where out of high school.

Finish the first thing you start, no matter how much you dislike it, or how much the grass seems greener on the other side of the hill.

It will be come the foundation of everything you do, even if all it does is to prove to yourself that you can make a decision and stick to it.

As a personal note, I never saw truck driving as the thing I wanted to do forever. I always saw it as something I can do, if everything else goes sideways and I need to eat.

Sort of a Plan B if it where. Now, I love Plan B and love to drive, so it is a bonus.

I got my license back in 1978 and here is a quick synaps of how it has gone.

Drove truck.

Owned a succesful buisness, sold it.

Drove truck

Worked in construction camps as an expediter

Drove truck

Software engineer (had my own Tech company, sold it)

Drove truck

Opened, and still own, a very successful Commercial Driving School ( but semi-retired now and let the crew run the school, while I do the "Big Think"

Now, once again...... Drive truck. (now I have the luxury of not having to do it for money, and can do it for sport )

No idea what is next, but maybe go to University, or write a book, travel the world.

But be sure that I will drive truck, in some capacity or another, until they pry my license out of my cold dead hands....

I just never saw it as the only thing I would ever do, or that I would do it forever as my main source of income.

Interesting though, it has always been what I have come back to, when I wanted a change or needed money or was looking for a stop gap between one thing and another.

And that is what I tell every potential student who comes to my school. It will be something you can fall back on for the rest of your life.

Your 18, and you have 70 years to grow up. Don;t try and do it quickly.