Question:
I’m one of the many guys out there that is considering a career change to OTR. I’ve read about a million posts the last few weeks and I feel I have a good idea of what the trucking job and lifestyle is. I can imagine the pay scale, long hours, bad food, road rage, little home time and sheer boredom and frustration. Also, I live on a boat so I know a bit about cramped living quarters.
That said, I still don’t think it’s that bad. There are a lot of crappy jobs out there. Try hanging sheet rock for 8.75 an hour. Waiting for material that won’t show up. Bad directions, Builders that bounce checks. Breathe about 6 lbs of rock dust a day.
Or try an office clerk’s job at XYZ corp. Sitting in a cube all day doing paper work and staring at the computer screen. Get yanked around by the same 6 or 7 people every single day. Traffic commutes, 30 minute lunch break. Try doing that for 51 weeks a year for about 25K
Sales job you say? Trying to meet quotas. Customers hang up on you, Getting lied to by both your employer and your customers. You don’t make the sale you don’t get paid. Period. Ask your boss for detention or tarp pay... Yeah right….
Myself personally, I develop computer software. Cake job right? Big money… Let me tell you, just like a lot of jobs (trucking included) I suffer through a lot of headaches. Literally. Worry about deadlines. Fast food lunches, In-correct specifications. Down time. Some 20 something Harvard puke VP that has all the answers. Upgrades. Try a system crash at 4Pm on Thursday and I work all weekend (for free) with hardware and data issues. My job is definitely a lifestyle.
Nurse? Food prep. Even the scum sucking attorneys work 70 hr weeks. Bottom line. There ain’t no free lunch.

Answer:
Yeah, i've done the office thing. If you like wearing chic clothing it's interesting, and it's always a/C'd or heated. Nice and comfortable. Other than that, it's basically a rat-race job.
Let's discuss:
1)under-water welding.
2) normal welding.
3)Electrician. Don't tell me they don't make big buck$$.
4)Plumbing.
My lawyer friend wants to get a CDL and try driving. I told him to get it but only do it part-time. Don't give up lawyering.
Now, i'm still considering porn but i just can't bring myself to do it. If i did do it, it would probably solve my financial "difficulties." Then after a while, i would just buy used cars, paint them and then sell them at, i think, an ok profit. I could do that all day and never get tired of it.

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I give you 1-2 years. You'll see.Whoa is me. Yup, put the brakes on the trucking crapola and haven't looked back.


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Now the kicker

Go for it....LIARS SUKK

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You know I read these posts by newbies and soon to be ones and it just amuses the hell out of me. What in the world was so bad in their life that they figure trucking will rescue ? It's just--how low do you want to sink boys ? I thought the public had a bad image of trucking ? Hell, they are lined up to get into it. Oh, sorry, a brain fart. Look at what scum is entering the industry. That type individual is not considered a human anyway. My bad. Think it over long and hard. I'd invest in a real trade even if I was scum.Whoa is me. Yup, put the brakes on the trucking crapola and haven't looked back.


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go live the life for a weekend,sleep in the car,hang around truckstops and get a taste of it
three 11 hour days behind the wheel,hell with that go for the good life,three 11 hour nights
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ZIG, 11 hours behind the wheel is just the start of the day. You forgot the 3 hours of sitting at docks. 1 hour a day getting lost on a skinny road that you have no clue were it gose.
Sitting for 2 hours to get a load that dosn't pick up for 3 hours. When you do really get to sleep. It is at some dock for 2 hours while you are getting unloaded.202 N Main Street
Summerfield Il 62289
TRUCK PARKING AVAILABLE!

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One person's garbage is another persons treasure.
Total working hell for me is spending day after day in a factory. I dont care if it would pay $60 an hour I just can not stand it.
Every job has its own particular brand of BS. You just have to find the one that has a stink you can tolerate.
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Go for it, All the straight shooters on here will inform all the newbies of all the neg. things but they once were a newbie and they are still driving
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Total hell would be doing just about anything , but trucking for me.
I would say that the one driving job I would not do for any amount of money is drive Chicago local.202 N Main Street
Summerfield Il 62289
TRUCK PARKING AVAILABLE!

Answer:
Yep your right Uturn, alot of people like garbage. I've even seen a few people eating from garbage cans at truck stops.
I think it is strange as hell that people read about trucking and think they have it figured out. Well actually it's not very strange. Most tend to ignore the "naysayers" and listen to the good ole boys who toss in a little negative to varify all the good times trucking has to offer. Daytrader has it straight on his trucking comments above as do some others. Unfortunatly the newbie wannabe's coming here wont listen, they prefere to pat the posters backs that say what they want to hear.
Oh well, with that said. I will say I love trucking. Sure there are some hard times but where else can you be your own boss, travel the open road, see sights you wouldn't get to see otherwise, meet some terrific people and make more money than even remotely possible at a regular job. The hours are long of course but the money makes it worth it. Besides it's not about money. It's about freedom.
Sure there are times you might be stuck waiting to get loaded or meet some shipper that is a real jerk. heck even your dispatcher might be a butt head every once in a while. But you have a chance to pilot a large vehicle smoothly cruisin down some very scenic open highways either yacking on the CB with some Brother trucker or just playing the stereo taking it easy. It may get a little frustrating but it's not a hard job by any means.
I say go for it it would be a shame to not give your life long dream of being a trucker a try.

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After reading your resume,you may as well try another one. Thinking and being are quite different.

Piece of cake position only if paid by the hour.
I almost replied sarcasticly to Stuffs comments.
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Hey !! Thanks for the replies.. Great to get some different opinions. First I want to say trucking isnt my life long dream. I do think it's something I want to try. Trust me when I tell you I dont romantisize the open road with the wind blowing in the hair I dont have.
I plan to play out my current gig as a IT guy. 22 years its been good to me and I figure I have anywhere between tomorrow and 2 years left . Corporate America has given me a lot but I paid for it. Long hard days working up the mental sweat.
Ok sure.. at 46 I think the mid life crisis thing and the need for a new career will blend nicely together. I'm single, no kids and I have a buck of two in the bank. I also have a life long friend who drives tanker for Langer and he's been giving me the straight dope for a couple years now. Man again I really want you all to know I appreciate all the info on this board. I can hear the laughs while I proudly boast that I acutally drove my buddies truck almost a mile !!!!! Even changed gears !! HAHA
My plan is to play out my current I IT gig, get laid off... Goof off on my houseboat for a while, then hopefully let the state of GA pay for my CDL training via the WIA program. If not I will foot the bill myself. I hope to go to one of the community colleges to get the best training I can. I can truly see the safety thing. Clean MVR here. I hope to give this thing a try and see if it works for me.
One thing I will ask. Im a big dude .. 6'5 and about 300 lbs. I fit pretty well in my buddies Freightliner. Any thoughts on being NFL lineman size in this industry ???
Again.. my hats off to all of ya'alll
Liveaboard.

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You are tiny compared to some drivers I have seen.
As long as you can pass the DOT physical there is not an issue.
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At your size you will fit right in. You will be small to alot of folks.
Hey, try it. You might like it. I know I did. I got a little fed up with the folks that do not care and never wanted to give it a try. They were almosy forced into the industry. You will see what I mean latter.
On the Chicago thing. I wouldn't care if it paid 100 bucks a hour with double time over 8 hours. I just could not do it.
Trucking has been good to me. I could have made much more doing other things. I just like to do what I love.
Getting a load on or off can be a pain. It is only a problem for a short while. Then it is the road. The radio playing the best tunes. You just kicked back. Riding better then in a caddy. Reach over grap a Pop and enjoy your drink. Wave at your other brothers of the road as they pass you.
Till you get to you destination, or a truck stop and have to put up with the crap.
I am now trying someting different to me. I am doing LTL/state truck load work. I always said I would never do it. Just like I said flying by JB hunt trucks at 90 MPH in a new 379 Pete. I would never work for them. I wish I would have made the change sooner.
All the choices I have made have been fine for ME. I said alot of stuff I would never do with out knowing about them. Now, I know. Do not go buy what the "other" drivers are saying. Do your research and make YOUR right choice.202 N Main Street
Summerfield Il 62289
TRUCK PARKING AVAILABLE!