How About Trucking?

[TheVitaleMob]

Hey all. Although I'm only 21, I'm thinking about going into long haul trucking very soon, and then after 2 or 3 years, settling into a regional delivery-type job with a national vendor such as Coke, Pepsi, Budweiser, etc. so that I can come home every night to my (soon to be) wife. Does anyone here have trucking experience and could give me an opinion of the feasability of my plan? Any other comments by anybody else are welcome too.

[cigarsarge]

Don't know much about over the road trucking but I do know about working on a Coke truck. My advice on that is don't make a career out of that. I spent thirteen years on one. My knees and back will never be the same. Fortunately I got out of it before I totally ruined myself.

There is a upside to that. You learn how to deal with people. That has helped me in my real career tremendously. You also make good connections for future job opportunities on a route truck.

Good luck

[TheSilentChamber]

Trucking sucks, take sarges advice... dont stay in it for long.

[Kayakinboy]

My mom's second husband (she's on the third) was a truck driver for 5 years and then become a suit for the company. He enjoyed it for the most part but he was never with the family. If you have no wife or real obilgations, spending a year or 5 on the road isn't too bad.

But unless you are gunna advance out of the cab one day, I agree, don't stick with it too long

[JJ Westbrook]

No matter how much you like it, your (soon to be) wife will NOT like you trucking. Take it from someone who knows. My father has been a trucker since I was a kid. My mother raised us 3 kids (not complaining about that so much as just missing my dad). Also, when I was 13, my parents divorced mainly due to my mom getting tired of being lonely.

One of my brothers did it for several years. And he is now divorced with two kids. I considered doing it myself but decided that having a family was more important to me.

If you plan to stay single, it's not a bad job (though it is bad on your body after many years). But if you want a family, find another job/career.

[WhiteWidow]

I think it would be cool because then you could pick up Pee Wee Herman hitchhiking and help him find his bike.

[grand cru no 2]

Here's my advice to you if you want to go into OTR driving:

1. Do not expect to go home every weekend (you simply cannot make money if you spend half your time going home).

2. Be responsible with the money you make. Spending so much time on the road it's very easy to lose track of how much you're spending. There are guys that drive for me that are living on a load to load basis because they can't control their spending habits.

3. Find a company that will train you properly. The driving schools suck! Even though you may have to go through one in order to get your foot in the door somewhere, understand that they do not teach you how to be a truck driver!

Good luck, whatever you decide.