Advice!

[704noah]

I'm 47 years old and at the end of my first career (restaurant management). I have money saved and am considering getting into truck driving. I'm not married, no kids. Any advice on schools, nature of the truck driving beast? I don't expect to get rich, just looking for the next move to make.

[ranger309]

Originally Posted by 704noah

I'm 47 years old and at the end of my first career (restaurant management). I have money saved and am considering getting into truck driving. I'm not married, no kids. Any advice on schools, nature of the truck driving beast? I don't expect to get rich, just looking for the next move to make.

Welcome to Trucking Boards!

Well with no experience, you have two choices: pay on your own and get a CDL with a truck driving school. Personally I dont recommend this for a lot of reasons ,including the 6000 dollar cost and the lack of proper training. I can't tell you how times I have had to help back in a trailer at a stop because they didn't give the driver enough traning in backing up into slim docks with not much runout (room to swing the tractor into place). Logbook violations are also a big hit for new drivers who get pulled into a scale-house for an inspection.

The other way to go is to sign to with a large carrier like Swift, JB Hunt or the Big Pumpkin (Schieder) and they will school you, but you will have to sign on for a year or so to recoup the costs and they are notorious for leaving bad DAC reports no matter what. Also dont expect to make what they tell you the first year either.

You may also be team driving with another driver and that isnt fun for lots of folks including me. I drive solo or I don't drive at all, but I had the advantage of growing up in a family of drivers so I never had to do either of these things, with a couple of exceptions, all of them bad ones.

If you think you can handle being on the road for weeks at a time, sleeping in your truck, then go right ahead, but make no mistake, driving 500 mile+ a day is no picnic and trucking isnt just about driving, you really need to be willing to do your homework to be a great driver. You will need to learn about log books, load and weight factors and the hundreds of damn laws we have to obey.

This is a great place to find out about trucking as many of us have millions of miles under our belts and we know what to expect out there on the road and the rules of the trade.

Having said that, good luck and I hope it works out for you. We need good drivers out here and you might just be one of them.

[JLKKLJ777]

The cheapest way to get training is to get your local job placement agency to foot the bill. If you are a displaced worker there may be state or federal programs which will pay the tuition for retraining.

If you do not qualify for the above then the next cheapest option will be to pay for schooling yourself. You can usually negotiate a pretty decent price when you have cash in hand. The benefit to this strategy is you will have more options at the end of your training as to who you go to work for.

The final choice is going through a company sponsored training program. As Ranger309 has mentioned there are large carriers that will agree to train you provided you sign a contract and agree to work for them for at least a year. In the event you wash out of the school, decide not to work for that carrier, get fired, or quit the job you will STILL be on the hook for the cost of the training.

Otr (over the road) trucking is how most drivers get into the biz. This means weeks at a time traveling all over the country usually. Basically you will live in that truck from the time you leave from your home until you return.

It is a solitary existence for the most part. Loneliness, boredom, frustration, and fatigue will be commonplace.

Chances are the only contact you will have with others is via computer, cb radio, or when checking in at customers to pick up or deliver. Other than that maybe chatting with fellow drivers in a truckstop restaraunt once in a while.

To adapt to this life style you must be self motivated, independant, enjoy driving, be a loner, and creative. No-one will wake you up in the morning. It will be your responsibility to traverse the country based on your map reading skills (some companies will help with routing programs). You will be driving up to 11 hours within a 14 hour period so plan on driving 500 to 700+ miles per day. Sitting in the cab of your truck you will have PLENTY of time to be introspective. I hope you like yourself because that is who you will be stuck with every day. You will have to be creative when it comes to planning your routes and keeping track of your logbook. Many call this a "comic book" as it is usually a work of fiction. Drivers will "adjust" their logbooks as needed to get loads to customers on time. The alternative is to miss an appointment and get stuck waiting for the customer to "work you in" or wait for a new appointment which means you LOSE money.

As for what you can reasonably expect to make as a truck driver, figure on 35 to 40 grand per year to start. The potential to make more is there but is really up to you and your dispatcher. 50 grand per year is a pretty good benchmark for drivers with 2 to 3 years experience. Of course you will spend alot of money on the road if you are not disciplined. Most savvy drivers will have a cooler or refrigerator and microwave on their trucks to save money.

[Cerberus_Kelpie]

Originally Posted by 704noah

I'm 47 years old and at the end of my first career (restaurant management). I have money saved and am considering getting into truck driving. I'm not married, no kids. Any advice on schools, nature of the truck driving beast? I don't expect to get rich, just looking for the next move to make.

As stated: WELCOME TO TRUCKINGBOARDS!!

Now for the fun!!

Schools:
They are what they are and can range in price from $1900.00 to $6,000.00
Check around your area for some if you should prefer a Private School (just pay this one place) to a Company School (pay this one place AND sign on for a minimum time, like a Year). Community Colleges offer some course work in Truck Driving/Training.

Nature of the Truck Driving Beast:
There are many like for instance: Fueling the Truck. What fun that is at some of the less attractive (trashy) centers. Scaling the Load--what fun especially at the Pilot in Hotlanta on the 285. Showers at any place=usually disgusting ESPECIALLY at ANY t. a.(Trash America), Peelot(because of the urine stench), loves(when one can even find a parking slot), and a slew of other locations/businesses.

My questions to You:
Do You not like the Life and the Freedom You now have?
Do You not like the partnerships, relationships, etc., You have now?
Do You like to be alone a lot?
Do You like eating in some real Slop Houses (truck stop restaurants)?
Have You ever really taken some LONG Trips in vehicles?
Do You want to deal with MORE People that have bad attitudes?
Managing a Restaurant is one thing, where Managing a Truck Driving "career" is completely different.
I've been a "Manager" (of my "career") for many years yet the experiences don't allow for Management in ANY other field.

Thank You for Your Time!!