Hello,

I have been reading this forum for a couple of days and am facinated by the truck driving culture. I have been and still am a police officer for 17 years now. I have 12 years to go before I can retire. However I am almost 40 years old and feel like I am just waiting for retirement. I have been studying the life of a truck driver on the internet and think I may like to give it a try. I would like to hear from others who have changed careers in mid stream and get advice from you professional truckers.

What do you think...Should I go for it?

Thanks!

P.S. I have a wife and three kids.

 

Lets just trade jobs. All I've ever wanted to do is be a police officer. I had bad credit and a little overweight at the time of picking my course in school. So instead of BLET I took CDL. I wouldn't trade the exp. for nothing but I would jump careers in a heartbeat. I'm surprised this job hasn't made me hate cops because I've lost alot of money in Cali. grrrr

 

How stable is your marraige, and how old are your kids??

Does your wife work?? What is your debt to income ratio?? How much do you have in the way of savings, or investments that can be accessed within ten days if a financial emergency arises?? What about health insurance?? Can you afford to make COBRA payments for the next several months while you are waiting to become eligible for health insurance through your new employer??

No one here can really answer your question; this is a question of your own design.

Can the career jump be made?? Yes!!

At the same time, and especially considering your age and finacial responsibilities, you need to have a good, solid financial game plan developed and in effect before you make the change.

As a rookie, the first year is always the hardest, and the while home time is important, it can also cause serious financial strains. If you are thinking of developing a financial strategy AFTER you take to the highways, then you will be flirting with some serious trouble.

BOL!!

 

Milby:

Though I'm not a driver (yet..still contemplating!), Hopefully I can offer you some advice. Ever since I can remember, all I've wanted to do was become a police officer, however, due to my employment history, that's out of reach for me at this point. I find value in helping others, and would enjoy restoring peace, and hopefully my day may come, sooner or later.

I do, however, work in the trucking industry, and I have heard horror stories from Over The Road drivers. I've gone on a few trips with my friends who are drivers, and I don't think I could handle OTR driving! Speed limit restrictions, harassment by police officers (yes, this comes from someone wanting to be a cop!), and driving in all types of weather. It comes with a huge liability. If you have an accident, I've been told by my friends that the truck driver is treated like a second rate citizen, and in most cases, its the driver that has to defend himself, even though someone in a car may be 100% at fault...the driver is most always being grilled (though some drivers DO deserve it however.)

During my trips, it was fun at first, but just staring at open roads 24/7 got boring real quick. Truck stop food, truck stop showers, nasty weather, idiot drivers on the highway...don't think I could do OTR, but perhaps a local gig. If you did do OTR, depending on the company, you'd spend a MINIMUM of 20 days on the road, and maybe, if you're lucky, 2-3 days at home. This job might be perfect for a single guy, but with 3 kids, I think you'd find yourself in a sticky situation, wanting to return to LE, or perhaps do a local job.

A buddy of mine has a 2 year old son, and though he makes a ton of money, he's on the road for a minimum of a month at a time, with only about 3-5 days at home. He doesnt' like it because he's missing seeing his son growing up, teaching him things, like fishing, hunting, mechanic stuff, you know, guy stuff. He also hates dispatchers who expect you to get to a destination at times when its just not feasible. It makes you wonder: should I do this and risk violating DOT laws and getting a hefty fine, or should I drive these miles to protect my job?? Some companies are that cut-throat. If you do decide to drive, think it through! LE is a great job. If you leave, you'll probably not stand a chance in getting back in with all the testing that's required.

Give me a call if you want to chat more 630-664-4767.

Erick

 

ya right your going to give up 17 years of service to be a low paid truck driver. There is no defined pension plan in trucking. Trucking is the lowest pay for the most dangerous occupation out there.

 

milby, if I were you, i'd do the 12 more years in law enforcement, then give trucking a shot. You'd have a pension just in case you didn't like it, and trucking would be a 2nd income if you do like it, plus your kids will be grown, depending how old they are. And 52 is not too old to start, as long as you are able to pass a DOT physical. I just retired after 30 years with GM. I'll be 50 next month and plan on starting my trucking career next year after a move to PA. No kids and my wife is o.k with it. Good luck to you...Dave

 

thanks for the replies. I have no debt other than a mortgage. No saving either though. I only make about $36,000.00 per year. I don't know, I guess I am just burnt out and need to try something different. You hear all the time "If you are in a job you don't like move on...life is too short"

I work 4 -10hr. days and am off 3. Are there any driving jobs that I could try part time on my days off.

I have enough vacation built up I may go through a trucking school and get my CDL next summer just to see if I would like it. Would that be a good idea to get a taste of trucking?

Thanks again.

 

start making phone calls to all the local trucking co.'s

tell them who you are and what you want........you never know!!!!! :wink: :wink: :wink:

all the best!!! 8) 8)

 

Milby,

Every guy I know, including myself, has gone thru a mid life crisis. It's usually in the early forties. Hate your job blah blah blah. For some it passes, others do something about it. In my case I had some money after years of good income in sales, my wife has a good job with benefits, and my kids are grown (but not gone!). I had no pension plan or seniority to lose. If I wanted to go back I could. I chose to give it try and I dont regret it but it was alot harder than I thought it would be. In your case I would suck it up and finish your LE career. Then rethink driving. You cant throw away your seniority, benefits, vacation time, and pension. They took years to get. I did not have those things. All I walked away from was my income and I could get that back if this didnt work out. I say dont do it.

 

I think the first thing you have to do is talk to your wife and know that it might take her a while to warm up to the idea... if ever.

My husband had to change careers because of an injury, but prior to getting hurt he was miserable at his job. When he first brought up trucking I said "No way!" But he persisted. He did a lot of research and we talked about it a lot. I brought up every negative thing I could find about it and said "have you thought about...."

It was a long process, but in the end I recognized that it was something he had to do and I couldn't tell him no.

It has not been easy and the first year was horrible. We took a big cut in pay and it took patience on both ends to get through it.

Now that we're a year into it, the pay has increased and things are getting easier.

There's no way you can make this change without the love and support of your wife and you need to truly undertand what you are asking of her and she needs a good support system at home.

For us, it's working. He truly does love it and I love him so we've adjusted and made the best of it. I don't think I could've supported him and done it if our son was younger. (He's 17) He still misses Dad, but he also recognizes how much happier dad is.

We enjoyed reading blogs and message boards when we were making our decision, so he started a blog to share his journey with others. www.atruckerandhiswife.blogspot.com

(I'll have to remind him to update. He just went back after some hometime and hasn't quite gotten back on schedule yet.)