Anyone here quit their job to go drive a truck,and is it everything you thought it was?

 

I think that would depend upon how realistic your perspectives are, and how well you have educated yourself before you quit your job to go drive a truck.

The guys who come here with:

"I love to drive, I want to get out and see the sights, and get paid for it. I want to bring down $1,000.00 per week starting out, and I want to be home every weekend!!".....

are in for some very rude awakenings!!!

 

how long have you been driving??

 

is 800 a week unrealistic?

 

There may be a few companies where you could make $800/week starting out, but it will be rare. $600-700 would be closer after training.

 

I did, and no regrets. I was a mechanic in my past life, that's actually how I got into driving. I worked for a race team and got my CDL so I could drive the transporter. Wasn't long before I realized driving the truck was my favorite part of the job. Didn't help that my old boss was a real cheapskate and I was barely making a living wage (he seemed to think that having a "cool" job was payment enough, same as my boss at the job before that). Now I have a pretty nice local gig delivering to Old Navy stores. Not as glamorous as my previous automotive jobs, but I'm bringing home better money, I'm not as stressed out all the time, and I actually like working on my cars again in my spare time. I guess you just have to weigh out how much you like your current job, and how driving would compare to it. It's going to be different for everybody.

 

Driving a truck is all in what you make of it. I've been doing it since i graduated high school, but that was kind of in my plans since i was little kid. If you're happy in your job now, and think that leaving it to pursue a career that "allows you to see the country, and get paid doing it", or atleast that's what the infomercials will have you to believe, you just might want to reconsider your decission to make a career change. I've done both OTR and local, and have settled in to a good local job, OTR is a tough life no matter how you look at it, long hours awake, and even longer periods of time away from home, and although local work has the upside of home every night, don't let it fool you, there is still a lot of work involved. I get up at 3:30 am every morning and start my day hauling sod, i average about 2000 miles a week, and although i'm home every night and off on weekends, it still takes its toll on me. Just think about it long and hard before you get in too deep, and don't believe the hype and empty promises so many companies like to put in their adds, trucking employment magazines need to be more like car adds and put in the "fine" print at the bottom of the add, therefore you know what you're getting yourself in to.

 

Well the more I talk to drivers the more the true harsh reality of truck driving is coming out,it's not the fairy tale the recruiters make it out to be,always wanted to be a truck driver but I'm afraid the romance of it will probably wear off real fast,think I'll just jump in my p/u and make a long road trip to satisfy the driving itch.
I used to work all over the States working construction maybe the traveling part is still in my blood.

 

Most recruiters have never driven a truck. [/quote]

 

I am sorry that you were discouraged. It is good to remember that it is still a job. You can make $1,000/wk, but as we discussed earlier, most will not start out at that wage. It takes a while to learn what you are doing and to prove your worth. Most drivers earn more money the longer they stay in this business. When we start any new endeavor, we all must pay our dues.