By: PEGGY,
GOOD HOPE GA.
HI, MY NAME IS PEGGY AND MY HUSBAND IS NAME DANNY.WE ARE CHECKING AND LOOKING AND ASKING QUESTIONS ABOUT BECOMING TRUCKER. WE ARE NOT SURE ON IT.DANNY HAS BEEN LAID OFF IS JOB ONE YEAR AGO IN APRIL.HE HAD PUT IN JOBS APPLICATION EVERWHERE.!!!!! IT IS HARD TO FIND WORK OUT HERE. WE LIVE AT ONE PLACE 41 YEARS . WE NOT SEE MUCH OF THE USA. IM A CATER AND WEDDING EVENTS. BUT THE WORK IS NOT COMING IN TO PAID OUR BILLS. WE BOTHS HAVE CDL LICENSE.WE KNOW THAT WE GOT TO GO TO TRUCKING SCHOOL TO GET OUR TRUCKING LICENSE. WE WANT BE TEAMS DRIVERS. WE BOTH ARE HARD WORKING PEOPLE. WE ARE IN OUR 5O. WE DONT KNOW HOW IT IS OUT THERE. I SEEND YOUR BLOG VICKI SIMONS .OUR EXPERIENCE HOPE TO HERE FROM YOU OUT THERE. THANK YOU FOE YOUR TIME. PEGGY & DANNY PLEASE FILL FREE TO EMAIL ME BACK {email address removed} THANK AGINE!!!!
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Response from Vicki:
Hello, Peggy,
Thanks for inquiring about a possible career change through our Trucker Transition: Tips on Moving From Home to Truck Full-Time page.
There are several aspects to your inquiry, some of which I have learned from you outside your submission. I would like to ask some questions and provide some guidance.
[1. How hard will it be for you and your husband to go through truck driver training school to get the type of Commercial Driver’s Licenses that will allow you to drive a Class 8 truck (assuming that is the route you choose)?]
Driving a truck full-time is a great deal different from driving a bus part-time.
[2. How difficult will it be on your bodies to transition into trucking?]
Trucking is a physically demanding “lifestyle occupation,” no matter how little extra work a driver may do (like loading or unloading freight, tightening straps or chains, or tarping loads).
Female truckers have some unique challenges when it comes to saving money in trucking. When Mike and I started out, one of our must-have packing list items was a portable toilet, for at least some of the reasons listed here. Any woman who has bladder issues will need to think twice about driving professionally.
Team drivers have another layer of issues to contend with on the road. Mike and I started team driving a little over a year after we’d been married. It brought us closer together. For other couples, it might drive them apart (no pun intended). They are not used to working together at all, let alone staying together in a very small space (the interior of a truck) for long periods of time.
For long-married couples who have been in one home for a long time, uprooting from an established lifestyle can be tough. We’re not saying it can’t be done, but please consider these aspects very carefully ahead of time.
[3. Do your finances allow you the freedom to start a career in trucking?]
This includes not just the cost of truck driver training school, but also anything associated with relocating (even if you pack up all your belongings, put them in self storage and live in a truck full-time).
New truckers (rookies) usually get paid the least and generally get the less favorable loads. The rule of thumb is that the first year is always the hardest. Once you have a year of accident-free trucking under your belt, you can start looking around for better opportunities.
If you have a mortgage or can’t sell your home, you need to think carefully about making this transition.
[4. How hard will it be on you to be away from your home, family and friends while you’re in trucking?]
I totally empathize with your desire to want work and your desire to find something that is “in demand.” However, you need to know that some prospective truckers throw their lot in with trucking companies that exploit them financially, and they wind up in an even worse state than before! So, please tread carefully before you jump in with both feet.
[5. How far from your home will you have to go in order to find a trucking job?]
Check out the trucking companies in your area and in the vicinity of the largest metropolitan area nearest you.
Before you settle on any particular trucking company, research the trucker forums online to see what other drivers say about them. Do not rely on the full-color, glossy ads in the publications at truck stops. Know what to ask recruiters before you sign on.
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Unless and until you come to grips with the realities of trucking, I urge you to stay where you are. There are other income opportunities in today’s world for those who seek it. We recommend one that we have personally experienced the benefits of.
I wish you well in all of your endeavors. If it is the case that you decide to go into trucking, Mike and I wish you safe travels and lots of money saving opportunities on the road.
Best regards,
Vicki Simons
