Why trucking ? | TheaterFire

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I got burned and burned out in Casinos and Retail, slogged as a normal employee and manager in both industries, needed something that was going to make me more money, almost 3 years in I’m hauling fuel now.

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GiantEnemaCrab@reddit

Because a recruiter lied to me.

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v2898@reddit

same exact situation lol

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Individual_Wasabi669@reddit (OP)

What did he say ? You can make up close to 250k a year ?lol

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GiantEnemaCrab@reddit

Pretty much lmao. Also that there was a driver shortage!

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WSLowmax@reddit

Probably because I’ve never had a decent job elsewhere. I’ve also not always had a decent job in trucking either, but over time I’ve found my place. I’m an owner operator with my own trailer and work for some really great people that leave me alone. I do the job expected of me and they pay me as expected. I don’t give the safety department a reason to talk to me and they leave me alone. I don’t whine about being gone and try to just follow the money and when it’s time to go home they point me in that direction and I tell them when I’m ready to go again.

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Diablo_Bolt@reddit

Got put of high school didn’t really know what to do with life, considered the military, got accepted to college for Accounting but decided I wouldn’t be happy doing that so dropped my classes before i started. Worked in a mix of retail/security positions for a bit while trying to decide between state police and getting my CDL. By the time i turned 21 i decided on my CDL so I got it and have enjoyed it so far, theres rough patches and all that but I make really good money and I actually really enjoy my time at work now. I get to sit back drive and listen to my audiobooks all day long 6 days a week while getting paid well. driving while listening to audiobooks on the way to work was one of the best parts of my days in security now I get paid to do it.

Trucking isn’t for everyone anf im sure my opinion on it will naturally change with time, maturity and experience but right now it’s a perfect fit for me and I love it.

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SidheDreaming@reddit

I loved doing computer work in the corporate world when it was just me and a computer. I did Data Entry all across the map from major Engineering firms to this tiny VA hospital. But somewhere along the way, my little data entry jobs started adding new work as less data entry was needed. So after a few years I found myself as a customer service person. The only thing I hated about my data entry jobs was the damn office politics. I hated having to pretend to be everyone's friend, not that I ever did. I hate people. A person can be cool, but people as a whole are just evil. Also, apparently my job was only ever considered 'entry level' so there was no way to earn more money unless I wanted to play the office politics game. So after 15 years, COVID hits and my entire department gets wiped. I was out of a job and no place I looked was willing to hire me for what I was making at my previous job. So I said eff it and got my CDL. Haven't looked back. While I do miss just sitting in a cubicle typing, I don't miss customer service. But my truck is like my cubicle now and I'm not just helping one company, I'm helping the world. Week before last I was hauling playground equipment that was donated by a non profit to a under funded school. Those kids are going to have an honest to goodness playground because of me.

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dsperry95@reddit

Currently a warehouse worker. Considering CDL because college isn't working out.

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locknloadchode@reddit

As a college drop out looking to switch careers into trucking, if you’re more than 3 semesters into college, just stick it out and get your bachelors. I wish I did

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dsperry95@reddit

I'm a Computer Science major and currently hold an associates. The reason I'm considering switching is because I just can't grasp coding and CS concepts really well and it takes me longer than average to understand them. I've had to repeat multiple classes many times and the stress just got to me. I might be able to qualify for some kind of Bachelor's degree but I don't really have any employable skillsets which is why I'm considering a CDL.
If I could do college over, I would've gone for a business degree.

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locknloadchode@reddit

I’m not far off from you. I was a computer engineering major and I really couldn’t grasp coding well either. My intro classes were still way above my head and I was struggling to just tread water for my first year. My 3rd semester got a little better but at that point I was so disinterested that I dropped out.

I’m not sure what I want to do at all. I’d like to go back to college but I can’t think of anything that interests me enough to take out student loans

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dsperry95@reddit

Yeah coding, CS, and STEM subjects in general are not meant for me. Which career did you end up getting into?

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locknloadchode@reddit

I’ve been a firefighter/paramedic for the past 5 years, but I worked in the oil field between dropping out of college and ending up here.

And trust me it’s not all it’s hyped up to be lol

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dsperry95@reddit

Damn that's crazy. I actually wanted to be a Firefighter before going to school for CS. I just wasn't enthusiastic about EMS and EMS is like 90% of the call volume. When you say it's "not all it's hyped to be lol" are you talking about firefighting or the oil field?

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locknloadchode@reddit

Firefighting. The oilfield was exactly what I expected it to be honestly. I wouldn’t mind going back at all now that I have my class A.

And yeah the vast majority of call volume is EMS and the vast majority of EMS is bullshit. There are very few departments/stations that are catching fires on a daily/almost daily basis. The pay is decent but not that great. My sleep schedule sucks working these shifts, and you still deal with the same manchildren coworkers that you get in any other blue collar job. There’s better things out there for sure.

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dsperry95@reddit

There is definitely something out there for us. I wish you the best in your journey.

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locknloadchode@reddit

Thank you man. You as well

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Individual_Wasabi669@reddit (OP)

Duck the college shit aint getting nothing on the table for a decent 20 years till u grab experience and learn things that u were never taught in college. Trades, trucking is what gets u money if u wanna skip that 4-5 year system

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Operator_1995@reddit

Became a driver because it was easy to get into. Went through old dominion’s driver program and quickly realized doesn’t pay enough. I liked the driving aspect of it tho. Went into the trades and make a shit load more

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locknloadchode@reddit

What do you do now?

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Operator_1995@reddit

HVAC tech

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Meatbuns66@reddit

To get away from the corporate white-collar work and not have to do customer service and suffer another idiot customer's babbling. Also having to work with shit-tier leaders in middle management. Lastly as a conservative, many large corporate offices have become hostile spaces for "wrongthink"because 10 years ago almost all large corporations have adopted Leftist dogma.

Having to advise my female employee if she feels uncomfortable that a man is in the woman's restroom she's welcome to use the single occupant unisex bathroom on the opposite end of the building. (she left the business next day).

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RhinoDK@reddit

I didn't know you could say this stuff on Reddit lol. 💯

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locknloadchode@reddit

You’re pretty safe on subreddits for blue collar jobs. Not guaranteed but it’s better than saying it on one of the main subreddits

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RoadStocks@reddit

True as fuck. ^^.

Ex Microsoft and Apple employee here, 15 years. now chem tanker. Trucking forever. Fuck corpo scum life. At least here we eat shit and know whats coming

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papisilla@reddit

Was working in a commission industry and the economy went to shit. Not what I want to do forever but it's not the worst gig

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Connor4543@reddit

I was a line cook for like 8 years and was willing to try anything to get out of it. Went on Craigslist and clicked on jobs. Seen a lot of Class A CDL and was like “I think I could do that”

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Glum_Comfort_3675@reddit

It's in my blood.

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Claim_Alternative@reddit

I like minimum contact with people.

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Individual_Wasabi669@reddit (OP)

Fr, just me , cup of fresh brewed coffee and some background music People r full of bullshit

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Abucfan21@reddit

Fifty four years old and couldn't land a job as a retail store manager after getting let go ( 34 year career).

I was too old.

But now I make more than all my former peers and have 99% less stress.

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Physics-Pool@reddit

Started a small carrier with an ex business partner. He screwed me over...now I drive because no one is hiring/paying experienced ops managers as much as they pay drivers.

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Plus_Piglet5017@reddit

Grandfather, dad, and a couple uncles all drove… it’s in the blood.

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CarterMT099@reddit

I worked pretty closely with drivers from my last job for a number of years. Started at that company when I was 19 and once I hit 21 they kept telling me I should get my CDL because I’d make good money doing it. After leaving that job I started to more seriously look into it, and here we are.

Overall I enjoy it. I run linehaul so the work is easy. I can’t see myself doing this for the rest of my life though, but it’ll be a good plan b for when I’m in college.

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CookiesCrumble22@reddit

It’s decent money and you don’t need to take a course that takes 1-3 years.

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Individual_Wasabi669@reddit (OP)

Yup in&out, 2-3 weeks

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Human_Lecture_348@reddit

Because I'm lazy and everything else was actual work

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Kkalemauser@reddit

I love to drive.

It has its ups and downs like any career. Companies can go out of business anytime.

Trucking helps me find great places to hide dead hookers.

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skylerdick090200@reddit

Thought it would be fun, which the process ( going to cdl school, taking the tests, etc.) was. Actually getting a job and seeing how it is kind of takes the fun out of it for me. While I dont hate the job its certainly not something I see myself doing as a long term career.

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FilthyNasty626@reddit

I got out of the army and became a driver, just like my dad and his dad did. This is what our family does. We serve our country, and continue to serve as civilians. Plus side is I was a medic, in 16 years I have rendered first aide to 5 serious accidents 11 pt total with only 1 fatality. She was DOA. Useful skill to have out here on the roads especially in the west where a level 1 trauma center could be an hour away by air one way.

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Laffenor@reddit

I have wanted to be a truck driver since I had enough conscience to know what a truck driver was. My parents have an old audio recording of 2yo me exclaiming the word "truck" (which is a multi syllable word in my language) as a reply to what our neighbour was driving.

Been driving for 18 years now, absolutely love it!

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TJorange2006@reddit

At 19, I was convinced I wanted to be an OTR driver. Through research, found out I wasn’t old enough. So I went with plan B, of pursuing a career in auto mechanics. By age 22, I realized that wasn’t going to be a fulfilling career for me. I hoped on a Greyhound bus to orientation with a mega carrier, and spent 7 years on the road. It was a lot of fun!

Having been off the road for close to a year now, I look back and recognize the loneliness and depression. I encourage OTR to those interested, but also caution against making it a lifelong career.

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Individual_Wasabi669@reddit (OP)

Local it’s for me, money is important, but I couldn’t imagine a day passing without seeing my family

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TJorange2006@reddit

100%. I agree with you. OTR is only realistic for the ones with no family.

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Chaos_Theology@reddit

My wife had divorced me at the time, this was in 2010. I ended up having to live in a rented room at a boarding house that was no bigger than a walk-in closet. I was depressed and full of despair. I live that way for a good three months before I decided to get my ass out of bed and try to do something with my screwed up life. During this time I was in college for radio broadcasting and video production but after the divorce, I became so depressed that I just couldn’t see myself doing that for much longer.

I thought it would’ve been beneficial to explore the United States and just be by myself, so I researched some trucking companies got my CDL and started driving around the country exploring everything that I could.

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Haulin680@reddit

I truly loved trucks and driving them when I first started…almost 35 years later, regulations have ruined the industry. “SOME” if the technology is nice such as some of the navigation and the choices of what you can listen to on the road. Otherwise, everything is micro managed now, theirs little independence to the job. That was part of the appeal to this industry. The DPF systems only raised the cost of EVERYTHING, chokes the power on the engine and wreaks havoc on the truck. People with certain agendas are trying to slowly force independent operators out who don’t want to be babysat and are trying to make a decent living. So…why trucking? I don’t know at this point. If I were younger I’d probably choose a different career.

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unloader86@reddit

Was looking into oilfield work. Saw that CDL jobs were plentiful out there. Got my CDL, did my year, went to the oilfields, they went bust, still kept on driving. Good days and bad days, just like any other career. You have to be proactive in making it work out for you. Best decision I've ever made. Without this I'd probably still be unloading trucks for Walmart or driving a forklift.

6 year old me who used to sit in the yard and watch trucks pull out from the flour mill across the street and wonder where they were going is thrilled. 38 year old is pretty cranky with my 4am start time lol.

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TruckerBiscuit@reddit

Hated being an academic. Paid shit. Lazy disinterested students. Administrators were morons. Took up trucking and am happier than I've been since I was a radio DJ in the 80s and 90s.

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SOTF777@reddit

Pops is a trucker. I used to like it, it was fun to me now it’s just a job thinking about hanging up the keys and finding something new soon.

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Individual_Wasabi669@reddit (OP)

Why you doing career switch?

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Fullgasnobrakes@reddit

Easy entry, easy money.

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Individual_Wasabi669@reddit (OP)

Same thoughts, all other jobs require ton of senseless sh*t, long hiring process and low entry level income, that’s why i became a trucker tbh !

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12InchPickle@reddit

Dad was a driver. I found it interesting

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Individual_Wasabi669@reddit (OP)

Definitely it’s, it’s like a office job, but different

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bmrt60@reddit

Generational career. Passed down

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Individual_Wasabi669@reddit (OP)

Hopefully they count ur dad’s experience in your resume 😂

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bmrt60@reddit

Doin just fine out here. Hopefully new truck builds done by 2026.

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geneticdeadender@reddit

It's actually better now that I have diabetes and hypertension. They don't try to work me 60 hours a week anymore and it's normal to work less that 8 hours.

I treat my hypertension and my days are more calm and I can concentrate and being more efficient and doing things right.

The diabetes is a problem but I take my meds and exercise in the mornings. I think eventually I won't be able to pass a DOT physical, but for now I can.

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Individual_Wasabi669@reddit (OP)

Getting in worried about being scheduled for 40h(aiming for the overtime pay tbh), at least in the beginning till i get everything arranged. But u go strong bro u got it, get every last day of the field, we all gon have a last day in it