Feel trapped, are there any alternative careers?
Posted by TaperingRanger9@reddit | Truckers | View on Reddit | 52 comments
Tbh trucking certainly beats an office or a warehouse job. But it has its downsides and I don't like where the industry is going. I wanna stack some more cash for a bit longer and then leave. I mostly just want a work-life balance again. But I feel trapped because there's nothing else I feel like i could do that pays the same without a degree or trade. I can't work a normal job cuz they don't pay enough. Am I trapped or do I have options? I'd consider staying in trucking if I could find a job that's 8 hour days and weekends off. Or 4 long shifts and 3 days off. But those seem extremely rare and sought after. I really just need time for myself. I'm fucking miserable rn.
Playful-Excuse-272@reddit
You can always go into nursing school. Those nurses make hand over fist. Not bad if you wanna be around women 😏
Plumbing
Electrician
Firm-Tangerine-2114@reddit
OP wants work life balance. Nursing is the polar opposite 🤔
Bluetriton5500@reddit
Not true, a typical schedule for a nurse is 3 12s. That's great work life balance.
Playful-Excuse-272@reddit
I thought that too but I thought they didn’t mind the 4 day shift with the 3 off…
Successful-Desk9588@reddit
No, it doesn't beat warehouse jobs , I make 100k working 50 hours with a 15-minute commute
TaperingRanger9@reddit (OP)
What do u do? What company?
Successful-Desk9588@reddit
Sysco order selector
Thepopethroway@reddit
you forgot to mention that it's not for the weak
Successful-Desk9588@reddit
It's not, if you don't take care of your body this is a back braking job
ifbevvixej@reddit
Farm/Ranch www.thefencepost.com some have housing
Welding www.westernweldingacademy.com www.learntoweld.com
Missouri Welding Institute (they're on tik tok and have housing)
Other trades:
Plumbing
HVAC
Electrician
Lineman
Elevator technician
Pharmacy technician
Air traffic controller
Flight attendant
Construction
Garbage worker (you'll need Class B to drive truck)
Cement mix company driver, some will train for your Class B and pay well
Oil rigs
Oil field
Fishing (like deadliest catch tv show)
Cruise ships will house, feed, and pay you while youre working for them.
Missouri Welding Institute is a welding trade school and they house you. Not sure if they pay you during school but that solves 2 issues
You could join the military
screamingriffin@reddit
Feels trapped and you offer the military as one of the options, that is the opposite of not being trapped. No one should join the military, it's the worst option for someone who had options.
Thepopethroway@reddit
feeling trapped and making good money or BEING trapped and making nothing lol
AesthetesStephen@reddit
MWI charges around $20k for the schooling but they offer job placement right out of graduation and I believe it’s an 8 week course. People can apply for grants and such to help with tuition
UmSureOkYeah@reddit
Healthcare
Initial-Relation-696@reddit
Or a little pay cut and home driving dump trucks, a lot of milk companies do daily, cement, locasl lumberyard. Nice to be home every night.
LeveledGarbage@reddit
I almost took a bulk milk job, but with year round chaining getting in/out of dairies being a real possibility, and rotating weekends, naw fam I'm okay.
TwoTrucksPayingTaxes@reddit
The class B heating oil trucks in my area make bank! More than I did at my milk place, that's for sure. The local job environment is so much better than it was when I got my CDL
nkhc@reddit
You're one of millions that fall into this trap after going OTR. You make more money so you spend more money. Get rid of all your monthly payments and debt and you will be able to afford to work a normal job again. I set myself up to where I could work part time at Home Depot and go to school.
LeveledGarbage@reddit
I see the same hauling fuel local, its fucking sad seeing dudes that have to work 6070hrs a week, fuck that. I'm working on moving over to LTL, P&D or Linehaul, that will by my "normal" job.
AesthetesStephen@reddit
I’m in the process of this from an owner OP, got my bills dwindled down to mortgage and utilities. Just waiting for my truck to break down again and I’m out of here 😂
nkhc@reddit
I sold mine in 2023 when I realized more and more guard shack employees can't speak English either and they're just adapting to foreign drivers. Went company and been off the road since May this year and don't regret it.
AesthetesStephen@reddit
At this point I’ll go be a safety guy for somebody and piss off all the super truckers. I’d probably enjoy it more
DanielFromCucked@reddit
One year of trucking pays for 3 years of sweet unemployed living for me. 35 Single. You're doing something very wrong with your finances.
heesus_the_great@reddit
Consider foodservice, very physically demanding but where I'm at it's 3 or 4 days a week (3 on off season but still full time hours) pays well and may be unionized
hackingmule@reddit
Become the enemy. Join Dispatch.
rytram99@reddit
That isnt joining the enemy. Truckers like myself love it when we get a TM that used to be a trucker because they actually know what its like and are less likely to hassle you. They understand needing to find parking, they understand that the road happens and will always find something to throw at you to delay you. They just get it. I honestly believe that dispatch should be reserved for truckers who want to change careers without changing companies.
Geaux3469@reddit
I did! I would say the drivers actually prefer dealing with me over the others cuz I actually give a damn.
Whitehoneybun666@reddit
I was feelin the same way that’s why I stopped and came back to a warehouse job temporarily I’m thinkin marine merchant next yea I’ll be gone from home longer but a lot more money so it’s worth it
18WheelerHustle@reddit
Spotter?
cdubose@reddit
Spotters make shit, around me they were hiring $18/hr.
18WheelerHustle@reddit
I was at $35 when I was spotting but yes different location for sure
cdubose@reddit
Damn, I need to be a spotter where you were.
Genericsoda4@reddit
Fictional spotter company ™️
Hefty-Woodpecker4484@reddit
Find your cities local Amazon Freight Partners and apply there. Most of those places have 3 day x 13 hour schedules. They don’t usually pay too well but hard to beat a 40 hour check off of 3 days of work. Here’s a tip as well:
If you can get a hold of their USDOT number, go to the FMCSA’s Safer Web Company Snapshot lookup website, and enter it in the search bar. It should pull up their carrier info, including a phone number. Most of the time that phone number will put you directly into contact with the owner of the company (if it’s a smaller sized company like most Amazon Freight Partners are).
Thick-Bat-3109@reddit
I found a local oilfield (gas where I’m at) company that primarily moves work over rigs and we work about twelve a day. Gravy work. If you’re anywhere there’s any of it involved I’d look for it. I got lucky and got hired in green but I’ve got 6 months of farm tag big rig experience and have pulled a trailer since my age was single digits. If you like driving you can find a local driving gig. We’ve got about 8 trucks. They’re all long hood 379’s and I’ve never felt cooler. We also haul equipment and other stuff around but primarily rigs. There’s construction equipment everywhere.
Creepy-Map369@reddit
Trucking Life got significantly easier for me when I swapped to LTL my company has a dairy contract and I deliver to stores. Home everyday off two days in a row Hours can range from 8-14 but I can start as early as I want and once I’m done I’m done. I’ll still look to get out eventually but it’s actually a tolerable career now.
Never will go otr again lol
Baconated-Coffee@reddit
I made 80k to the check my first year as a crane operator (IUOE) apprentice. That's at 60% of the base journeyman wage. Getting into a skilled trade doesn't necessarily mean having to take a pay cut, especially if you get into one that requires a CDL.
Financial-Prize9691@reddit
Dude, one of my buddies is a crane operator out of Northern CA, once he hit journeyman he was working 6 months a year and clearing over 100k. Never wanted to be 20ish again so bad and go down that route.
Baconated-Coffee@reddit
Never too late, I started at 38
AesthetesStephen@reddit
Never too late. I’m almost 30 and planning on applying when they accept the next round.
ElMeroCeltibero@reddit
I just got a job offer from my local city driving class B that was 4 days on/3 off, maybe try looking where you live
RiskyWaffles@reddit
It depends on what you wanna do. You can download skill cat app and learn HVAC and get your EPA 1,2,3 . That’s a big step in becoming an apprentice. Skill cat has great tutorial videos for explanations and fixes.
You can learn to be a mobile pet groomer. I think I spend anywhere between 160 and 200+ dollars getting a golden retriever groomed at the pet store.
poutinelover6@reddit
You should try looking into regional. My trips are 36 hours total from start to finish with weekends off. 3 trips per week and I manage to get $1500 a week which is fine for me. You'll still get a work life balance that way.
cdubose@reddit
Try looking for companies that need truckers but aren't trucking companies. A lot of these are home daily and weekends off. You can start by just observing what fleet trucks you see driving around you all the time. Some places to start if you need some fleets to consider:
Also, what about LTL? The pickup and delivery part of those usually pay well and it's during the day; shouldn't be much longer than 8 hours.
AesthetesStephen@reddit
Yessir, worked for Sealy Mattress for over 5 years and was a teamster shop. Best job I ever had. At most you’d be staying in a hotel for a night here or there. Good pay, amazing benefits, and easy work. Sure you gotta lump some mattresses but beat the hell out of food service.
GreatBean@reddit
This is the biggest thing. I've been driving since COVID, and have worked for 2 of those companies (worked at Ace, currently at Airgas). The "private fleets" are WAY better. Freight rates don't affect them, the entire company (including trucking side) is more stable and more "recession-proof", AND they generally have programs for internal advancement or lateral movement. Drivers move into management, safety, other departments, etc. The "pay cut" is generally still there for lateral moves, but the companies know that and are willing to get you ready for a position and hold it open for you for a little while, until you can financially afford moving over.
USS_peepee@reddit
Get out of OTR.
Indigenous-Genius83@reddit
Look into tech jobs like RPA developers they make money & you can get all the training and certifications needed for free. All you need to get started is a good computer or laptop I’m learning on a dinosaur laptop from 2008 but it’s really slow I recommend something 2016 or newer with 8gb of RAM and a SSD which means solid state drive. It is very easy to learn with no tech or software experience I’m saying that because I have none I’m the handyman type blow up the transmission in my car and fix it myself over the weekend not a software or computer guy at all. The industry is booming and dominated by Hindu Indians you know the people who handle all the tech support call centers etc. Entry level pay is 70-90k a year. Do some research on it seems if it’s right for you.
Indigenous-Genius83@reddit
Look into tech jobs like RPA developers they make money & you can get all the training and certifications needed for free. All you need to get started is a good computer or laptop I’m learning on a dinosaur laptop from 2008 but it’s really slow I recommend something 2016 or newer with 8gb of RAM and a SSD which means solid state drive. It is very easy to learn with no tech or software experience I’m saying that because I have none I’m the handyman type blow up the transmission in my car and fix it myself over the weekend not a software or computer guy at all.
Initial-Relation-696@reddit
Figure out what you want to do, get the laptop and start taking some classes. 1. It will help pass the time. 2. Two, it's the motavation you are looking for to move forward. Takes time but if you want it......
CampIndividual783@reddit
Switching from OTR to something with predictable hours usually means changing sectors. LTL carriers and foodservice/grocery distributors offer 8–12 hour shifts and home-every-night schedules, but they’re fast-paced and physically demanding. If you want out of the cab completely, leverage your CDL into a yard hostler, dispatcher or mechanic role, or invest a year or two in a skilled trade (welding, HVAC, electrical) – those give you more options than any “easy” trucking job.
OkSeaworthiness251@reddit
Heavy equipment might be a good Segway, my girl was taking classes at her community college and I saw the 17 week course.