“Trucking ain’t for everybody”
Posted by Actual-Ad-6146@reddit | Truckers | View on Reddit | 108 comments
Probably the oldest and biggest bs ever told in this industry. I’ve seen drivers put in 5, 10, 25 years and decide to get out. The first thing people say is that dumb ass shit to them like they quit without putting in their time. Makes zero sense. It’s like the expectation is to just die in the truck, anything less you ain’t cut for it. These holier than thou drivers who have accepted the fact that sitting their ass in that seat until they’re dead have to understand many drivers are more ambitious than that.
NekoboyBanks@reddit
OP's total lack of any response to any comments makes me think this was just a ragebait post.
It doesn't even make any sense to boot. Of course the job isn't for everyone, that's not really arguable.
HowlingWolven@reddit
I’ve been on the road for five years. This was supposed to be my backup plan.
Revolutionary-Key177@reddit
Have you made decent money doing it?
I really want to get my cdl and get out of this shitty decking job i do where I get paid maybe 20k for the year if im lucky working 60-80 hours a week
Independent_Leg7358@reddit
I'm in year 3 of owning a truck. The IRS keeps giving me money under EIC or some shit because I'm working but poor!
MarmotWorldOrder@reddit
I'm on in year 2 and making around 50k. It's the best paying job I've had at 29. I'm ready to move on from my starter company, though.
Jealous_Canary1879@reddit
Bro $50k is awful money for driving. If that’s all I’d make I’d leave school now but I personally know way too many people making well over that. I’m about to get my cdl in 2 weeks. My cousin drives local and made $110k last year. The guy that delivered oil in a straight short tanker to my old job made $87k and never drove more than 200 miles from his house. My uncle makes over $100k driving regional. Buddy of mine runs 2 times a day from Indianapolis to Cincinnati and back, home every day and makes $89k a year. I would not except $50k to drive a semi. I’d walk out the door immediately.
JalocTheGreat@reddit
If you come from minimum wage its like winning the lottery
MarmotWorldOrder@reddit
This is how I feel. It's crap pay. Everyone is right. I have my TWIC and will have my endorsements by the end of the summer. I've enjoyed seeing the country and being on my own. I've matured a lot and found who I am. I do want to state that the pay is low and that it's time to move on. I'm 15 months in so 2 years isn't quite accurate.
Pakman____@reddit
Jesus Christ? You are doing this for 50k? Dude. Please go find a better paying job. 80k minimum. Especially with 2 years.
No_Relationship_3077@reddit
That’s sounds nice but I’m at 2 years and I’m a little under with a local job. But who knows once peak season is here I might cross 80k this year
Pakman____@reddit
Obviously location plays a big part in what we make. But I couldn't do what we do for anything less than 90k. Even 90k is low in my opinion. But I'm doing more than that now so maybe I'm just on my high horse.
I made over 95k local. So OTR needs to pay more or I wouldn't even think about it.
GoMake_me_a_sandwich@reddit
These other guys are truly correct, 50k is really bad even as a first trucking job on your first day. Just because you are young and naive doesn't mean you should accept shitty pay like that. Get OUT of that position now, don't wait. No offense, but at 50k, not only is it low, but you are literally lowering the pay for everyone else by accepting this work at that rate.
AndromedanPrince@reddit
i speed ran my trucking career lol started at 60k, ill be in 2 years in May, and im at 96k gross. but raises due wnd of summer ill be over 100
MarmotWorldOrder@reddit
Where?
AndromedanPrince@reddit
schneider had me at 1220/wk drop n hook account,, then i went to tanker. by the time i was on regional tanker it was 1500/wk. now i haul fuel for a local company.
MarmotWorldOrder@reddit
Did they require the tanker experience you had?
AndromedanPrince@reddit
not required but it played a factor in being selected.
tearjerkingpornoflic@reddit
You should be making 20/hr which google says is 40k a year 40/hr weeks minimum, not knowing anything. Time to look for a new job. 25/hr should be min with experience.
Pakman____@reddit
20k? A year? Wtf. 60-80 hours? Wild.
Best decision I ever made. 5 years OTR. Between 80-90k a year. Went local for 2 years made between 90-95k per year. I just got lucky as fuck with my new job. It's not traditional OTR and it's not hauling freight. I should clear 130k this year. I barely do any work. Might drive 2-4 hours a day. Today I've got a grueling one hour drive. Downside is I'm never home. Out Sun-Fri. With no kids and a future x wife I'm good with being gone all the time.
Heads up. If you do it. You won't make good money your first couple of years. You can. But you'd have to do what I did and get a little experience than find a small mom n pop where they 1099 you. It's frowned upon but you can make 2-3k a week. Compared to 500-1500 with a mega carrier.
Q7017@reddit
You can if you play your cards right. The best thing to do suck it up that first year doing OTR whatever (doorswinging, flatbedding, etc - it will suck) and then start looking for better opportunities at ten months after getting your CDLA.
I went the tanker route since 2011 and while I abhor uncontrollable things like traffic, I'm making six figs comfortably and have been for a while. Just don't subject yourself to OTR for more than a year or two or you'll burn out much faster.
Defiant-Medicine3014@reddit
Brother 20k? you are a slave wtf. If trucking doesn’t work out you can go to fucking McDonalds and do better than that.
TheRegistrant@reddit
What about the job sucks the most even to the point of making high paying jobs not worth it?
Junior-Credit2685@reddit
Loooool!!!! Same!!! I was supposed to do this for two years. It’s been fourteen years now and I was done fourteen years ago. This job sucks!
LogPlane1030@reddit
Ahhhhhh Im soo drunk and i need to poop
Domeuh@reddit
I know, I'm now 8years into my 1 year otr
illiadria@reddit
4 years. Aggressively paying off the mortgage so hopefully I can get out or cut back. Teaming with my husband and the shit sleep is going to put us in an early grave.
UnKnown_Tree_Stump@reddit
Same same. Everyday I wake up I would rather be doing something else. I'm grateful to have a good paying job, food, and somewhere to sleep though.
Q7017@reddit
OTR for five years?
I'm sixteen years in and all I could handle was one year doing OTR. I got out of that immediately and while burnout is still a thing, I'm home almost every night.
CheekyDaydream221@reddit
I was OTR for the last 7years, I just recently went local and I don’t regret it at all. I was tired of living in a truck all the time and not really having any time to myself when I would go home for home time.
National_Zombie8665@reddit
man five years is a solid run, backup plan or not. nothing wrong with wanting something different after putting in that time on the road. construction keeps me moving around different sites and i still get restless sometimes - can't imagine being stuck in same cab for years straight. good luck with whatever you decide to do next, sounds like you already know what you want.
Cringey_NPC-574@reddit
I tried Walmart after herniated disc fixing cars, lasted 3 days 😭
Artistickidcudi@reddit
Think of it this way, those 5 years make it a very good backup plan. Because if you ever had to go back, you’ve got 5yrs experience backing you as well. I’ve got 2yrs rn, just got my tanker and hazmat endorsements, because I want the money. Entering college soon though, this was my backup plan as well. I don’t regret it at all, it’s already served me because I was homeless for 6 months and I at least after the first 2 months of homelessness had a truck to sleep in and a paycheck being made. I didn’t even have a car!
DesertPunked@reddit
Don't we all.
ikillsheep4u@reddit
What they don’t tell you is that’s not an insult.
Unusual_Ad317@reddit
After years of doing customer service, I'm getting my CDL
Brad2332756@reddit
Same. People always complain about 60-70k a year and I'm barely making 30k doing retail. I enjoy driving wouldnt mind getting paid for it.
Unusual_Ad317@reddit
You should do it. I just got my permit and start Monday for class. 😀
Matlovestruck@reddit
25 years in and deciding to move on is not quitting, that's called having options. The guys who say that stuff are the same ones who think suffering longer makes you more legitimate somehow. It doesn't.
You do the job, you build the skills, you decide what's next. That's ambition, not weakness.
XanJamZ@reddit
7 years. Built a nice savings in the first 3 years. 2 years in massive debt trying to start my own company. 2 years getting out of debt... im tired boss
Ayrria@reddit
Not everyone can handle being away from their families, though. Some men and women cannot even be away from their children one night much less a month or so at a time. The “trucking ain’t for everybody” phrase has nothing to do with people never leaving the industry and not being ambitious - it has everything to do with whether or not someone could handle even one year out here. That’s how I’ve always understood it, anyway.
potatocross@reddit
I’m a day cab driver and always have been. We do get folks sometimes that aren’t made out for trucking period. Some constantly hitting stuff, some constantly in fear of hitting stuff, some so dumb you question how they breathe on their own.
Radiant_Swan187@reddit
I found out I wasn't made for daycab work. 70hr weeks Mon-Fri was hell waking up that early daily
potatocross@reddit
I work nights by choice and usually 45 or less a week. That said we do have folks running 70 but that is also by their choice. Money hungry fools.
Ayrria@reddit
That doesn’t surprise me. I wish it did, though.
CryptoguyV2@reddit
And yet they somehow land local gigs right out of CDL school still. But many folks, myself included keep getting rejected despite having prior experience.
WTAP1@reddit
It's really not though. Weird ass schedules, time away from family, driving through some things other people wouldn't dare. That statement by itself isn't untrue.
JalocTheGreat@reddit
Winter Wyoming Elk Mountain wipers on high defrosters on high windshield icing up getting dizzy from the snowflakes can't stop ramps snow packed
Ninja-Storyteller@reddit
The sleep schedule and stamina a requirements alone destroy many drivers.
PrivatePilot9@reddit
It’s nothing now compared to the pre E-log days. Or the heydays of running 2 or 3 books.
ohno-abear@reddit
It's like saying "Teaching isn't a job for everybody." Anytime someone says a job isn't for everybody, it means they don't pay enough for the shit you gotta put up with.
Ur_Fav_Step-Redditor@reddit
It’s not just the pay. Nothing is for everybody. Everyone doesn’t have the temperament to put up with kids’ behavior or be patient while they learn.
I’ve watched truckers do some of the stupidest shit imaginable resulting in damage. If you’ve got poor spatial awareness, poor spatial reasoning, low stress tolerance, if you’re impatient and impulsive, poor situational awareness, inability for critical decision making by yourself, if you’re intimidated by the size of these vehicles, lack time management skills, or can’t manage fatigue and prioritize sleep over recreation…
Go watch dozens of Bonehead Truckers videos and one of the reasons I listed will be the cause of that incident. And that’s just the actual job, factor in the time away from home and lack of social life. It’s not for everybody but nothing is and that’s ok. But super-truckers that say that derogatorily smell like anal yeast.
majinspy@reddit
I was a teacher and now work dispatch. Neither is for everyone. I hated being a teacher. I love working dispatch. Driving also isn't for me. I'm a terrible driver and hate driving more than 3 hours. Conversely, a lot of peeps can't sit in an office chair and be inside all day.
Different strokes / different folks.
xccoach4ever@reddit
3 out of every 5 teachers leave the classroom before 5 years. And it seems to be getting worse.
altaccount90z@reddit
Exactly and statistically, the rate at which a new driver quits the industry increases every month they are in the industry. I remember my instructor at the CDL school explaining this to us and the reality we might face.
I think by month 6, after I had finished and was working, maybe 2 of us out of the 15 people in the CDL school were still apparently trucking. The other guys already had gigs at Pepsi, so I Imagine the pay and benefits helped relieve some of the hardships in trucking.
I think the only reason I stuck out so long was because for the longest time I convinced myself it’s all I could do, but I knew I had to leave at some point which I did.
sneak_king18@reddit
Everyone is saying stupid stuff to make themselves feel superior. It is BS, but there is usually a real reason behind that statement
CompletelyPaperless@reddit
Yeah I see what you're saying. It's a dangerous mentality that leads to a very unfulfilled life. I'm already working on my plan to get out. I am good at trucking, I've been successful so far working my way up to specialized tanker that keep me local and pay well. But I'm not going to work 60 to 70 hours a week for a job that pays the same as other people whom make 40 to 50 hours and they get to go home everyday. I have a nice family and home. I want to see more of that. This was just an emergency job after I lost a job. It took care of me because I had to but it's obvious it's not a good deal. Also, it doesn't do much to make you feel like you're making the most out of life.
MidLifeChanger@reddit
Their 'ambitions' could be what they use with the money earned trucking and even an average driver makes the median income or more. I will grant that the hourly wage usually isn't good when you factor in sleeping overnight on the road, but you can make good money trucking even if you live in BFE.
Cs0331@reddit
So what your saying is trucking anit for everybody?
ud_frosty@reddit
I agree trucking ain't for everyone but not in that sense like I drive a truck for the money its the easiest way to make good amounts while not killing myself with labor or bs conditions now when I say it ain't for everyone I mean its not for the jackasses making u turns on highways or killing people doing dumb shit like drinking and driving its technically a skilled career and not everyone has the skills for it im not the best but I can at least back my truck into a space there is nothing worse than seeing someone fuck up a straight backing in an open area shit confonds me
cnash@reddit
Whenever I've said, "trucking's not for everybody," I've meant it at face value. This job sucks in some specific and powerful ways, and only a minority of people have the circumstances and personality that make those suckages tolerable. If your attitudes or circumstances change— and one of the key reasons people go into trucking is to make their circumstances change— such that you can't or don't want to continue, getting out of the truck is the only sensible thing to do.
Fartony@reddit
Ive genuinely told friends when they've mentioned getting into it "you won't like it"... simply because they're not the type of person for it.
Fartony@reddit
Well it's true. Alot of people aren't interested in the hours, nights away, sleep schedules etc.
It also doesn't make me lack aspiration because I enjoy being in the seat and don't want to some other bullshit job with a boss breathing down my neck all day.
Ok_Bug_6470@reddit
Who are you listening to driver?! Make money whatever job or business you can. Why tf do you care? You get a little older and you realize the gatekeepers are sad bc Gatekeeping is the only thing they got. Be nice, smile and move on and let them try and impress their long gone peepaw. The only people that tell you about hard work paying off and just work, and miles and this and that are taking every easy fucking gig and free money they can. Anybody that tells you it isn’t about making money is trying to take yours.
WestCoastRadiation@reddit
Don't know why anybody would want to do anything else when you can easily make six figures working a four-on-4 off shift doing fuel
sk8zero0619@reddit
I left and came back. Ill die in this coffin
groovyinutah@reddit
I got into trucking 10 year's ago almost as a lark or perhaps mid-life crisis. I had just gotten tired of what I had been doing and the pay seemed good. I thought I would like it as I have always loved to drive. I remember one of my sister in laws flat out saying I was nuts. Turned out I actually do like it a lot. I never imagined that I would still be doing it 10 years later but I do understand now that I'm kinda stuck with it now, getting back into the corporate world now seems like a forlorn hope.
MrPotato4217@reddit
21 years in. 46 years old. Retired 8 months ago. Working for ever is not my dream.
RepresentativeAd4010@reddit
PREACH 🙌🙌🙌
xeikai@reddit
8 year driver here. I have a local job. 4-7 am start time. Usually leave by 2-4. Otr is.rough. I spent years on the road and I agree that you need to be ok with being alone. Even for the deepest introvert the loneliness can c Be crushing if you dont manage it. Not to mention the high stress of the job in general. But if you can sorta find something like a 9-5 while driving I'd say you have it made. I'm home every day. Have weekends off. And im good. Pay isnt the best but my life quality has gone up. I spend more time with family. I have time foe.hobbies and I can make time.to be in shape and eat right and exercise
Environmental-Pear40@reddit
Well, I mean, I'm a millennial. All of us expect to die working. Wether it's trucking or something else. Maybe I'll get lucky and retire, super unlikely though. I'd rather put myself in a comfy position in an industry where all of my experience is.
I don't see a problem with people getting out of trucking to do something else. Especially with a solid plan. Or early enough on. Because it's just not for everyone, nothing is. The saying is a simple truism applicable to every profession.
Also don't think people saying "trucking isn't for everyone" is condescending. I'm not sure how that's interpreted as expecting people to die in a truck though. More likely expecting people to retire from the industry, really. Not try to jump into another industry. Jumping fields is an option that srinks as you age and gain experience in any feild. The older you get the less likely you are to get out. Gotta compete in a different industry with younger people that have more experience in any given field.
Parking_Exit2297@reddit
Damn I made 50k 30 years ago, made 153k last year, you’re getting bent over there are better jobs out there
Jealous_Canary1879@reddit
I’ve spent 20yrs on a manufacturing plant floor working with and on machines designed and built by that company. They decided to move our jobs to another plant. Now I have 20yrs of experience working on machines that do not exist anywhere else. I’m in cdl school now. I’m pretty motivated by the money but I’m also a homebody so I think it’ll kinda balance out once that money comes in. I’ll do otr as long as I can stand it but my kids are 8 and 12. I don’t want to miss too much time with them so I’m thinking 1-2 years max and then transferring to something local. By then I’ll hopefully have made enough to get out of debt.
Foodspec@reddit
Hey, what’s the suicide rate for truck drivers?
Checks notes - Truck drivers are 5th on the list of highest risk for work-related suicide. The trucking industry has been classified as one of the highest risk occupations in the United States.
Well…this is awkward
No, trucking isn’t for everyone. The fact that you can be black listed by seeking mental health support is wild
Gonzotrucker1@reddit
Trucking attracts lazy people and dumb.
AndromedanPrince@reddit
and complainers. seems like majority of this sub hates their job and life lol
icaaryal@reddit
Bruh, if recreational bitching was an olympic sport, truck drivers would take Gold, silver, and bronze and complain there wasn’t platinum.
jadedshibby@reddit
And fireballers. All trucker BITCHES BORN IN THA 90'S THATS UNDER 25 CAN'T COOK CAN'T CLEAN THEY DON'T WANT TO WORK NOTHING. NIGGAZ THAT'S 31 & OVER GET IN RELATIONSHIPS WITH THEM & WONDER WHY SHIT AIN'T WORKING THAT'S BECAUSE ALL YOUNG BITCHES WANT TO DO IS POP PILLS, SMOKE WEED, GET DRUNK, LAY AROUND, SUCK DICK, EAT HOT CHEETOS, CHARGE THEY PHONE, GET A SEW IN WEAVE TWERK, BE BI SEXUAL, EAT MCDONALD'S, WASH THEY PUSSY IN THA SINK, LIE TAKE SELFIES AND TALK SHIT THRU WIFI CUZ THEY PHONE NEVER ON.
18-Spinning-Wheels@reddit
I've been driving for over 30 years now, your opening title is a solid fact.
Your interpretation of what the title means to many who use the phrase isn't typical of all drivers.
Fact is not everyone is cut of the cloth to become a driver. Being a driver is a mindset, not a measurement of time.
nastyzoot@reddit
As a younger driver I heard it like you do. That it's some holier than thou thing. As an older driver who says it often I can tell you it means something completely different.
icaaryal@reddit
The way I’ve always interpreted is that what people think this job is (just driving) and what it actually is (problem solving) aren’t always aligned. I tell people if you are not a voracious problem solver with disciplined time management skills, you’re probably not gonna like this job whether or not you like driving.
nastyzoot@reddit
Completely agree. Then you add in having to navigate all the people, the rules (unspoken and not), CYA and get what you need in return? It's a giant fuckin headache.
Also alot of times it's said as a compliment. Also...at face value; it sucks. Being good at something that sucks isn't something to be holier than thou about. To some people it doesn't suck as bad; or worse...we somehow like it when it sucks...if that makes sense lol. Trust us. We aren't putting you down. Usually.
icaaryal@reddit
Yeah I’m in the group of people that genuinely enjoy my job almost 5 years in. I have no intention or desire to leave. Doesn’t make me better than the people that aren’t about it like I am, but I think it does make me better-suited to the job.
Gr00veChild@reddit
💯
RoamingNomadSoul@reddit
I think the drivers that says this, are drivers who have seen how trucking had deteriorated their lives. Not spending much time with families and their kids growing up without seeing them. Significant other lacking attention and affection and ending up in a divorce. Friends being no longer friends because people are moving on. Health declining, there has been study shown that the average life span of a truck driver is around 60. Not much access to good food. Being isolated for long periods of time and not having a social life. Once you take these into account, you definitely realize that “trucking ain’t for everybody”. Even if it’s for a short period of time. I have an exit plan and I’m on second year, and the amount of toll it has taken on my mental health is bad. So regardless if you have a plan or not, being a truck driver definitely has its challenges.
nicerakk@reddit
Reddit is full of posts of the guy that's like "I just got my permit. Where can I find a good paying job where I'm home everyday?" I can't help but laugh to myself at those people. If that's a reason to get into this industry you're gonna be either lucky or disappointed. Having kids and or a wife at home is a recipe for disappointment. Truck drivers go through 2,3 even 4 wives. Then you throw a shitty company to work for on top of that? That "I'm done with this industry" talk is easy.
But all this makes me realize that my wife and I got lucky with our path. We started driving together. Went to school together. Got into the same truck together. Have been driving together since the start. We started with CRST. In light of all the redditors talking shit about their companies, CRST is like the promise land.
We drove their Expedited division for about a year bumping docks and D&H. Then transfered to their Specialized division for another 8 years. At Specialized, we learned a lot of valuable skills that set us up for success. Specialized is all L/P or O/O so that was great.
One of the great things of CRST is that it recognized that we were outstanding drivers. We were safe, on time Everytime, and great communicators with the company and the customers.
At each step throughout our careers pay got better. Expedited was OK. Specialized was even better. But the type of work we graduated to was the most important part of that time. We learned the white glove stuff. We learned the high value freight. We learned the side of the industry where being late is not an option. Where damage to freight is unacceptable. Where pickups and deliveries are not just between you and some warehouse but you and executives from Dell and Coreweave being onsite watching you uncrate a half dozen, 5 million dollar server racks and uncrating them with a crew of helpers.
Now we work for another company doing this exact stuff. We get paid more to work less. Life is good. We stay out for a couple months then come home for a couple weeks. Ya, I will probably die in the truck. But I've made that decision because the money is great and I know the industry.
ExplorerImpossible79@reddit
I got my CDL and realized that I valued being home and seeing my family. I realized that the job was very bad for my health and mental health and it just wasn’t for me. Now I have a supervisor job that requires a CDL and I’m a lot happier now
Horus_Whistler@reddit
I mean, I definitely still say that when some trainees decide to quit within their first week. Not realizing that they really can't be home every day doesn't hit them until they're doing it.
Domeuh@reddit
I'm a real trucker I died in the truck twice
grumpus_ryche@reddit
Rookie numbers. Gotta pump those numbers up in this racket!
RedlineM5@reddit
I've said it. But I never meant you gotta die in the seat. Look at all the 4 wheelers on the road...lots of them can't drive. You think everyone who gets a cdl can automatically drive properly?
firemarshalbill316@reddit
It isn't. It is a different lifestyle that many people can't deal with which I don't blame them. I like it for the solitude and ability to work on my own stuff without the burden or noise of a regular 9-5 job.
Getting your finance right should be the primary goal. If you like it cool if not then get your stuff straight and bounce.
It's a good stepping and a great fallback.
Fearless_Selection69@reddit
I retired from trucking in 2020. Now I work for a manufacturing company in the upper level, mixed with wfh a couple days a week.
Some of the employees I see everyday have been working minimum wage since the 90’s. But they have big FAT retirement accounts because of the union. Some of them have gotten the Golden handshake pension, sheesh I’m jealous, but that requires 30yrs in the union.
One lady here just came back to work after 2yrs of sick leave lol. She did open heart surgery, and the Union healthcare took care of the bills. I was like what?! That costs 7 figures.
Trucking industry is a dog eat dog industry. My advice to young guys is to run 🏃.
MssMoodi@reddit
Well, I started Warner moved over to Swift didn't last there long and kind of worked my way up each time I quit I made more money I got extra vacation extra days off home time blah blah blah but it was a lot of work. I always did and wanted to do flatbed because it kept me in shape and I didn't get back or disabled. Was company driver for about 5 years with different companies. Moved over to Holly explosives and Radioactive before I could purchase my own truck from the company I injured myself got $13,000 walked into the office laid $5,000 on the president's desk and told him I wanted to buy the truck that I was driving that was my first truck 2007 came along and gas prices went nuts economy went nuts etc etc. I waited about a year and then I purchased an old truck a 93 3406b Peterbilt and I signed it on with universal amcan started hauling flatbed of course and then went into oversize and then went into oversized for military. The last load I carried was from Tucson to South Carolina to Boyne was an airplane wing and going through Atlanta we got to run the left hand lane and anybody that got in our way the police would pull them over I sold my truck for 3/4 of what I paid for it and the last year I worked I made $236,000 I enjoyed every minute of it except for when I broke down. And I miss it terribly that's why I'm on this site I miss the food I miss the freedom I miss the travel I missed the work. The most miles I ever drove in one week was 5,200 miles. It's a lot of work but you got to be dedicated you got to stay in that truck and keep the door shut if you want anything in life take care heads up, keep wheels down. You can do this.
PapaJuja@reddit
Ive seen drivers break down in the fuel isle because the miss home and aren't used to working the hours/miles this industry requires. Its not for everyone. There isn't anything wrong with you if its not for you. There isn't anything wrong with you if you love it. Just depends on what you like/want.
ArtisticAd9404@reddit
It’s not for everyone, but if you put in a certain amount of time, I wouldn’t think to say that to someone who got out. If you quit after 6 months, that will be my go to. If you quit after 5 years, I wouldn’t say it. Idk what the cut off would be though.
Redsoxdragon@reddit
It's insane how many people have trucking as their backup plan which is a testament to how little they think of the equipment. Then again there's clowns who tweet "thank you truckers for keeping the country moving" while cutting off a gas tanker on the highway
Driving a Honda ain't the same as a freightliner.
MustangMark83@reddit
22 years in , I’m soooo tired. If I could find a job that pay similar with no experience needed or college degree , I would take it. But the only jobs I could get would pay me $15 an hour. I have zero other qualifications because I built my whole identity around trucking.
Sad_Conversation9857@reddit
Didnt think I'd make it more than a year but im almost at 10 years in. Hopefully in about 3 years ill get a remote job working at home and live on my 22 acres of quietness. Everybody has different goals and desires of where they want their life to go.
zdw0986@reddit
10 years in. Trucking ain’t for me…anymore
MustangMark83@reddit
22 years in , I’m soooo tired. If I could find a job that pay similar with no experience needed or college degree , I would take it. But the only jobs I could get would pay me $15 an hour
NJNeal17@reddit
Hey I got 5 years and 250k miles before I died behind the wheel so you never know how long you're going to make it, but know this: death IS on the table!
This is a dangerous job, where you spend all of your time on roadways that kill \~100 people a day, so if this isn't what you WANT to be doing then work hard on your exit strategy. Bc you can't plan for that idiot to bump you into the median at 75mph...
backslash447@reddit
I have always since first getting my cdl said i will let my license expire after 5 years. I’m only here because it’s an easy way to build savings and cut expenses. I love driving, but I hate being a trucker.
Desperate_Fee_808@reddit
Yes..I’m from the new school and I’ll be damned before I give up my personal life entirely to work..GTFOH
C4tbreath@reddit
I drove 9 years OTR in the 90s.
Got off the road at the beginning of 2000 because it was no life for a divorced guy in his early 30s. Fell into a construction trade and quickly moved into a management role. Did that till the housing crash in 08' when the tile company I worked for laid off 80% of its staff.
Unemployed for a while till I got a class B local route job. This was probably the easiest and best job for work/life balance but as I was getting into my 50s, the repetitive daily lifting started taking a toll on my body.
Last year the branch manager retired and I was promoted into his spot, though I was hesitant. More hours, more stress, more money, but I enjoy the challenge of pretty much running my own business, even though I don't get all the profit. My boss or someone from safety comes to the branch once a year or so, but they pretty much leave me alone.
I let my medical card expire in February, and I got the notice my license was downgraded last week. It was bittersweet, but I'm done with the churn. I'll ride this position for another 5 years or so, and retire at 63.
tarkanneo@reddit
Amen to that! Back when I got into trucking i said to my self I’m going to do this for 10 fail or sailI started with making .21 cents a mile lived very frugal saved every penny 10 years and stepped down.
HeywoodJaBlowMe123@reddit
Trucking isn’t for everyone in a sense that you need to have grit and perseverance in this career. Factor in the loneliness.
If a buddy came to me and said he was quitting after a year+, i wouldn’t necessarily dismiss him and go “yeah truckin ain’t for everyone!” Because the truth is… a lot of people can’t hack it more than 6 months.
hera_the_destroyer@reddit
Otr isn’t for everybody. Fortunately there are plenty of other options to put a cdl to work.
FlamedPrince@reddit
I'm not getting out until everything is built and paid for. I will come back occasionally if my funds get low. But by that time I will be the owner of all the equipment.