21f thinking about getting into trucking for a bit... is it actually worth it? And is it safe for me ??
Posted by macy_isles@reddit | Truckers | View on Reddit | 57 comments
i'm 21f and kinda trying to figure things out right now
i've been seeing a lot about trucking and how some people just go on the road for a while to stack money
part of me likes the idea of just focusing on work and getting out of my current situation for a bit. And I might not have somewhere to stay soon if I don't make more money, so getting my truck license and finding a gig is sounding like a good idea rn
but also feels like it could get pretty lonely?
what's it actually like day to day? would you recommend it or not really ??
IrwinJFinster@reddit
There is a young Canadian woman who posts about her experiences. I can’t remember her name but I bet someone chimes in with it as her videos are popular. Write her once a better man posts her username below. She’ll have a great point of view.
Cosmic_Orphan@reddit
Her Instagram account is https://www.instagram.com/bison.on.a.bicycle?igsh=MTFodHo5dHltZWJvaQ==
Her reddit account is u/ multipletrees89
LividImagination5925@reddit
the one that uses her Bicycle to go around?
IrwinJFinster@reddit
Yes. But I can’t recall her screenname. Her bicycle is named Steve, though.
P3rsonal1zed@reddit
Daisy Purple?
Auquaholic@reddit
Yeah, I've seen her. She's having the time of her life.
Ramzabeo@reddit
Are you dating anyone? Is having a partner important to you? Or a social life? Theres money to be made in trucking, like way better then most jobs that dont require much education, the thing is tho is that you will sacrifice a lot for this job, you wont have a social life, you will likely gain weight, you will be lonely at times, but if you use trucking as a stepping stone it can be worth it.
I started 5 years ago and bought a house, have a nice car, have money in the bank, but i dont have friends, i lost most of my muscle, my marriage has worsened, we still work on it but, i know its heavy. Soon ill be leaving the industry, and i got a lot of nice things from it, but also lost a lot too.
You have to ask yourself what really matters to you now, as for being a female in trucking, ill let other women answer that since ive got no clue how it can be, as for the rest tho, thats what i think.
Skone164@reddit
I've been at it for five and a half years. It's lonely. When I used to go home, I basically spent my couple of days off doing laundry, getting my shopping done, and sleeping in a different bed. You can make good money, but it's not a job for someone wanting a social life. And anyone who says you get to see the country is lying. I'm never stopped long enough to do anything more than maybe eat at a restaurant close by.
quackl11@reddit
You get to see the HWY and scenery but not experience the country
Alarmed-Internet4135@reddit
Yea but you still get to drive through the beautiful areas and look around. And everytime I went out west I had to take time off on the back haul because I didn’t have the hours.
Silent-Room-4987@reddit
Not being able to see the country is a choice either you are making or the company you drive for is making. You can check out different cities and landmark and such.
AsphaltPirate74@reddit
This completely. I've stopped at scenic overlooks in my truck and ubered to local bars/places to eat and other places to check out, and I've been to all the lower 48.
chico-dust@reddit
To an extent sure even a company driver can squeeze a couple hours into seeing the city surrounding his drop but let's be realistic here and not lie for social media. The average driver has no control over delivery windows and often is too tired or the widow too tight to really explore.
When truckers say "you get to see the country" the rest of that phrase is the silent part we don't say to the general public so we don't feel so bad.
The actual phrase is "you get to see the country... thru the windshield of your truck"
aacawe@reddit
I don’t agree with this at all. Been driving a long time, the lower 48 and some Canada. I’ve taken tons of vacations during shut down for a 34 or long weekend. Some of the places I’ve taken vacation….. Grand Canyon, Las Vegas multiple times, casinos all over the country, Reno and Carson City, Pacific Northwest, Seattle, Hollywood and Los Angeles, New York City, Boston, Tampa, Miami. I’ve been able to at least take 34s or else long weekends and all these places….
The truth is though, being able to do this comes with experience. Being able to plan your runs, manage your time, and get to the places where you can shut down for extended periods of time while still enjoying some popular vacation spots. It can take quite a while to get to that point where you have that confidence.
And honestly, your first year or two is the hardest you make the least money, so you’ll be broke and won’t have the funds to do a vacation also your company will keep you running like a whip dog, you’ll probably be nervous all the time, you won’t know where you can stop and when you can stop you’ll just be learning the basics and making your bones so you can move onto a better job.
But, you will get a paycheck, and you will have a roof over your head, even if it’s just the truck in your situation might be worth it
It’s pretty safe out here mind your own business and people won’t bother you, and since you’re a female other drivers will bend over backwards to help you out I see lots of female drivers on the road, granted, mostly day cab
Auquaholic@reddit
If you're not taking breaks along the road and seeing the country, you're doing it wrong.
the_ms_shiva@reddit
I've done it for going on 6 years and I love it. You can make decent money. As others said, it kills your social life but it's all good
Alwayrise@reddit
Are you over the road? Do you have a family? What do you like about it if you don’t mind me asking?
RemoveFluid7729@reddit
22M. I love it. I make 2k+ a week home EVERY weekend and it’s fun. I don’t really like people tho so that does help not being around people a lot
planetbuster@reddit
well, it only takes one breakdown in the middle of the night with some creep trying to 'see if you need help' to make you change your mind about things. the money can be good but generally not when youre new so if youre needing to make real money within the next 6 months, this probly aint it.
plus theres the cost of entry.. cdl school and such.
maybe get into electrical work? if youre not dumb you can handle it fine and electricians these days do very well and its super solid useful know-how to have.
doobersthetitan@reddit
Here's what I'd do...I got into " trucking" about 25ish.
I worked for a moving company driving a straight truck. I did eventually get a B ( tired of over weight tickets) most of the big vanlines ( atlas,mayflower,allied,North American etc.) Need what they call " short haul" drivers. Basically any move thats under 500 miles MUST be covered by the agent, agents don't want to put 5 to 8k weight on a semi....plus semis can't get into alot of places. Enter the Straight truck, go almost anywhere, can usually park it on drive ways and its a quick turn and burn.
I was a company guy, so I ( 6 years ago ish) made 20 and hour, plus a commission on what I hauled, packed and unpacked and some bonus for no damages or safty stuff. I stayed in descent hotels/ motels and I was usually home 3 nights a week. Company paid hotels, perdiem, fuel and labor fees. I just got the shit from A to B and kissed customers ass, supervised labor and put shit back together.
It IS very hard work, which will keep you in shape. But you'll get to see what its like being a trucker...lite.
Basically a normal load would look like.
Monday might be a pack and inventory day, Tuesday would be a load day, Wednesday drive to new city, grab a hotel, Thursday unload and drive back, if not drive half way, finish up on Friday.
Just because you're " short haul" dont let that fool you, some people actully pay extra to have JUST there stuff on a truck. Lady paid a extra 3k...for me to drive her stuff to Key West...over 800 miles. It was just a hand full of shit that would have fit in a 10ft Uhaul trailer. And she tipped me 200 bucks and ordered me the best fried fish sandwich I ever had. My agent doubled the commission over 500 mile runs too. So onto of my hours worked I got extra like 220 bucks for sitting and driving, plus another 150 for uncrating and unpacking a few boxes, my company found a small shipment leaving Florida, I made like 100 bucks off of. When I delivered that shipment I was tipped another 100 bucks, on top of the small commission of that one.
It was OK money for the time at that age on part of my life. But looking back, its hard ass work and HHG is feast or famine.
Just a thought
GRSAuctionsLiquid8@reddit
Trucking is safe enough for young women, just gotta keep to yourself a bit. But having that CDL is worth GOLD for other jobs in the future if you find trucking is not for you. I know a few women truckers, one is now running her own road rescue business as well. Another drives for Dayton, my fav company to hire for an LTL pallet shipment. She let me take a photo of her so to inspire other young women drivers! Sadly can't attach it here.
Alubsey@reddit
It’s safe but hard living
Parking-Big3947@reddit
You’ll be so occupied with work you won’t even notice you’re lonely :) you’ll be so tired from work the thought of having to clear your schedule to meet up with people becomes overwhelming.
stormofthedragon@reddit
Thats about the age I got in and with the same mindset. 10 years later, I've gained 150 lbs, have no social life, no husband, and I have a mountain of debt. Trucking ain't it. Go to school.
TheGucciBandit@reddit
How did you managed to get debt after 10 years as a 21yo trucker? The other stuff can be handled but that part is on you and you alone.
LongjumpingCat6642@reddit
Skill issue
GroundbreakingSir386@reddit
We have many female truck drivers at my company in the LTL industry who have children and are exceptionally skilled. If you’re looking to earn your CDL without any cost and gain valuable trucking experience, I highly recommend joining your State National Guard’s PT program. This program involves two days of training each weekend and two weeks of driving as an 88M motor transport or just pay around $5600 which is what I paid for school in my city for a month. The military is solid option PT since all of your healthcare is covered and you won’t have money being taken out of your paychecks that way you can get your FULL paycheck. Healthcare costs have been going through the roof for years.
GroundbreakingSir386@reddit
Also gives you the chance of college if you ever want to go or if you work at XPO like I do they actually cover your paychecks with differential pay if you are in boot camp or get deployed XPO pays you what you would’ve been making at the company with a 40 hr work week. I’m honestly considering joining myself after learning this and I’m 24.
lex_1005@reddit
do anything but trucking this shit sucks i wouldn’t be here if it i was making the regular 1500-2000 everyone is paying
Timecook@reddit
There are only two life situations I can recommend this disaster of a job to anyone:
1 - You are planning to live in the truck for as long as it takes to stack money and buy a house.
2 - You are in an awful life/financial situation and plan to live in the truck for as long as it takes to escape it.
Perhaps after that period of time you find the lifestyle fits you well and you decide to stay in the industry. That’s a win-win. More likely you’ll find the job is fucking awful, but you’ll have saved up so much money by living in the truck that you’ll be able to comfortably pivot away into something else.
LongjumpingCat6642@reddit
TMC or other regional companies, they’ll even get you your CDL. Home weekends if you want. If you have good relations with your parents it would be perfect. I make $1500/wk+. Other flatbeds are some of the most helpful truckers I’ve seen. Only hard part is picking up the tarps but they’ll teach you how. No inward facing camera and they’ll get you a female trainer unless you choose to go with a male. Spacious trucks. Free room and 1 meal a day, pays $650/wk or so while getting CDL and training
Mixing_NH3_HCl@reddit
I would strongly recommend against it regardless of gender at this point. I did it for two years. Became a yard jockey last month and not only am I home now, but am making more money than I ever did on the road
crudeshag@reddit
No. Trucking is a dead end career. Pick any trade and find a union.
chico-dust@reddit
Is it safe? Yes
But it's not something you do "for a bit". It's kind of a full time thing.
aacawe@reddit
Check out bison on a bicycle on Instagram. She’s a driver that seems to have a pretty good time.
RoseKlingel@reddit
Maneuvering a huge vehicle is the hardest part. I read that one reason men are superior to women in regards to flipping images/objects is due to testosterone. This plays a huge factor in backing the units. I Get Out And Look (GOAL) a LOT, but even after 4yrs of this, I have probably plateaued my skill level. I'll never be as good as some of the guys out here.
Lots of guys will offer to spot you if you're struggling, though. Plenty of total strangers will help you!
I struggle w/loneliness and some depression out here. It's also hard to get hometime for medical appts even in advance. The money will work for you if you don't have huge debts/big spending habits.
I have been denied home loans a few times (car and student loans paid off, no debt) bc I was paid CPM (cents per mile) instead of salary or hourly. Bank says too risky. If you want home ownership soon, avoid being a trucker! You can get a better paid job down the road, but I suggest a weekly guarantee job and have that stated plainly in the contract. Banks are fine w/that.
Anyway, depends on what you want! I have low stress tolerance and trucking is tough on me. I am too injured to run my stress off anymore. I struggle hard but it's a series of physical issues mostly.
Also, you might want to be on birth control in case anyone sexually assaults you. I have not had that happen to me, but I have had some dodgy encounters with junkies/mentally ill persons at truck stops. The protection will help you sleep at night.
truckensafely@reddit
I have been trucking for 27 years, got my training thru community college & spent 2 years with Swift, they paid for my college expenses during the 2 years. The last 25 years have been local. It’s a good profession if you’re not lazy & mostly focused on your success. Also, when you’re on the road, planning ahead is key to enjoying your job.
HorizonW1@reddit
I’m 21M and I’ve been doing it for about 6 months now. I actually love the work, and it’s not so bad knowing I’ve got some local positions I can pivot into later, and eventually even pivot out of trucking altogether if I stay on track with my real goals.
For me, a big reason it’s been manageable is that I don’t mind being alone to a extent, so I can handle the loneliness for a bit—but it’s definitely not something I’d want to do long term. At the same time, it kind of forced me to realize that God is a big part of why I’m still standing and not going mentally insane 😂.
Day to day, it’s a lot of driving, managing your time, and figuring things out on your own. It can feel freeing in a way, but yeah, it does get lonely sometimes. I’d recommend it if you need to stack money and reset your situation, just go in knowing what you’re trading for that.
Ceepeenc@reddit
Go to a truck stop and stay for like 30 mins. You’ll see a lot of women drivers like myself. You’ll be fine.
ddavi07@reddit
It definitely gets lonely. I’m a very social family oriented person and I just about snapped after month 9. HERES THE GOOD NEWS! I was only over the road (gone 5-6 days home 1-2) for a year because that was the contract the school had for me. They got me my CDL, I had to do 1 year and 100,000 miles for them. I left the day my contract expired and only worked local after that-home every day. It may take some time finding a local job that works for you but hey, that’s just about any industry.
fiddintotellya@reddit
Driver once told me: if you think you may want to drive a truck, before you get too far down the path make sure you can pass the hygiene test - don’t change your clothes for a week.
If you can do this, everything else is a piece of cake, according to him.
Ok-Combination7287@reddit
For what is worth it know several women who truck and enjoy it. For them it was safer than their old jobs. I am starting cdl school next month too after talking with them.
I've read comments on here about being cat called and your body looked at. I hate that behavior from men, but it's already happening to most of us.
Dknowles391@reddit
It is safe, however I would carry a form of protection of protection if I were you. I know several female truckers in the industry and they all complain about getting cat called, some truckers confusing them for a lizards, and they all say they carry. However most truckers I know carry. It's good income, I got into it at 30 and once I got away from the starter company I was doing about 70 to 80k a year. Now I'm doing about 150k net and I'm 35. I know those who make even more than me. Get in, get your endorsements and keep your nose clean for your starter company and then use those endorsements and you're safe driving record to get to a better company to make more money.
familyedit@reddit
I've been a truck driver for about 37 years now and I am just looking forward to the day that I retire which will be in 6 years. That being said trucking has paid my bills My wife has not work for over 36 years. And I'd still manage to pay everything that needed to be paid including a $250,000 mortgage. Each individual is different, it's not like it used to be there are way too many restrictions on us now. If I had to do it again, I probably would have done something else maybe go to cooking school or something.
ksgif2@reddit
It isn't a safe job, Google the average lifespan of an American trucker
King_of_Being_Basic@reddit
If you have no other financial obligations you can make some money. Im still poor, but ive got student loans and a family i see twice a month lol
It's not necessarily unsafe, but there are times you should trust your gut and park somewhere well lit and populated 😅
You will get one of the nicer perks, though. That is having access to women's washrooms. Much less traumatizing from a truckers pov.
Honestly though, unless you get lucky or live out of your truck, it's not the most.... worth it (to me, even though I still somehow love my job)
Boss4life12@reddit
Solo might be best for you. Its stressfull. I am currently doing almost 80 hrs a week on a different job. Comparrd to 70 in trucking, trucking was worse.
11 hr driving with just a 30 min break wrecks havoc on your mind. Crazt ppl on the road, people sho dont know how to merge.
You do see the country as you drive, can stop at some place and take photos.
Key is joining the right company. DO NOT join a shitty company.
TruckerBiscuit@reddit
The last statistic I read said something like 11% of drivers today are women. If they can do it you can do it. The quality of your driving and your emotional ability to handle the isolation are other matters entirely. You know the answer to those questions better than anyone.
stuffandthings987@reddit
If you're worried about being away to long, look for "home daily" jobs. They're sometimes really hard (like working for Coke or Budweiser) but some aren't bad. These are usually called "live unload," which means, YOU have to unload it. I'm home daily rn and I deliver cardboard. It's "no touch" and I'm home by 4pm most days. Just do lots of research
tilitarian1@reddit
https://www.instagram.com/happiness_by_the_mile/
wetstorm95@reddit
How long is “a bit” for you? How tall are you? Are you generally good with physical labour? How are you with rude and disrespectful people?
bigmac22077@reddit
When I worked at reviving there was many drivers that had what I’d call “lonely truck syndrome”. They’d just want to talk to someone.. anyone..
That said I’m a local driver with a class b and make about 75k a year. Employer paid all costs for my license. Not a bad gig, even got a pension at my spot so I’m here for the next 10-15 years minimum.
Pitiful-MobileGamer@reddit
Being young with a CDL that is experienced and a good standing gives more opportunity to you.
Safety is what you make of it, your own awareness and street smarts.
Vaguechicanery@reddit
It really depends on who you are. Me personally I'm not bothered to stay on the road and I don't really get very lonely. It can be stressful, and for a rookie right now I bet it's hard to find a company that won't leave you high and dry. Don't be afraid to leave a job either, the turnover is already 70%+ so nobody even cares if you job hop.
I tell people that this job takes way too much of your time for you not to like it, so give it 6 months and if you're miserable, it probably won't get better.
RichCypher@reddit
Trucking is a challenging gig but it's tough to know if it will be right for you till you try. Getting proper training and getting out on your own seems like it can be extra difficult for women due to lack of female trainers thus you can get stuck either waiting a while or stuck in a closet with a male trainer for weeks or more. I'm in a great place now but if I could go back and do it over I probably would have gone to a trade school instead and would be an electrician now.
Independent_Leg7358@reddit
It's safe. You might have some cat calls, and your ass will definitely be checked out. But most of the drivers would do anything to help you with anything.
The bigger question is how is your driving?
IndexFingerTypist@reddit
You won't be rich, but if you have no other obligations, do it. It'll provide shelter and a paycheck. The hours suck, your coworkers suck, your dispatcher can be a blessing or a curse. It's all a crapshoot tbh, and if that is worth it to you then go for it.
Is it safe? You tell me, do you think driving the US highways full of incompetent drivers is safe? This job has a risk. Especially you, being a female. You might be harassed.
Personally, I love my career as a driver. I don't mind the long hours and shitty everything else. I love seeing parts of my country I never could see. I guess I'm just an optimistic masochist.
Make the right choice for yourself, find a good company. Or flip burgers or do wally world and kick it with some roommates. Just be ready to adapt to anything life throws your way. Good luck :)