Is trucking a good career to have?

[JDuece]

I have been wanting to drive trucks for as long I as I could remember. here recently I applied for a school and PAM Transport has offered to sponsor my training. Could anyone tell me if PAM is a good company to drive for and if trucking is a good industry to join? :wtf:

[Capt._Chaos]

Whether or not the trucking industry will be good for you will depend on your own individual situation.

If you have a family with young children, it can possibly put a strain on the relationship you have with the family, especially when you're required to be gone for weeks at a time. No wife or kids? Then you will probably do fine.

If you are experiencing financial trouble, and are changing careers with the thought of "getting out of a hole", it will probably not happen. As a new driver (like starting any new career), you will start off at the bottom and have to work your way up a "pay scale ladder" as you get more experience. It costs money to live out on the road for several weeks. If you are nearly debt-free with no family to support, have good money management skills, and your rent/mortgage payment is less than $800 a month, then you should be okay.

What many young singles, or those married with no kids, have done when they started driving a truck is to put most of their belongings in storage and be able to put more money into a savings account over a period of several years until they feel they're ready to settle down again.

I can tell you that, for the most part, I really enjoyed running OTR for the past several years and getting to treat the job like a vacation while I was in a company truck. There are situations that can & will test your patience, and make you wonder if you made a wise career choice. Some people, like myself, enjoy the solitude and not dealing with the workplace politics that are too common in other jobs.

In regards to PAM Transport, they seem to be a pretty stable outfit, but they will run you hard. Many of their loads involve time-sensitive automotive freight, and they run in & out of Laredo, Texas on a consistent basis. I live in san Antonio, and I see their trucks on I-35 almost constantly.

[JDuece]

Thanks Capt. for the advice. I am a young man with 2 kids and an ole' lady. I currently load flatbed trailers at a local metal plant. I want something where I don't have to be so "self conscious" and worried about being fired for the littlest mistake. And againg, thanks for the advice. :wtf:

[Capt._Chaos]

I can relate to what you're getting at, but you need to be very careful when driving a truck, as one error on your part can cause injury or death to you and/or others around you.

How old are your children?

The reason I ask is when they are a bit older, they may be more understanding & able to answer their own question of "Why Daddy isn't here every day any more". When I was a young child, my father had to work out of town and was only home on the weekends. I remember how hard it was on me to see him leave every Sunday afternoon, and I would think about him all week long while he was gone.

I don't have any children of my own (as far as I know :wow: ), but if I did, I would have had second thoughts about ending my previous career as a Diesel Technician before jumping into a truck like I did almost 10 years ago. I'm not married, but I do have a very close relationship with my family. They had one hell of a time getting used to me being gone for weeks on end before they would see me come home, but they also understood that I was young and had to sow some wild oats.

When the husband is out on the road, unfortunately, it seems as though the wife has to play the role of two people, meaning that, besides taking care of the normal responsibilities that she already had, she may need to take the initiative to handle the responsibilities the husband normally had as well.

If your family can deal with you running OTR for a little over a year (with time off every two weeks or so), then, depending on where you live, you might be able to get into local work. Generally, it may not provide the annual salary that most OTR drivers make, but you won't be dealing with the expenses of living away from home while trying to support your family.

[JDuece]

My children are 3 and 6 months. I live in NW Louisiana and there are plenty of local driving jobs, but like you said and I know you have to have the exp. to get one of those jobs. I know it would be a lot getting used to but I think I'ma give it a shot anyways. Plus, with a CDL you can never be out of a job right?Like the old saying goes, You have to learn from your mistakes. :wtf:

[LugNut]

Wow two kids that young and you want to leave them behind for a dream of driving a big truck. Doesn't make sense to me. You will miss alot and they will miss even more. Of course you will also be dumping the full responsibility of raising them to your wife as well as managing the home and all the other aspects of the family. it's a bad idea for a father to just up and become a truck driver.

I also disagree with the idea of it being OK if the kids are older. Older kids such as teens and early teens need alot of guidance. More than the mother can do alone. Actually the entire growing process of children from birth until they leave the home is a period when both parents are needed.

Also there is no guarantee you will always have a job simply because you have a CDL. I have heard the stories of many drivers new and old who through circumstances often out of their control will never driver again.

You have to learn from your mistakes.I'm not sure what that means exactly. i do know if you have the slightest inkling it is a mistake it would be a very bad thing to do.

[JDuece]

Again I respect your opinion as to what you are saying. I have really been wanting to drive trucks since I was a young boy and I have never taken the opportunity to do it until recently. Another reason I want to drive trucks is because of my current job. I find flatbed trucks an interesting job and maybe I won't become an OTR driver until my kids are a little more of age. Thanks again!!!!

i happen to love what i do.. i drive for Schneider and thier training is AWESOME.. any ?? pm me.. i am ALWAYS glad to help new drivers entering the industry

[JSontag]

Wow two kids that young and you want to leave them behind for a dream of driving a big truck. Doesn't make sense to me. You will miss alot and they will miss even more. Of course you will also be dumping the full responsibility of raising them to your wife as well as managing the home and all the other aspects of the family. it's a bad idea for a father to just up and become a truck driver.

How many OTR drivers would there be on the US highways if you left out all the men that have children at home? :wtf:
The shortage of drivers would be HUGE :yikes:
Don´t make it harder for him, you are suppose to help him out and not make him feel like a bad father :wtf:

[LugNut]

If you think helping some one out is telling them what they want to hear your mistaken.

If it makes him feel like a bad father that would be his own doing. I just spelled out some facts. In another post he said his wife was against the idea of him driving OTR. It's one thing when you are a driver and you meet some one and you get married. The other person had a chance to see what you do for a living and decide if it is Ok or not. It is completely different when your partner married some one who has a stable job and is home everyday then decides to up and go OTR. It works for some but not for many when your spouse has already said no. ;)

I wonder what the divirce rate is for OTR truck drivers?

Marriage is tough to begin with and there are no guarantees anyway. leaving a spouse at home with two very young children when your spouse is opposed to it from the beginning only lessens your odds. Why chance it on a mediocre job and risk every thing.


I had a feeling you were taking a look at those FB's your loading. Some of them are sharp rigs for sure. They can make anyone with a daily job begin to dream. I've been there and done it myself. The reality of the job is not a decked out truck with all the lights and trimmings. Some of those drivers are making money and some are not. The reality is it is a job just like you have now. No fancy trucks and no one who cares what your driving except you. You will be expected to work X amount of hours (70 or more) per week and you will make a certain amount of money. The exception is you will not be allowed to go home and spend time with your family like you do now. Not until some dispatcher decides it's ok.

Birthdays, some holidays and alot of special occasions you can expect to miss. You will not be there for them. Kids do alot of special things growing up and you will not be a part of alot of it. Except of course being told how it went on the phone. Yes there are people doing it with families and some make it and some do not. Many quit. I have taken the time to ask several older drivers what they missed most or wished they could change. All of them said it was the time with their families and all the things they missed. One old guy, a Big man actually started crying at a Tomato packing house. He then went on with a long story of 3 wives and alot of kids. All he gave up to drive a truck. Alot of people may do it but alot of them also have many regrets.

It's some thing to give a whole lot of serious thought to.

[JDuece]

Lugnut, I'm not out to drive a big fancy rig. I could care less what the rig looks like as long as I make money to support my family. And it's not because I load FB's 60hrs. a week that I decided to drive OTR. I have wanted to drive since I was a kid. Also, if my ole' lady can't support my decisions in life, we won't be together in the future anyways. Thanks again!!!

[nitestar]

Also, if my ole' lady can't support my decisions in life, we won't be together in the future anyways. Thanks again!!![/

Whoops. You are setting of on a bad move.

This is a decision the 2 of you need to make together

You seem to think that if she doesn't agree with your decision she can go down the road.

Your marriage is more important than wether you drive a truck or not.
You seem to be doing allright with 60 hrs a week, I bet your bills are not furthur behind than anyones eles's.
60 hrs a week is a drop in the bucket for trucking.

So your saying that if she says no you are not driving a truck and being gone, leaving me with the full job of raising the family, your dumping her.?

How do you think this will turn out. ?

I'll tell you.

One day you will come home to an empty house. The neighbors will tell you all about it.
Her new boy friend is getting along with the kids just fine.
You will find out that there is no money in the bank.
You will find out that the bills have not been paid for several months.
Your bass boat was reposessed for none payment.
Her boy friend is driving your pickup truck.


You will find out that trucking was not for you at that time but the lesson is a bit late for you.

You will blame her for all of it and NONE is her fault.

Together you make the decision and together you share the lonesome .

OR
You count your blessings and KEEP your family.
Remember that trucking is feast or famine.
You will have a good pay check one week and the next will be so small you will be in shock.

Think long and hard about wether or ot you really want to be a trucker.

[JSontag]

I think you should talk with your wife and come up with a solution together.
I´ll tell ya a little story from my life......

About 5 years ago I worked for a small construction company here in Helsinki and I was actually making a pretty good living considering that I only worked from 7am to 3.30pm (no overtime EVER). But one day I just started thinking about the "freedom" of having my own business and I really wanted to try it out. :yikes:

I came home from work one day and told my girlfriend that I´ve been considering to start my own business.....and that I was SERIOUS about it! The first thing she said was "NO WAY, we are making a decent living at the moment and I do not want you to take any risks about it.........". Well a few days later I tried to talk to her again and tried to explain to her the BENEFITS of having my own small business, but once again the answer was the same "NO WAY" :yikes:

Well a few months passed and we hadn´t talked about this "idea" of mine at all until one day I just decided to go for it, wether she likes it or not :ninja: . Once I had the paperwork done and everything sorted out, I went home and told my girlfriend that I had quit my job and started my own business, which she REALLY WASN`T HAPPY ABOUT :vmad:

Starting your own business is never easy(I guess we all know that :wtf: ) and I had to do some really long days/weeks for a few years to get the company rolling and we were on the edge of breaking up at one point until the day came that I was able to start working normal days(well not everyday but most of em....) :cheers: :cheers: That´s when our relationship started to work too :lover:

At the moment it´s almost like working for someone else, not very much pressure and most of the time I´m home before 7pm. :cool:
So basically what I´m saying is that I had to be away for weeks in the beginning but how is my situation now? It´s all up to you............

Oh and BTW, when I asked her if she wanted back her old Ford Taurus instead of the BMW she has, she just smiled and said "Thank God you didn´t listen to me back then" :rofl: :rofl:

Well anyways, this is between you and your wife, think SMART and don´t hesitate to think TWICE :fishing: :fishing: :fishing:

Sorry for my English :wow: I know someone who will point out something :thinking:

[sweet_whiskey]

In all respect to JD, Lugnut is right. I've heard it from alot of drivers how their marriage went down the drain because of the driving.

Alot of male and female drivers get insecure, selfish, jealous (both people) or just bored. Then it eventually leads to cheating, fighting with the spouse, a nasty divorce, alimony, child support and hardly any rights to see your children.

Then you will have to drive because you have to pay all the bills. Then what will you be left with? Hatred towards women, hatred towards driving, hatred towards people in general.

You'll miss out on little league, the first words, first tooth fairy visit, first football game where your son/daughter (if you will) made a touchdown.

It's a hard decision to make, but all I can say is choose your career wisely.

Best of luck

[Foxfire]

All I can say is you have to decide what is more important to you. As has been said you need to discuss this with your wife and see if you both can come to an agreement. As a single mother of 4 I had very few options open to me so I did what I felt was the right thing. I refused to be on the welfare dole! But it took me away from the kids a lot. All in all it worked out for me.
I agree with the statement made about married drivers..... if every one of them were single it would be a perfect world. But they aren't and they still manage to have a marriage.

[Kbenton]

Jdeuce have you looked into going to a school you pay for yourself they all have student loans. I know here in central Fl. they have a conglomerate called Comcar, that will take students fresh out of school and you can run local with them or otr. My recomendation would be to look into something of that nature and search every truck site you can find. Remember there are always alternatives in this industry you just have to do some digging.

[Company5]

JD, depending on where you live you might try to get on with an LTL carrier. There are a few that may train you to drive. Some will require you to start on the dock. I believe Old Dominion and ABF have a program. UPS is also worth a look. You would have to start off as a package handler and work your way up. Most of the LTL industry offers higher wages for company drivers than do the typical OTR carriers.