What Made You Take On Truck Driving?

I have read through quite a bit of the site and I am really considering starting a career in truck driving, however, I am still unsure if truck driving is right for me. With this in mind I am taking a long period of time to decide whether to drive or not. What made you guys decide to take up truck driving?

I guess I'd say it's a passion. All too often you see the drivers who decided to do it because they thought, I can drive a car so I can drive a truck. It's so much more than that though, it's a commitment and a lifestyle. Kinda like the military in the sense that there isn't faking a sick day. You get up, you clean up, you check out your baby and roll on down the road. In the morning you get to watch the sun rise in one state and set in another. Along the way you get to see some of the most amazing scenery that most people pay good money to experience, we get paid to. You get to hear funny stories, a whole lot of complaining and some of the tallest tales you'll ever hear that will make you laugh til the day you die.

You'll also experience stress, bad drivers, horrible weather, rude people, blown tires, the frustration of traffic and time constraints. But at the end of the day when you're shutting everything down, having a bite to eat and maybe a quick chat with family in the phone or another driver on the radio, you watch that sunset and go to bed. All that crap you dealt with during the day doesn't matter because people count on us, they count on our dedication and tenacity for everything they need or want. Knowing what we do and those sunrises and sunsets make it worthwhile man, the rest of the crap just fades away but those memories are permanent.

I took it, because, with the government going broke, I did NOT want another government job, or a desk job.

Dave

Devan says:

With this in mind I am taking a long period of time to decide whether to drive or not.

There is another recent thread with almost the exact same question.

But, Devan, have you checked out Truck Driver's Career Guide and Brett's Book?

Devan says:

With this in mind I am taking a long period of time to decide whether to drive or not.

There is another recent thread with almost the exact same question.

But, Devan, have you checked out Truck Driver's Career Guide and Brett's Book?

Yes, I have read through them and they actually encouraged me to drive, but I was just wondering what was the ah-hah moment to decide to become a driver.

For me it's because I use to remember when my dad would pull up in his bright and shiny peterbilt and knowing that summer was here and I knew that I would get to be with my dad in that truck all summer long and I loved everything bout being on the road so I was burned out doing what I was doing so I said I am going to do what I know I would be good at and loved it as a kid and I am still a rookie been running for 3 weeks had some hard times in this 3 weeks but out of 8 drivers I have became the go to guy got a raise I love it all since my dad passed in 2008 I get to just ride and think of the times we had when I was a kid the old times say once you get the Diesel in ur veins u can never get it out I think I was born with in mine

I just signed up with prime inc's psd program ...

For me I needed something to make me marketable .. 34 with a GED no college... I used to be tech support but the state I live in right now is impossible to land a job with decent pay while competing with 22 year olds with degrees or just out of navy. to take care of my family this is best way for me. Of course it helps I have a few friends locally that will get me I the door with their company as soon as I have 1 year exp and CDL . It was a 2 month process for me to mull it over and get my wife in board.

Smokey and the Bandit(1977), Black Dog(1998), Breakdown(1997), Joy Ride(2001)

Next time you have the day off give these films a try. It is what had me wanting to drive a truck since I was a kid.

Smokey and the Bandit(1977), Black Dog(1998), Breakdown(1997), Joy Ride(2001)

Next time you have the day off give these films a try. It is what had me wanting to drive a truck since I was a kid.

There was an old Emilio Estevez movie in the 80s maximum overdrive I think kinda sci/fi horror had big rigs come to life lol

For me... the biggest reason is consistency. with a class a and a descent driving record and drug free... you should be able to cash a check on a regular basis.

where i live non-union construction prevails. but I'm a union guy... so if i get busted running pipe on a non union job I'll get fined.

in busy times I've seen guys make a lot of money. in the range of 100,000 by June. but if you get laid off and your getting unemployment and your lease is up and you move to follow work but there is no work... most people don't trust you enough to give you a lease... lol.

if i drive truck locally or over the road i can settle down instead of going from Detroit to Philadelphia to Blythe to Seattle... and the family wanting to move each and every time.

now i drive truck. now i get consistent pay checks and don't appear to be some drug dealer without a job. the neighbors look at you funny when u have nice things and haven't worked for 6 months. retired neighbors have nothing to do except make things up and be nosey lol. now they probably think i went to jail because they haven't seen me since April. but on paper the banks like consistency. that's the best thing... consistency. money I'm not a big fan of money. if your a fan of money... become a broker and buy a whole bunch of trailers not just one truck. lol. I'm finished thanks,