So, Did Most Of Your Friends Also Think You Were Crazy To Change Careers And Become And OTR Trucker?

I met a guy when I was in training with ptl. We couldn't even ride in the shuttle with him without gagging. His unfortunate roommate said he took showers and did laundry but still smelled like that . He had gotten fired from his last driving job for wrongful termination. Love it lmao. I'm sorry but I like to be clean.

Yes, they sure did! After 30 years of being a tool and die maker I decided that I would much rather spend the next 10-15 years trucking than in a factory.

Everyone I know right now is trying to sway me not to get into trucking. But I am going to do it anyway for a few reasons.

Number one, I know what I want in life and what I want to do. No one can stop me and no one can sway me because no one knows me better than I do.

Number two, I've already taken all of their reasons into consideration. Erratic sleep pattern? I already have that. You'll never be home! That's what I love about it. You'll have to drive ALL the time. I love driving. You'll get fat! I have a high metabolism and you CAN eat healthy on the road with the proper tools and planning.

Number three, this a passion. This is not something I'm doing just for the money or just to travel.

The bottom line is, if you want to do it then do it. Just try to make sure you're doing it for the right reasons. For anything you want to do in the world people can come up with a million reasons not to do it. You want to be a singer? No privacy, getting up at 3 in the morning to make a music video, once you lose your voice that's it, the whole world judges you, etc. You want to be president? You'll have to clean up the last president's mess, the country will bash you no matter what you do, theres so much stress that you prematurely grey, politics, etc.

I think that was Old School on this site who said name a company with no bad reviews? Well, name a job with no bad sides to it. Name me "the perfect job" with nothing wrong with it and nothing bad about it and I'll name you a reason why it's a bad job and why you shouldn't do it.

Bottom line is, do what you want to do and forget those classic Negative Nancys.

Years ago, I left a pretty cushy, 9-5, had my own office, type job to become a LEO. "Why in the world would you become a cop? And work those kind of hours and take that kind of risk for that kind of pay? And besides, they get no respect."

As Yogi Berra said,"It's like deja vu all over again."

I gave my official notice at work yesterday. Got a nice response from my boss: "Well, if it doesn't work out, or if you ever change your mind or want to come back, we can always find a place for you here." So, that was nice...

But then word started spreading that I was leaving. "I just can't see you being a trucker." And "Why in the world would you want to be a trucker." Etc. They seemed to think that trucking would be a last resort and certainly not something that a person with anything on the ball would choose.

Too funny. For my new career I wanted to be a LEO but they wanted background from each state I'd ever had a license from and that ws just to much hassle to get :)

I did try to go back in the army at age 51. They said I missed the cutoff age ( I was prior service) and encouraged me to go to the VA and try and get disability - LOL!

So trucking was on my bucket list. :)

One co-worker is a retired O/O. He talked about the good old days before the industry was so regulated, back when you could have fun in his opinion -- before the HOS regs. He said there was no way he'd do the job today with government all in your business, etc.

Hmmm, I dunno. Maybe I am crazy....

I get called crazy more, for my plan to fly to ths Philippines for a month or 2 vacation....After dealing and healing slowly, with my broken leg, the past year + More than when I mentioned truck driving as my next career lol.....Like I tell em, it's MY life, time to start living it for ME now, and not worry about everyone else first. I'm done putting everyone elses needs above my own this 2nd half of life. Never know when that LAST day will come, need to make the best of what we have left!

Yea, and it's crazy to! but to be completely honest why do friends and family always(not always) tend to focus more on what they view as requirements and make them out to be such negatives?? I personally can't wait to get behind the wheel again, and hopefully some of my running buddies are still out there as well. I will not lie but I hate traffic I cannot stand it, but when you get to a shipper and they treat you like your an employee there, buy you a dinner it's awesome and some of the places you get to see like my first time in N.E. quadrant, the scenery was just awesome and I was getting paid to see a part of the country that I would more than likely have not seen any other way. You might just have to take some photo's of the mountains, land marks etc.

The shipper that I just mentioned is in Michigan, I think I was picking up a load of rice from them, but after they had me loaded and its right by a port. The ships run the great lakes and they were able to get me onto the ship and the crew gave us a tour and even offered us a meal as well.

Even though I am just starting all over again I hope to have positive encounters still like the above mentioned. So when someone gives me the third degree about driving I tell them about some of the places I have been and how things went and then it usually changes the conversation pretty quick.

Sorry if I veered off topic

Mine didn't tell me I was crazy lol.. I never asked for their opinion, because I don't need their validation. I know I will enjoy this adventure immensely. But I will say this.. good friends who truly know me were and are very encouraging and supportive.

I never asked for their opinion, because I don't need their validation.

Yeah, I didn't ask for their opinion either but they were happy to give it. The only opinion I asked for was from my wife --- and that wasn't for validation, but permission..

David, you have to be a little crazy to drive a truck. But then when you are sitting in a cubicle or working a factory floor you do not get to see sights like these AND be paid while doing it...

Priceless pictures Pat!

Those scenes of Yellowstone, bring back fond memories of a time when I was a kid on vacation there, I saw my first moose up nice and close in that area. I lived in Lewistown, Montana for a year back in about 1981.

I love the shot of the cowboy driving the cattle! Down here in Texas when we want to move our cattle we load them on a truck! Not you guys, you just open the gate and let them take their own sweet time going down the road to greener pastures! Pat, I remember you referring one time to working the stock yards as a young man... You'll get a kick out of this story: A friend of mine and I got started in the cattle business about twenty years ago. We made our first purchase of 400 head of Red Brangus cows and had them delivered to our 800 acre place. We had it all fenced and cross fenced, but no corral had been built yet. When the convoy of trucks arrived, they wanted to know where we wanted to unload the cows who had been on the road for about four hours. We were standing out in the pasture and we said "right here." They looked at us like we were nuts, and said "OOOKaaaay." Of course you can imagine what happened, it was the first of many lessons these two green horns learned from those cows. They stampeded and tore through all of our fencing as soon as they opened the trailer gates. Four days later we had them all rounded back up and the fences repaired enough to hold them in.

I learned a lot of lessons and lost a ton of money in my cowboy days!