Anyone Else Frustrated And Angry With The Economy?

The job market has sent a lot of people (including myself) into a tailspin. I was lucky to get a grant to go trucking school. I am thankful. But, I keep reminding myself this is a short-term deal. I never woke up one day and said to myself "I want to be a truck driver." My friends and family look at me strangely when I tell them I am going to trucking school. They know I am capable of doing better with my life ---but there are no jobs in my field that pay a livable wage. Competition for those high paying sales jobs are fierce.

I am a sales person.

The only sales jobs I managed to get are low paying retail sales positions or 100% commission jobs. I remind myself that solid companies like IBM or Pfizer which once gave you a company car, 401k, and a base salary plus commission ---- are non-existent.

I'm in my late 40's and been out of work for so long that it has forced me into a steady occupation known as trucking. I plan on building up trucking experience locally for a year, then going to the oil fields for higher paying work and try to make up for loss wages.

A lot of my friends are either retiring or are wealthy simply because they kept their high paying jobs through the recession. It's unfair that life throws some of us "under the bus" and others get to prosper and live comfortably.

Anyone in the same boat or feel the same way as I do? I would like to hear some inspiring stories to keep my faith.

Ummmmm, first thing I want to say is there is nothing wrong with being a trucker. It is a hard job that deserves respect. Second, and this is coming from someone with no experience, if you are "being forced into trucking then you will not make it." This is a choice that you have to make because you want to do it. Trucking is a type of job that requires metal. You seem to blame the economy and other things on where you are now. We have all made choices in our lives that put us in our own situation. If you are going to moan and groan about how you are forced to go into a profession that you think is beneath you, then this is NOT the profession for you. Everything in life is what you make it. You have a grant! That does not sound like you are forced to drive. You may be better off looking into so other type of education. This is not a job that you will do well at if you do not have drive and a good attitude. Truckers have to make things happen. Your post does not make me think you are the type person to make things happen. Sorry if I am being brutally honest but I see you as a driver that is sitting around complaining in 6 months that you are not getting miles and how bad the trucking industry has screwed you. You may want to rethink everything! If you have any questions about how to start out, ask away. I will be glad to help. In the past month, I have learned all the ins and outs of getting started. Good luck in whatever you do!

Yeah I know how you feel but try to look at Trucking as a means to help level the playing field..It's going to be harder to loose your job again because believe it or not their are some real barriers to getting into this field and not everybody can do it. I'm pretty sure that a Smart Guy that is willing to work hard and prove himself can do real good trucking or else I wouldn't be trying to get into it...I know 3 Guys who drive right now 2 are Company drivers and like it, the other is a O/O, it's his truck so he is making Tons of Money but has more than just a basic amount of knowledge of driving, he also knows the business side and started with some money but point is they all like it and are doing better than just paying their bills.

Trucking isn't for everybody and there is a lot of BS to deal with but I think if you take the time to find the right fit you can do good....You won't be a millionaire from simply driving a truck but you can keep steady work and make a few good investments & cha ching half the battle is over

T.W., to do well in any profession or job you've got to bring some passion into what you are doing. I am a truck driver because I chose to be a truck driver. This is a second career for me that I started at age 53 after a thirty year stint of running a custom electrical sign manufacturing business. I loved what I did then and I love what I do now.

In my sign business I always had sales people working for me, they got paid well and were happy at their job. But I always sold way more than they ever dreamed of doing, and that was on top of all my other responsibilities. I might go out in the day time and sell 30 or 40 thousand dollars worth of work and then I would work in my shop most of the night welding or doing electrical work on some project we had going. The reason I was successful at it was because I had a passion for what I did. I would never dream of making a statement like yours...

It's unfair that life throws some of us "under the bus" and others get to prosper and live comfortably.

One of my first jobs in life was scrubbing toilets in the public restrooms at a busy professional building. People can really make some nasty messes in those places, and I was the guy that kept those toilets sparkling so that hopefully not too many customers had to see the filth that I just cleaned up. I always wanted those toilets shiny clean - I took pride in that job, and you would have thought my employer was going to cry the day I told him I was going to move on to something else. I brought some passion to that lowly job and it showed every time someone walked into those restrooms. Successful people in life can be successful when the economy is good or bad. Success is not always measured by your paycheck, but people who bring some passion into what they do will usually see more of a financial benefit than those who are constantly reminding themselves that what they are doing is a short term deal, because they think when the economy turns around they will find someone who will give them a car to drive and a 401K account along with their salary and a commission.

You complain that

Competition for those high paying sales jobs are fierce.

You obviously are clueless about truck driving if you think you won't be competing against other drivers even within your own company. Have you ever noticed all the negative reviews on the internet about trucking companies. Those reviews come from people just like you who jumped into this thinking it would provide you with a steady paycheck while all you had to do was hold the steering wheel. This career is so performance based that only the folks who are really creative and passionate about what they do come out on top, the rest of them get thrown under the bus in your way of thinking.

Anyone in the same boat or feel the same way as I do?

I really don't think there is anyone here in the same boat as you. I love this job, and I do very well at it. If all you see about working in the oil fields is the dollar signs, you won't last two weeks in that environment. It is hard work with excessively long hours in filthy and sweaty conditions with lots of hurrying up to wait.

I am a sales person.

T.W., like I said, I've had sales people work for me, and I will tell you that the personality type that usually makes a decent sales person is not the typical personality that makes a good truck driver. I hope for your family's sake you can get your feet on the ground in a good job that pays a decent wage, but I don't foresee it being truck driving based on your sentiments in your post. Now you may just fool me and get right in there and find that you love this work, and actually I hope for your sake that's what happens, but go into it understanding that it is a competitive field where only the top performers get the top rewards.

All good posts. I will examine this in greater deal. I have the skills to do this and the fact I will have a steady job is worth its weight in gold.

Great replies!

T.W., we will help you all we can. Lord knows there have been a lot of new drivers come through here and benefited greatly from their time on this site. We have tons of resources here and I don't know how much of it you've perused already but check out the Truck Driver's Career Guide and start working your way through the High Road Training Program. And if you would like to get a feel for what it's like working in this field then by all means read Brett's Book - it's a free on line version and it's an easy and enjoyable read.

I first read this post about 3.5 hours ago as I was just finishing my 30 minute break and did not have time to respond to it. Thank god I didnt because I was ready to drop napalm all over this post. I have since calmed down a bit and let clearer thinking come through.

So without flaming to much I have to say this first. Your post started out basically with the attitude that your training was in sales and trucking was beneath you. That feeling stayed throughout your post. ThinkingAbout ANewCareer touch on this in his responce.

I will only say that when companies start down sizing their staff they let the unproductive or the less skilled people go first and here you are looking for a job in trucking. Imagine that.

Now on to something more positive. Many people have had the same attitude towards truck drivers for a vert long time now unfortunately. And yet without us drivers those that look down on us would have absolutely nothing. No $10 cups of coffee. No IPhone or computers. No clothes that make them think they are better than us. I mean nothing at all. Granted there is 1% of the industry that gives the rest of drivers a seriously bad name.

With all that being said trucking is still an industry that you can be proud of and hold your head up with pride if you are doing your best to do your job. I had a "Used to be friend" that was asked how I could stand being a truck driver and instead of answering I asked him how he could stand to be unemployed and receiving a government handout while doing nothing but staying home.

You see trucking is such an integrated Industry that America would fall in less than 3 months if the trucks stopped moving. I say less than a month and it would be anarchy. Heck even trucks deliver other trucks.

By the title of your post and the content of said post I know you were hoping for a reaction and now you are receiving it. Though I had to get my shot in with my sarcastic remark at first I did not come out with the way I started to. I having a feeling many others also did not go with a gut reaction either. They held back for the most part.

Now trucking can be a very lucrative career if you Lear the ins and outs. But that takes time. I can live in just about any neighborhood In the country with the money I am making.

In closing if you are the kind of person that goes by what others think and need to show off and be looked up to then trucking maybe not for you. But if your the kind that is independent and could careless what other think and have the 'want to' you can make a very good life in trucking but you have to adjust your attitude and don't think that trucking is taking a step down cause your not. Look at it as you are starting a new adventure and take it as it comes.

So instead of posting a reactionary post cause I can guarantee You will get lots of reaction from drivers try posting something that will give you information that will help you in the future.

Guyjax,

I too had to take a deep breath, reread everything I had typed three times, rewrite it and then hit submit. The first time I read that post (and the second and third), all I saw was, "I made hundreds of thousands before! How could I possibly ended up as a low life trucker?" It really struck a cord with me. When I first started looking into trucking, my mother had a bit of apprehension. She asked some questions. A lot of her experience with truckers were many years ago when it was much less professional and less regulated. As much as we like to gripe and complain about all the DOT physicals, drug test, CDL test and other requirements, it is always in my mind that I am glad all the rules are there. It keeps us all safe on the road.

I have been a paramedic for over 20 years. It is a very thankless job. Many people do not see the long hours, the constant continuing education, the people that cuss us for trying to help them, etc. It is a hard civil servant job that will never make you rich. People that work it emergency work do it because the LOVE it. It is not about the money. Trucking is the same type job. It is a very essential part of the world we call home. Think if you called 911 one day and nobody answered. Same thing with trucking... Think if you went to the grocery store and they were closed because no trucks had brought food for two weeks or you go to a service station and the pumps are off because that tanker did not show up. Trucking is a thankless, PROFESSIONAL, and grueling career.

You have a bad day as a salesperson, you lost a couple of sales and some money. In the grand scheme of things that is no big deal. You have a bad day at trucking where you lost focus for just a 1/2 second, PEOPLE DIE! Trucking professionals know that you MUST be on your "A" game everyday.

Sorry, I am on a rant. That first post did what was intended I guess. It got a rise out of me.

As I said before to the original poster, if you need help we are here. Check the poor pitiful me attitude at that door. Open your eyes and realize that trucking ( or any other job for that matter) is not beneath you. If anything, you don't have what it takes or deserve to be a trucker. Stop blaming President Obama, the government, your friends, your co-workers, and everybody else or thing that has put you were you are. The choices YOU made throughout your life is what put you here! How we navigate hardships is what defines us. My bet is, you were offered jobs in your field that you felt like were too low paying and beneath you. Now, you can't even get a job offer. So, now "They forced me into driving a truck." Wow, I am ranting again. This post made my blood boil. I have said enough! Hope TW gets my point.

Most of the people are here for two reasons:

1. To LEARN about trucking as a career and whether it is a good fit for them. 2. To HELP others getting started or each other out on the road.

They know I am capable of doing better with my life

How well someone does with their life is all based on what one considers success. I can guarantee you there are a LOT of successful white color workers that are not nearly as happy with their lives as many of the drivers on this forum. Those that love the lifestyle (not just a job) are lucky people that enjoy what they do.

I was a salesperson most of my life. Hated almost every minute of it. My wife is a nurse that gets paid very well. The changes in her workplace the last few years have made it intolerable. She is actively looking for new employment and we will be taking a large hit financially. But it doesn't matter because she can do better with her life than working someplace that makes her miserable.

I don't know if trucking will be what I do for the rest of my life, but I can tell you I am happier now than ever and that is the gauge that I use to determine how we'll I am doing.

Be honest with yourself. If you really do not want to drive then you need to find another avenue. If you want to drive who cares what someone else thinks you should be doing.

Woody

Cant say I disagree with you. Its unpleasant to go into a industry you have no interest in.even worse when you know for a fact you can do better( reference to you not me).. But as the saying goes "life sucks then you die." Trust me, ide much rather be in more souly mental stress focused work. Obviously, that did not work out. ($40k in debt for nothing. Just llike the rest of my generation. Lol). On the bright side though, trucking is important, requires self sufficiency and has the potential for lots of money. Also, if your like me, you have little to no human contact.

As for another comment you made, I too plan on heading to the oilfields (Texas) once my first year is up. Love the heat and would like to be in a single location.