Other People’s Doubts

As I continue to research trucking and really consider what this life will be, I find myself getting really excited but also getting pushback from people in my life. My boyfriend is supportive for the most part but I think he has massive doubts and also doesn’t understand why I even find trucking appealing. My parents try to dissuade me or just bring up things that they think are major cons. Thankfully, I have a cousin who is a retired trucker and she’s a huge resource and mentor during this. But I struggle dealing with other people’s doubts. For the experienced drivers, did you ever run into this? For people like me who are still considering a career, have you faced any pushback or doubt? Ultimately of course, my decision is my own and no one else’s. I’m just curious what other people have experienced. Thanks as always, everyone!

My wife was completely against it. I hated being in a warehouse all day and I had a habit of bringing that frustration home. It never ended well. It got so bad that we discussed getting a divorce and ended up in counseling.

Ultimately, the decision was mine to make and decided that I was never going to be happy working in a warehouse or sitting behind a desk. The only jobs I enjoyed doing involved driving and being outside. I also decided that I wasn't going to lose my family over a career choice.

I found a happy median. FedEx freight trained me and I was home everyday. Since I've been trucking, I've spent 2 nights away from home. I knew about them way in advance and I didn't have a choice. I spent 2 nights in Harrisburg learning about hazmat. It's as fun as it sounds.

The point of all of this is to let you and the lurkers know that there are a lot of options in this career. Get your experience, keep your license clean and you'll be golden. You can start choosing what you want to do and when you want to do it.

The only reason this decision was hard to me was because I have a wife and a son. Nobody else's opinion would've mattered to me. Not a boyfriend, not a parent and not friends. You have to decide if this is something you want to do and if they choose to support you, great. If not, that's ok too. You only live once. Don't want to have regrets decades down the line because you let your parents make a decision for you. You also don't want to have resentment because of what could've been if you're unhappy in the future.

It's your life to live, live it. Their doubts are out of fear and lack of knowledge.

Bon Jovi sang:

"It's my life, now or never. I ain't gonna live forever. I just wanna live while I'm alive! It's My Life!"

Love that song because of the great lyrics, which can be a lesson to actually live by, too.

Clare, after I’d made the decision to become a truck driver, I had to wait about three months before I could start CDL school and begin this journey. I spent those three months prepping for my CDL permit (thanks High Road Training Program and CDL Practice Tests) and listening to nearly every ‘friend’ of mine advise me that what I was planning was a terrible idea. These were all people 15+ years my senior, retirees, and experts on relationships and marriage.

Granted, my situation is a little extreme: I had moved to Cuenca, Ecuador, with my wife and step-daughter four years earlier. The plan was for me to drive a truck, live out of the truck, save everything I made for investments that would provide for a comfortable life post-driving, returning home for good in 5-7 years. I’m right on schedule, having made two of the three planned investments. My marriage, even though I only see my wife about two weeks/year now, is as solid as it has ever been. This time apart seems to have strengthened our marriage. I’m not going to seek out all those people who very strongly advised me to find another way, but I know that when I return home to Cuenca for good, plenty of eyebrows will be raised.

My family here were supportive from the beginning, but I attribute that mostly to their being happy I was returning to the U.S. I think I have surprised them a bit with my resolve and success. It’s not that they didn’t believe in me, but I don’t think they thought I could have pulled off this plan by being a truck driver.

If you want this, do it. Make sure you understand this lifestyle, and your reasons for getting into it are sound. If you can check those boxes, everything you’re hearing about your decision is just noise. And that can be tuned out. Stay strong; if you need help you have a HUGE family here on Trucking Truth more than happy to lend their support.

Clare, I've been the 'other half' (aka; trucker's wife) for 20 plus years!

Yep, the person at HOME does make sacrifices... indeed. He'll be FINE! I've JB welded, PB blasted, WD40'd, and caulked and siliconed and duck taped SO many things w/the kids thru the years..it worked! With you?!?! >>> and HE'S THE GUY PERSON, that CAN fix it!

Our SON is graduating (early bcz of homeschooling) and turns 18 in 2022. I've ALREADY GOT a ride along set up, and a company I've chosen to train with. On. My. Own.

Tell him to switch to boxers, perhaps ?!?!?!? Steve Harvey's advice.. LoL!

Best wishes, m'lady!

The resident 'trucker's wife/trucker's life' with a bit'o'experience!

~ Anne ~

I've decided not to tell anyone else just because of this very reason. Back when I was in a relationship, I would have just jumped right into trucking because a school had approved me and promised me a job after to pay the cost. Thankfully, my now ex-girlfriend was against the idea of me living on the road at the time because I would have jumped right in the drivers seat without doing any research, study or considering my other options.

Now, I am a firm believer in doing all that I mentioned above. I also have a mutual fund set aside that I am stacking money into, just to have for when I make the ultimate decision.

I'm not telling anyone else about my decision to switch careers. I've found that the blow back is usually from people that don't drive truck's.

Are the one's telling us that trucking is a horrible idea... Are they paying our bills? Are these people going to buy us a new car or motorcycle? Are they paying for our retirement? Probably not. So, their opinions are just as useless as they sound!

It's your life to live, live it. Their doubts are out of fear and lack of knowledge.

This...this right here. Especially for your parents. As for your boyfriend... find a trucker boyfriend, team drive, stack that cash and live a great life. I'd do that in an instant.

Not that I have experience yet, I just got my CDL last week and Im in training, but those doubts and fears kept me from doing something that I really wanted to try for about 30 years. Even then it took me months to commit to this choice. I started a diary here for that very reason. Id highly encourage you to read the CDL training dairies here, they really gave me good motivation and helped dispel myths that I believed. If I could get back the many times I held off doing this for other peoples benefit I would.

I still deal with it to some degree, but in the end, Ive made my choices and I refuse to keep letting others "Drive my truck" so to speak. If people really love you, they will eventually see that their own fears and reservations were baseless and will support you in your endeavors.

As I continue to research trucking and really consider what this life will be, I find myself getting really excited but also getting pushback from people in my life. My boyfriend is supportive for the most part but I think he has massive doubts and also doesn’t understand why I even find trucking appealing. My parents try to dissuade me or just bring up things that they think are major cons. Thankfully, I have a cousin who is a retired trucker and she’s a huge resource and mentor during this. But I struggle dealing with other people’s doubts. For the experienced drivers, did you ever run into this? For people like me who are still considering a career, have you faced any pushback or doubt? Ultimately of course, my decision is my own and no one else’s. I’m just curious what other people have experienced. Thanks as always, everyone!

Hello Clare, sorry to read about the lack of support from key people in your life. It seems most people that are against a decision like this will always bombard you with the negativity or "why" you shouldn't do it, rather than the level-headed discussion with various pros and cons about it. I think the reason a lot of people try to dissuade us from doing something we are passionate about is there's a deep-seated fear in some people -- or perhaps a failure on their part -- where there's acknowledgement that since THEY couldn't do it, then they'll convince you that you shouldn't do it either, and if you do, maybe that's where resentment could come into play on their parts since somebody else succeeded where they failed (or never even made an attempt). I hope that you do indeed go forward with this, because there would be fewer things worse than you looking back years from now and always wishing that you went into trucking and wondering what it "would have been like". Good luck to you!

Bon Jovi sang:

"It's my life, now or never. I ain't gonna live forever. I just wanna live while I'm alive! It's My Life!"

Love that song because of the great lyrics, which can be a lesson to actually live by, too.

Agreed! Great song and great lyrics.