Lifestyle Keeping You Broke?

All great points!

I need to look into Swanson trucking. Is the pay good? Are they always hiring? I will have to check into that.

I don't know how well Schwan's pays, but I am sure it would be similar to beginning a career in trucking. Let me explain: You would probably end up with tough route that you will have to build and/or wait for a better route to open up. I think it would take time to build a good income, similar to most trucking jobs

If you ever want to make great money and enjoy yourself you're going to have to find something you love and work your *ss off at it for years and years. That's all there is to it. If you're not passionate about what you're doing you'll never be willing to put in the time it takes to become great enough at it that it pays big money.

So it's either put in a half-hearted effort and get half-hearted results or put everything you have into something and go big with it.

And don't be lured into starting a business by the idea of "freedom". Freedom to make your own choices is great. But if you're in business and you expect to get anywhere worth getting to you're going to have to put in 80+ hours a week. That's not a choice. That's a reality because that's what your best competitors are going to be doing. Everyone pictures getting rich sipping on margaritas and ordering around a crew of guys. That can be a reality at some point, but it's going to take 15+ years of doing it yourself for 80 hours a week to get there.

Brett, "If you ever want to make great money and enjoy yourself you're going to have to find something you love and work your *ss off at it for years and years. "

I agree to an extent. I know some who have started their own company---which they love---but make little money and have been at it for years and years.

I think the happiness scale peaks at about 40k a year. Anything higher than its all about outlook. Good points though.

Brett, "If you ever want to make great money and enjoy yourself you're going to have to find something you love and work your *ss off at it for years and years. "

I agree to an extent. I know some who have started their own company---which they love---but make little money and have been at it for years and years.

I think the happiness scale peaks at about 40k a year. Anything higher than its all about outlook. Good points though.

I bought a 48' Class A Diesel Motorhome and took a band out on national tour for two years. Lost my a$$ - loved every minute of it. Road Manager, Tour Manager, FOH Soundman.

Broke the bank - but worth every penny. I would go out for 3-4 weeks, come home and work for 2 weeks - to be able to afford to go out again.

C.R.A.Z.Y...

Rick

Broke the bank - but worth every penny.

Spoken like a true Dead Head!

Rick, I've done a few crazy things myself. I think you are going to fit right into the trucking lifestyle.

I agree to an extent. I know some who have started their own company---which they love---but make little money and have been at it for years and years.

I'm not saying you have to make a ton of money to be happy. Nor am I saying you're going to make a ton of money if you put in a lot of hours.

I'm saying I've never known anyone that started a business, didn't work that hard at it, made a ton of money doing it, enjoyed it, and it lasted for years. Does that describe anyone you've ever known? Not me.

There are no shortcuts to making a lot of money doing something you enjoy.....otherwise we'd all be on that boat.

I think the happiness scale peaks at about 40k a year.

TW, you've made several interesting statements in this thread, but that one takes the cake! If you think you can equate happiness with money you will be eternally disappointed. I remember something that happened to me a long time ago. I was at orientation to the college I was going to attend, and they had one of these touchy feely meetings with us and asked us to write down on a piece of paper a one word description of what we thought described success. I thought for a moment and I wrote this: CONTENTMENT

You see, for me that is success, and a person can be content with much or little, but only as long as they don't tie their happiness to "how much" they have or make. Life is full of surprises and curve balls. I know a man who is perfectly content to make pottery on his wheel, and sell just enough of it to satisfy a few interested tourist who come by his tiny little shop. He's never going to make much money at it, but he's passionate about what he does. He's content. Now you could take that same man dress him up in a suit and put him in a sales position where he was making five or six times the money and he would be miserable!

A person has to kind of figure out who they are and what they want to do with their life if they are to be content.

I ran a business for years - I remember one time a friend of mine was visiting me for the day, and we went to the post office together to check my mail. There was about seventy thousand dollars in the mail that day - my friend was amazed, he had no idea I was making that kind of money. But you see, all he saw was the checks, what I saw was the hard work and the incredible expenses I went through so I could produce those checks. I was glad to give it all up when I decided to start this second career as a truck driver. I love not having the responsibility and the burden of meeting a demanding payroll each week. I love getting a check that I only have to sign on the back side.

I'm getting distracted a little, but what I'm trying to say is that I was content with much and with little. I never try to base my happiness on my income, it's something that changes too much and is unreliable.

I never try to base my happiness on my income, it's something that changes too much and is unreliable.

That is pure gold right there.

You really have to provide yourself with happiness first and not base it on money because it is unreliable. Good stuff!

I have so many broad interests and I would be unhappy doing one thing. I have ADHD to the max and am restless as hell. I jump from project to project. Goal to goal. When I achieve something I move on to the next challenge, otherwise I get bored. Trucking is a good option but its not sustainable long-term. I would get bored after a few years and move on to local driving, then back to OTR , then to oil fields, then to flat bedding..lol. In any event, having my CDL is a blessing because I can always use it.

I have been doing a lot of soul searching. I love variety, independence, and having no boss. Which is why trucking appeals to me. I like fitness and hiking too. I wrote a blog and eBook on hiking. Writing a book on fitness. Jack of all trades master of none. Flight attendant is another cool occupation hat would be fun for a few years.

I'm like a guy in a candy store and I want have EVERY FLAVOR. I do not want one flavor or I get anxious. I like chocolate, vanilla, strawberry ice cream together. I do not like eating vanilla by itself. Too boring.

Same goes for my careers. I crave variety and need a mix to have that stimulation.

I have one job - and one client that I do IT for (medium sized law office). I make $80K plus - but I'm burnt to a crisp and miserable, after 35 years in computers. And that's NOT having to punch a clock - most of my work is phone/remote support, and maybe a few hours a week onsite.

.....

OTOH - going out OTR , means "burning my bridges" in IT (or at least working for myself), and I'm NOT CUT OUT for punching a clock and wearing a tie for someone else (and a lot less $$ than working for myself).

Decisions - Decisions - Decisions...

Rick

Rick...I was IT guy...Comp Security CISSP no less. I am now OTR...made over 40k first year as a new driver. Ya gotta roll hard to do that and the learning curve is steep but jobs that you can make that much in the first year are rare outside trucking.

If you can handle being on the road for long periods and are willing to work 12+ hour days with a day off now and then for a reset you can do it.

As long as I pick up and deliver on time, don't get in accidents, don't get tickets and pass inspections nobody bothers me. As an IT guy your attention to detail will help you. I have no tickets and no CSA points after a year and a half and 175,000 miles. I intend to keep it that way. I am a stickler for pretrips and obeying the law...and I am always on time or better. You can do it if you want to put the time in.

Tracy