Considering a trucking career

612953

{"text":"Hello and thank you all in advance for any/all help.\n\nLong story short, I'm 39 and ready for a total career change and think trucking could be the answer. The pertinents are:\n\n* I'm 39.5 and in good health and would have no problem passing a DOT including drug test(s).\n\n*No pets or kids BUT I'm (happily) married and the wife will NOT let me to be gone for week (or weeks) at a time. Her father was an OTR trucker and she's *firm* that I be home nightly or near it.\n\n* I live about 25 miles south of Dallas, TX.\n\n* I currently drive 45k-50k miles per year soley in the DFW metroplex for my job (regular Ford F-150 style truck) and I have been doing so for the past 12 years. The only accident I've ever been in was when a guy rear-ended me at a rural red light because he was on his cell phone. He paid for the repair and in fact the police refused to even make a report. I got 1 speeding ticket 3-4 years ago but got it dropped/whatever because I did a defensive driving course so basically I have a perfectly clean driving record.\n\n* I love to drive. I LOVE IT. I've always wanted to drive a truck preferably big $$$ specialty loads/hazmat/the crazier the better but the wife has always been a firm \"no\"... I think at this point I'm going to be stuck to \"local only\" opportunities so that dream is probably unreachable but only because of her.\n\n* Pension - that's what I'm chasing now. I've seen a few job listings that show their jobs come with one but ideally the job I will take (trucking or otherwise) will come with a pension. I can not stress how important this is - I realllllly want to obtain a pension if in any way possible.\n\n* I'm not interested in buying my own truck. No where to put it, don't know much about mechanics/how to repair engines, ect, etc. \n\n* \"No touch\" is more up my alley these days. I'm not against hard work in any way but driving a furniture box truck and hauling furniture up/down 3 flights of stairs (which I did when I was younger) daily is not my idea of a \"great work day\".\n\n\nSo what do you guys think? Any hope for me in trucking? What schools and/or trailer types should I consider? I don't mind working for a reduced rate for a year to repay CDL school but would like to avoid the horror stories of \"working for free\"/etc I've heard about... Thank you all again for everything!","pics":"[]","canComment":true}

544240

{"replyTo":"","text":"Start driving dump truck for a local company, and go from there ","replyToPid":0}