40-something corporate guy ready to quit the rat-race

First, most loads go to distribution centers, which are not very interesting regardless of where they are located.

Second, you may find a company that will get you home most weekends, but you'll miss at least a few, likely the important ones.

Third, if you have kids at home think very hard about if you are willing to miss watching them grow up.

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Get a hobby that includes physical activity, or maybe a girl friend on the side......

Buy a dump truck or snow plow truck if you must.... And keep your day job.


All I've done is drive a truck it's not what it used to be.....How's $600 a week going to work out for driving that truck as a newbie ?

 

I too have walked in your shoes (project management and manager) got sick of direct reports and missed the windshield 130 a year there but absolutely stressed out all the time. Scream at the dog kick the wife. Jk but as I got older happiness outran wealth and got out. No kids at home now still have wife and dog. 4000 miles a week will only happen with a team partner 2-2800 more reasonable. I went to sleep worrying about a project and woke up the same. Got tired of explaining budget issues personnel issues and end item success. If you can afford to and you have a strong wife ( or significant other) I say go for it

 

Also forgot to mention had to move back home to take care of family but that gave me an out I was looking for

 

Yes, go for it! Being overweight you will be checked for sleep apnea, so work on the weight. Ensure your blood pressure & sugar levels are controllable with medications if needed.

Community college CDL school is an excellent choice. Before graduation ensure you have all the endorsemets; tanker, hazmat, doubles, triples, & get a passport and TWIC. At top of this page click on "CDL Practice Tests" for info on the CDL and endorsements.

 

Unless you need the community college degree for some reason, time-wise you'd be better off just going to a regular CDL school (provided that it's a reputable one).

Echo what others have said about miles.

 

Best thing I ever did after being one of those kissed up to senior managers lol

i hated the ones kissing up to me as much as they thought they were getting something out of it hahaha

I'd never be caught stuck behind an office door listening to whining union employees again. I've been happier and less stressed than I ever was sitting in the big chair.

Take the time and do the legwork and research and find a good company in your area. They are out there and still having a job you have the luxury of time to do it. Think smaller and out of the box and don't just look at the usual suspects.

I ended up up going with an 800 truck company, made mid 40's first year and now going on 3 years will do mid 50's this year and home almost every weekend too.

It it can be done the only unrealistic expectation there I see is your milage numbers. Expect on a good week once you learn to work your companies system and establish yourself to be in the 2800-3000 range.

 

Going to start a new adventure in life, may as well go all out! Sell the house, move to Las Vegas, cheap houses, low property taxes and NO personal income taxes, good weather year round. That's what I did; family & relatives couldn't believe it, but it's my life so I couldn't care less what others think other than my wife and 2 youngest children. Look at Redfin website; cheap houses & good schools in Las Vegas/Henderson.

 

Think long and hard before going into a trucking career.

It's not as easy as a lot of people think.

A friend of my wife,her husband was downsized from a white collar profession.
He asks me about driving and heard nothing I told him.
Went to CDL school signed on to some bottom feeder outfit and lasted exactly 7 days.
Long enough to get the truck back and clean it out.

Trucking has a lot of freedom to it,but has all the rat race situations that plague the white collar world.

Read everything you can and TALK to as many drivers as you can..then decide.

Good luck to you.