throwing in the towel

You wont be making a whole lotta money out there either, it sounds like you will on paper but after your expenses,a nd down time, eating showering, snacks, and all the hidden expenses of living out of a suitcase will bring, you will wonder why you didnt stay where you where ,, or try something different, I dont want to rain on your parade, but after the FUN and new of driving a big truck wears off yo will sit in your bunk and look at the ceiling and start thinking while hearing and smelling the diesels driving by you at night,, and figure out that you will actually make more money at mcdonalds,, If you have a family , you better be sure they will survive without you at home for weeks at a time, even if the dispatch tells you that you will be home,, sometimes [ most of the time] he wont .. {{{how do you tell when your dispatcher is lying to you??? you hear him talking!!!!!}}}}

and remember if they get you home for a weekend ,, you will be home saturday afternoon ,, and need to be back out and delivering on monday,,

hope everything works out for you,, keep safe out there if you decide to run the road, it aint getting any easier out there,

plus this time of year starting to learn to drive tractor trailer with the weather changing and snow starting soon it wont be fun out here, lots of things are different with 48 or 53 foot of trailer behind you,,I dont want to discourage you but, know the facts before jumping in,,, maybe it will be the career for you, God knows we need good drivers on our roads,, some of the latest drivers I have seen are jokes,, [[a few weeks in class and you are a trucker]] ,, take your time on the road know your limitations and learn the safe way to operate that 40 ton piece of machinery,, the life you save may be my families,, be safe pat

The company I'm going to drive for, I haven't heard anything bad about, everyone seems to have good thinbgs to say. I'm hoping while I'm out there I can say up a few dollars cuz I can live pretty cheaply on the road. I only plan on driving OTR for year or two to get some t/t experience than I can see what's available localy. I've been driving heavy trucks in the winter for past couple years, so I do know you need patience and to time the stop lights on the hills. I agree we do need more good drivers out there, I'm allmost 23 with a clean MVR and do what I can to keep it that way.

I've been around both lines of work and enjoy both alot. Thanks everyone for the advise and words of encouragement.

There are ways to save money outthere, dont eat every night at the truckstops or diners, and stay away from the fast food places, you can get yourself a small refrigerator and get cold cuts and cereal and stuff to make on your own, I know when I was on the road I only tred to eat at the trucks stops for 1 meal, sometimes you cant , there will be weekends that you will be stuck waiting for a load and you need to stay and spend money,, it happens,

The scary thing I saw a few months ago, {I have been off the road for a few yrs now}we went on vacation to gettysburg this sept with the boys,, we stopped at the petro on 81,, I know they used to have really good food and decent prices,, I was shocked and disappointed to see the whole front half of the entrance full of games and money grabbing entertainment,, I am not saying that drivers dont need a way to relax,, but EVERY game had drivers at them and the TS was the ones making the money,,,

watch you self out there and you may be able to make a living,, it sounds like you have an idea of what to expect, which is more than a LOT of people who get into trucking as a way out,, or think it is an easy way of life and all the glamour that they see on commercials,, IT is work,, you do have one thing going for you in that you say you enjoy it,, do it for as long as you enjoy it,, because once you stop it becomes just another JOB...keep your head up ,, your spirits high and you will be ok,,

YOu will get to see a lot of the country, you will see a lot of sites,, try not to only see them out the windshield,, and a long black strip of highway,,, .. and just a warning be prepared to have to run the east coast as you are new,,, everyone tries to get out of running the east coast NY,NJ,MA,CT,,, it aint all that bad ,, but can get frustrating at times,,,

I wish you luck all the best out there, you are young enough that you can make a go at a few different lifestyles and take chances,, keep your doors locked at the truck stops, dont answer the doors when they get banged on at night by the lot lizards,, and keep your eyes open all the time, there are always people out there that want what you have and they will try to get it easy,, God bless , stay safe and be careful, pat

I'll be in the companies midwest region which is basically mountain to moutain but during the training I'm going to ask for couple loads out east and west, just to have alittle experience under my belt.

Thanks again for the advise, I'm sure it'll come in handy at some point down the road.

Most new farmers I know, including myself, still have a day job that covers expenses while the farm is developing.

For about 5 years I stock piled tractors and equipment at my parents home until I could afford my own place to use them on. I don't know all the details of your situation, but I would try to hang onto the equipment you already have, as long as you have a place to put it.

I bought 40 acres of ground with 4 acres of blueberries about 12 years ago. Since then the taxes on the property have tripled. The cost of fuel has tripled,fertilizer doubled. It was a nice hobby farm for the first 5 years or so but costs are about to drive me out also.

Since i was a young man i always loved the sights and smells of farming.I worked 31 years in the steel industry,retired and have been truck driving off and on for the last four years.

I would guess that starting from scratch in Farming would be damn near impossible.

Drive your truck,save some money, make thought out rational decisions. Keep your eyes peeled for that great deal(they do pop up a few times).Be patient.

Good luck.

the grass aint always greener on the other side,,, he aint gonna make a ton of money out there,, he will squeek out a living,, but he better be ready to be out for a long time and be away from the family, and never home on the holidays ,,

think before you leap,,, trucking recruiters will tell you anything,, once your out there dispathers will play like they are the almighty,,,,, good luck in your endeaver and play safe, pat

Pat