New To Trucking Interested in trucking, sharing my thoughts

Michelle Sika

New Member
Hi! I joined here to get some insight on trucking life, and perhaps some stories you guys have from your own experiences, as well as share my thoughts and interest.

Since I was a very small child, big rigs have always fascinated me, and they still do, perhaps even more-so. They're massive metal machines with so much power, and their engines always please my ears. I have even dreamed of daily driving one just out of sheer fascination. On top of that, I absolutely love driving. Vehicles of all sorts fascinate me, I love to look into their specifications and history, it's all so fun to me.
I'm currently not a trucker, I work a desk job for 6 hours a day part time, and it's stupid easy, I love it. And here's where the issues begin. I have three main hobbies; messing with retro computers, and graphics art. (CGI, like 3D models, animations and textures). The final hobby is cars, in particular, I'm in love with the coincidentally most expensive ones... Classic cars, and big rigs, especially garbage trucks standard semis. All of which are ridiculous expensive considering my pay grade. At most I think I would just get my dream car (a 1971 Cadillac Eldorado) and a semi.

So with those goals in mind, trucking has been a reoccurring thought, and a very good one at that. My research suggests I would be able to acquire my dream car within the first year (Which I have heard is around $20,000 or less at worst) which is already double what I make now. That, and I know I would enjoy driving a semi, and seeing so much of the U.S. Many have said trucking is a very lonely job, but that isn't an issue for those of us who don't have anyone to talk to as is, therefore a non-issue for me.

All seems perfect for me, except one thing. The hours are intimidating to me. You see, I like my 3D animation/modeling hobby, as well as playing games, it's what I look forward to all day when I'm not home. Now I could just truck temporarily for a couple of years, but I guess I see it as losing a massive chunk of time I could have been working on art or playing games. Also yes, I'm aware that pay gets better the more seniority you have, and that also intrigues me. I guess if I enjoyed trucking at least almost as much as my hobbies I wouldn't mind, but I'm honestly not sure how much I will enjoy it.

And to give a little more background, in mid 2018 I bought my dream car, a 1971 Cadillac Eldorado, for $800. I was going to get it running and daily that. Well, I did get it running, barely, it was not driveable, but the abuse to the electrical system from the previous owner(s) became clear after I addressed the minor mechanical issues. And with no immediate access to a huge chunk of money, and no longer having time to store it on my parents property, I was forced to sell it for a fraction of what I paid and invested. But that didn't bother me, it was losing the car that bothered me, it really bothered me, and that is what started this insanity, the intense want for that car back; a need perhaps. The amount of joy that car brought me is indescribable. So all of those things, is why I'm considering trucking.

What do you guys think?
 
All seems perfect for me, except one thing. The hours are intimidating to me. You see, I like my 3D animation/modeling hobby, as well as playing games, it's what I look forward to all day when I'm not home. Now I could just truck temporarily for a couple of years, but I guess I see it as losing a massive chunk of time I could have been working on art or playing games.
Hello, and welcome. I'm not a driver, so I'll defer here to pros, but as a long time corporate exec with extensive hiring experience, based on what you've said above I don't think driving (or any other career with huge demands on your time, frequently with little or no flexability) is the career move for you...you'll likely burn out quickly.
Hopefully this thread will shed some light on your concerns and allow you to do some honest soul-searching in regard to your suitability for the demands of the trade.
Good luck!
 
I say welcome to the forum!
You can still do your computer and gaming thing in the truck, not on the regular like you do now but, a few hours per day and even more if you get laid-over somewhere.

I am sorry to hear about you losing your dream Cadillac. 😕 My favorite car that I owned was a 1981 pontiac Parisienne that \i owned in 1997. That was a pimpin' car man! I had to let her go but on the plus side, It is still on the road today. Sold to a retired mechanic that could treat her right.👍
 
You see, I like my 3D animation/modeling hobby, as well as playing games
Folks kicked you out of the basement and told you to get a job huh.....

Welcome to the one industry where people expect you to work 70 hours a week and not have a life. And if they can figure out how to make you work more, they will.
 
I have three main hobbies; messing with retro computers, and graphics art. (CGI, like 3D models, animations and textures).
I hear you Michelle.

I too love to doodle on my computer and was really getting into DTP, HTML
3D rendering etc.

Even as a local driver I find the only time I really have time for that is on the weekends as I am basically at work 10-12 hours a day.

So its essentially eat sleep and work Mon-Fri.

But I enjoy it.

Now if I were really gifted like my brother who has Successful career in computers I guess I would try to devote more time in it.

But as it is I will just keep it as a hobby and fall back on it during my vacations and weekend times off.

Priority says what puts food on my table?
 
I hear you Michelle.

I too love to doodle on my computer and was really getting into DTP, HTML
3D rendering etc.

Even as a local driver I find the only time I really have time for that is on the weekends as I am basically at work 10-12 hours a day.

So its essentially eat sleep and work Mon-Fri.

But I enjoy it.

Now if I were really gifted like my brother who has Successful career in computers I guess I would try to devote more time in it.

But as it is I will just keep it as a hobby and fall back on it during my vacations and weekend times off.

Priority says what puts food on my table?
Pay off the cars and house, then do what I want. The faster the better.

My opinion.
 

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