I think I have decided on a new career!!!!!!!!!!

[DalesCarpentry]

Hey Don you go back a couple posts and read. I have not began teaching anyone yet. Although I am thinking about it. I have been doing this for 23 years and I would like to teach young people my way of doing things. They work for me!!!!!!! Boy your name here is awful close to my fathers name. My dads name was Don Risher. Dale

[30-06man]

Hey Don you go back a couple posts and read. I have not began teaching anyone yet. Although I am thinking about it. I have been doing this for 23 years and I would like to teach young people my way of doing things. They work for me!!!!!!! Boy your name here is awful close to my fathers name. My dads name was Don Risher. Dale

Well Dale if you want to know go back and read some of your post. Your attitude tells me you might be able to. You could find jobs at Technical Collages and maybe the local school districts in Technical classes like at High schools or something. A buddy of mine teaches Welding for students in High School at the Local School district and he makes more than I do running Heavy Equipment at $20 a hour and drilling wells. So I would say that is a very good option for you. If things are tight you could always use scrap lumber to make like bird feeders or something and sell them on auction sites like Ebay if you want.


Good Luck.

[Dee]

Hey Dale,

Go find yourself a truck and let us know what you think in six months. Good luck. Dee, he's 41 yrs old and has a family. The things that I'm plagued with are pretty common place in the industry also. Who were you leased to?

I was leased to Werner in the beginning until they started running us heavily on the east coast on short runs, that should have been solos. Made a lot of money with them at first. Then I moved to Conway Truckloads, which I didn't get enough miles, but lots of time to visit with other owner/operator teams, and then Covenant bought them out, and they wouldn't know the truth if you fed it to them. The last seven years before I sold out I was leased to Forward Air. Best decision I ever made. I had checked them out, and researched their history. Ran 1000 miles a day, and was home every Friday afternoon, until Monday morning or early afternoon. 5200 miles a week, home every weekend. Only worked 48 weeks a year. I ran 379 long hood Pete's with leather interior and all the chrome and lights. Traded them at 498,000, and hit the back of the payment note every month from the beginning. Was working on the third one, when my wife decided to draw her social security and I didn't blame her. I should have kept the 2005 Pete, it only had 352,000 miles on it when I sold it, and it was almost paid for. It was the new bone colored one with the gray leather interior, 500 Cat, 18 speed, and I can't even remember the rears, maybe 356s. Anyway, it was long legged, and on the Toll Roads was only tacking 1400 at the 75mph speed limit. My logos were done in vinyl, and were Royal Blue and bright Red. Beautiful truck. I'm in a 379 now, but it ain't mine, and I'm glad. I think.

[30-30man]

I've been a teacher before. I taught machine tool for ten years at Florence Darlington Technical College.  I then left to work for a major steel manufacturer and now I'm farming.  I still keep my certificate up to date and sub when I get bored.  If your interested in teaching, it's not bad at all.  The jobs are mostly filled before they are even posted, so you have to sub and get your name out there and be noticed.  Believe me, you can work almost everyday as a sub and make $300-500 a week depending on what your district pays.  Your state even has loans that they will pay back if you go into a critical needs area. You can earn your degree and the state will pay for it.  Almost all the trades are critical needs.  You'll start with a heck of alot more vacation than anyone you know.  You'll make $20-30 an hour for a 365 day year and only work 190 of them.  Your benefits will be better than most and your retirement will be better than any 401K.  Go for it! You can't beat teaching now vs working in a mill or truck driving.

[ironglow]

  Dale;
  Only you know about your medical/meds condition, so I will only speak to the driving.  I am not an professional driver, even though I have my CDLs.
  However; I would like to tell you some of what I have learned from my son, who has driven OTR (over-the-road) for the past 16-18 years. He has over 3 million miles without a chargeable accident.
   First off, do not pay some "professional driving school" for your classes..they are just doing minimum to get your $$$.
  Many of the big companies have their own schools and tend to train (IMO) a bit better, simply because you will be driving THEIR truck on THEIR insurance.
    There is a charge for the school, but as I recall, if you stay for a full year..somehow the charge is waved, if you leave early, you pay back.
   My son started with a large company, used to be "Victory Express", later "US Express" you can see their trucks on the road.
  He us no longer with that company, since he has moved on to more qualifications in hazmat, and runs hazmat now. He has about 4 or 5 different, scheduled routes,
 running to places like Houston , Montreal, S Carolina, Winepeg, Manitoba, Sioux st Marie and many points between. Don't know for sure how much he makes, but believe it ranges from $1,000 to $1,600, depending upon his route that week.
  Yes; you MUST have a solid, trusting family setup..or you may not keep a family ! Yes, it does become a drag sometimes !
   Most of the "big guys" keep pretty decent trucks, with decent seats..some offer fringes like XM  or Sirius radio, an important thing for OTR drivers.
  They don't offer these things just out of the "good of their hearts"..no, there is competition out there for the good drivers.
   Some couples, who are set up for it..no little children etc. both get their CDLs and "team drive"..and some of them retire in just a few years. Most trucks have "condo" cabs, 2 bunks,      cupboards, closets and places to store your coffee maker, microwave and other utensils.
  Others, often used by husband/wife teams are larger and are more like small RV campers than truck cabs and contain more creature comforts..
      There are some interesting facets to the job..I have ridden with him on some of his longer (as well as shorter) runs. You will find that the OTR drivers live in an entirely
  different culture than the other people using the interstates; their own customs, language etc.
   You only live maybe 70 miles south of me & my son, but if you drive OTR, your route may well take you to the "sunny south" fairly often. Sometimes he will call me and rub it in as to how he's basking on some beach, while I am freezing...LOL

    Dale; take a short drive to your nearest truckstop, such a Flying J, Pilot or TA (truckstops of America)..in the entrances you will find free magazines, put there by the
  trucking industry...lots of info about the various companies, their training, and what they have to offer.
  Perhaps you will want to get your CDL from one of the "big guys", work your mandatory year and then get a job nearer home. Who knows, perhaps after you have driven a while you may just find a place you would like to make your new home..anything is possible.
  Dale; don't even consider getting your own truck until you have some time in the industry..even then , I wouldn't do it ! With the company truck, if you blow a tire, transmission or engine..that's the company's problem, if the fuel jumps by $.50 per gallon, that's the company's problem, if you are held over till next morning for a load, that's the company's problem. Again, with your own truck you will usually be hauling as an owner/operator for some large trucking firm..if times get a bit tough, will they give you your fair share of work..or will most loads go on their own trucks ?
   There are benefits, but there are also drawbacks, if you get a chance..while you're at the truck stop, strike up a conversation with a trucker. Remember though, there is sometimes a bonus if they recruit someone new...but that is usually just for recruiting a current driver..

   Someone said their friend got busted for powdered candy or asprin which "looked" like cocaine..I don't understand that ! The driver should have demanded a test !
  Almost invariably he will get a test without asking, the cop doesn't want to go to court with a "looks like' powder..he will insist on a test of the powder and the driver, just to bolster his case..