CHANGE OF CAREER OR MID LIFE CRISIS?

[HARDDRIVE]

Hi Everyone

OK, A little about me.
I live in upstate NY, A Computer Field Tech for a about 8 yrs, But a Field Tech for at least 12 yrs. Im early 40s. Love to drive but with this job I log about 50 miles/Min to sometimes over 400 miles/max
Ive been with this company for about 4 yrs and make about 40K yr. with OT.
With today's economy. Hi fuel prices, and insurance.
Am I making a mistake changing careers and getting into Expediting. I my only start with a small cargo van or maybe get my CDL/B and go with a bigger rig

Any advice will be greatly helpful

 

[ATeam]

If you're leaving one career to enter a new one in expediting, I suggest you create an expediting exit strategy first. That way, if expediting does not work out you'll have something to go back to. Don't let your technical certifications lapse. Keep your present home if you can. Then give it a shot. If it works out, you can fully commit after you know more about what you've gotten yourself into.

I can't stress the importance of research enough. A good place to start is right here at ExpeditersOnline. Read every post in every form for at least a year back. Write down the words and concepts you don't know. Get to know them before you enter the trade. Also read the carrier profiles to learn more about the options available to you.

Some drivers will tell you that previous trucking experience is necessary. While it can be helpful, it's not necessary. My wife enterd the trade with no trucking experience whatsoever. We relied on a fleet owner's coaching to help us through the first few weeks.

 

[davekc]

Do alot of research before you commit to a change. Running a van solo will not initially bring you 40,000 a year. Once you gain alot of experience with your carrier it may be possible. 35,000 to 40,000 might be possible if driving a straight truck solo. I would in your case highly consider driving for someone prior to jumping in.
As A team mentioned, you don't always need experience but without it, be prepared for some costly mistakes along the way. He has mentioned some of his own in earlier posts. One could compare it to pursuing any other trade. If you jumped into plumbing or concrete work for example, you will have mistakes along the way. The trick is to minumize the costs as much as possible. Keep in mind that it usually takes 6 months to a year just to know how your carrier operates. Where are there customers, best places for freight, what runs are profitable and what ones aren't ect.
Bottom line is that one has to have a passion for this business and lifestyle. If it was as easy as earlier portrayed, everyone would be doing it. For every one that succeeds, at least one fails. 100 percent turnover rate in the industry doesn't happen by accident.
If you go in with all the cards showing, and you want to pursue it, give it your best shot. As mentioned, there are a ton of resources here to help you make that decision and help you along if you decide to proceed.
Davekc

 

[NoProblem]

As one who was forced out of my field of engineering after 20+ years and took up trucking for the last 2 years, I can say that Ateam and Davekc gave great advice.

A few questions for you that might allow some folks to calm your curiosity about expediting for a living....Unless your livelyhood is in jeopardy, why are you even thinking about changing careers? What is it about expediting that is appealing to you, what expectations do you have?

 

[Jack Jackson]

Wow, what a question. I agree very strongly with the other three answers. You can never do enough research. You also couldn't have picked a worse time to get into this industry. The good thing is, we seem to have more freight than we can handle, But we are also paying $.50 a Gal more for fuel than we were a year ago. Again, read everything you can.

Now for the other part of your question. Will I ever be satisfied with the way my life is now. Probably, although it may seem like nothing you do will ever be a great as ANYTHING you did in your twenties. Personally, the time between 40 and 43 were the worst. I made very bad business decisions and my business went broke. Luckily I wasn't driven to cheat on my wife like others are, but I think she almost would have preferred that to the way I treated her when I was upset about things. One of the books I read was FLY FISHING THROUGH THE MIDLIFE CRISIS by HOWELL RAINES. If you can't find it, let me know and I'll send it to you. Other books on the same subject would help too.

Now, if you have to make a job change because of finances, you're better off going to work for a truck or fleet owner for a year or so. It's tough learning the business, and why not do it on someone elses dime. If you don't have to change right now, take a deep breath and say to yourself, I CAN ENDURE THIS A LITTLE LONGER. IT'S NOT GOING TO GET AMY WORSE RIGHT NOW. I'M STRONG. I CAN TAKE IT. Good Luck

 

[geo]

one thing you want to think of what kind of unit do you want to
drive,
it's going to cost alot up front before you start making any money

at all
what every unit you buy you will need 10 percent down for wheel's
so much for the insurance, money to oprate on
there are alway hidden cost you didn't think of
also i would say about 10.000 dollar's to start on
that would be good to keep going
as other's have said look hard and fast before you jump
also the only benfits you will have on this are ones you make
for yourself
also find a good tax accounted and talk to him first as how to
set up the book's and keep track of everything you do
also do you want to buy or lease they both have there point's
where in upstate new york you live, upstate new york is any thing
north of thruway anything south of thruway is downstate
i'm a dam yankee and proud of it

 

[raceman]

EO is a greta place for experience and truth in answers. They have all given you very good answers. I would guess none of them met your real desire to hear someone say "Go fo it. It is great and will make you a rich person." I know that is what I wanted to hear and it was exactly what I heard and I used those type of answers or answers I wanted to hear and I jumped. I had no idea what I was getting into when I did it. I had some TT experience but only enough to make me think I knew what I was doing. WRONG! I now have a few trucks and I do make a little money but I am not getting rich. I have had a horrible time with drivers who thought they wanted to do expediting. They quit in weeks. I have one driver who loves it and does very well. The others never had a clue what it took and turned out couldnt take it. It is a lifestyle. Over the road trucking is not what this is. I hit the need to change my life at 35, I was divorced, kids grown, so I bought a truck. That was the easy part of it. Then came plates for 48 and Canada. Wow was I surprised. They were a bit more than the $40 I was used too. Then finding a company when I knew nothing about what to even look for. Bottom line is that you need to really study up on Expediting not trucking. Go to your local truck stop even if you have to drive 50 miles to find it and just spend some time talking to drivers. Just look for the straight trucks or vans or Sprinters offer to buy them a coffee and pick their brains. We all like to talk to others and most are honest. Talk to drivers and to owner/ops. two different outlooks. Talk to folks from a number of carriers. The other thing you will find is that without experince getting a loan in expediting for a truck that is, is tough. People default all the time on these loans for many reasons but biggest is not knowing how to run a business in expediting and never dreaming that it is what it is. Wells Fargo has repos for sale all the time. If you get a loan it will have a high percentage. I have said enough. Research, Research and talk and ask questions. Best of luck just be sure you dont cut your nose of to spite your face. I have not looked the same since.

raceman

 

[geo]

some people are going to get up set with what i have to say
best way to do this is to be retired from somewhere
it is a good sec income, and when times are hard and tough like in
1995 at robert's express i was able to make it and hold on
also my wife is retired to. money you get from military retirement
is not alot but helps out alot
someplace's have better retirement than other places
i would stay and do time to get the retirement and then go
for eo way of life

have that safety net, like on the high wire if they fall net
catch's them
alot of people have gone in eo way of life and have done very well
and other's have not
it take's alot of work to make it go and when you put alot of
money down on a truck and get out on the road
for a month or two and find out this isn't what i though it
was and now your stuck with a truck and have to make it work
and take all the fun out of this
and your wondering you have done this for how many year's
and your telling us that this may not be for me
sometimes i look back and wondering if i had taken that otherjob or stayed with it where would i be now
remember when you buy a truck you have bough your job
but think about it and do your homework and if you
still want todo this be happy to help you out in anyway i can
on what do i want for a truck
so we have alway had a safety net to fall back on