What made me get into trucking

by Jimmy
(Kingman,Az)

I have always liked cars and trucks and being outdoors. An indoors job is not for me. In my early 20's, I learned of a job driving a tow truck where they would also train me, but on my time. Well, I was unemployed, so I went for it and trained and started working there. 5 years later, I was wanting to get into 18 wheelers, did some investigating, thought it through, and took the plunge.

I attended a school in Orange, Ca that taught driving and furniture handling combined. Total cost: $300. The tow truck driving experience helped immensely even though it was on a smaller scale.

I'll tell you now that i was divorced with no kids. I might not have taken that risk if I was married. Fear of the unknown, I suppose.

I purchase a used truck, leased it on to American Red Ball in Indiana, picked up an empty trailer in Anaheim, and was deadheaded to El paso. Hey, I was so excited to be trucking, who cares if i made any money! Fuel, by the way, was .24 cents a gallon. Then I sat in El Paso over the weekend waiting for dispatch.

I finally got a load and was making money and have never looked back. The one mistake i made was not having any backup money.

I guess you could say my love of driving and traveling and seeing new places was my inspiration. By the way, furniture is the best paying freight you can haul, next to explosives. However, it is seasonal. But you run a lot of backroads and see small town America as opposed to interstate driving.......Jimmy