Trucking or Commercial Pilot

[Dopey Dolly]

I kinda have a passion for both, more trucking but I feel being a pilot will come with more money and benefits. What do you think I should do?

[󠀡󠀡]

I had a friend that did pilot stuff. Took him some work but he loves it. Honestly knowing people who do both you'll love airlines way more, get paid tons more, avoid traffic jams, and see more sights.

You'll miss home both ways but in the air usually it goes by quicker. Flying can be stressful in turbulence but trucking is always stressful when some jackhole pulls out 50 yards in front of you slowpoking when you're pulling 10 tons of weight. So if I had to choose I would get my wings and fly. Without a doubt the air is where it's at.

[EolSunder]

it all depends on what you like. To be a truck driver requires the ability to drive long distances, which not everyone can do. The older you get the more ability you have to drive longer distances, probably something to do with how your brain is wired. Younger people tend to not like long trips. But being a truck driver is a calling, not just something you "do". I've been a driver for about 30 years.

Doesn't take any training to be a truck driver, but it does take a lot of training to be a pilot. You have to qualify and learn to fly small craft, then bigger craft, then bigger craft, all the while training and learning new stuff. Much more involved, thus the reason you probably will get much more pay and benefits. Your not going to be rich being a truck driver, but then again you won't have to worry about the safety of a planeload of passengers.

[Spawn of Totoro]

Trucking would be faster to get into and less stressful.

Being a pilot takes a lot of training and you have to rent a plane to get the hours needed before anyone will let you work for them. You are also looking at very long hours in most cases.

[Dopey Dolly]

Yeah I know I feel that calling in me, I really want it but can I also kinda feel it as a pilot If you understand

EolSunder eredeti hozzászólása:

it all depends on what you like. To be a truck driver requires the ability to drive long distances, which not everyone can do. The older you get the more ability you have to drive longer distances, probably something to do with how your brain is wired. Younger people tend to not like long trips. But being a truck driver is a calling, not just something you "do". I've been a driver for about 30 years.

Doesn't take any training to be a truck driver, but it does take a lot of training to be a pilot. You have to qualify and learn to fly small craft, then bigger craft, then bigger craft, all the while training and learning new stuff. Much more involved, thus the reason you probably will get much more pay and benefits. Your not going to be rich being a truck driver, but then again you won't have to worry about the safety of a planeload of passengers.

[discotheque]

trucking

[Pizmo]

I've been around trucks my whole life. My dad has owned and operated trucks my entire life. My brother also owns a small trucking company, and I am a diesel truck mechanic. I know the trucking industry inside and out.

I would recommend becoming a driver if all you want to do is drive the truck. However if your pipe dreams consist of being an owner operator and building a small trucking company. Then I would recommend that you find some better way to make money.

The current emission laws have turned owning and operating a trucking company into a total nightmare. The EPA has imposed impossible emission standards the trucking industry. Basically any truck newer then a 2008 is a total pile of garbage. In order to cross the California state border you have to have a truck that is compliant with 2008 and newer emission standards (in the world of trucking California is everything becuase almost all freight is heading too or coming out of the California docks).

[EolSunder]

well anything to do with the government and DOT/epa and everything is always a jumbled mess. The government is stupid, bloated, greedy, and dumb. They have seperate laws for private citizens and corporations, they impose bloated numberous laws to increase income, they make idiotic decisions like having doctors pass certification to give physicals for DOT, like years of medical school isn't qualification enough. Dumb stuff like that.

[Lusus Symphonia]

Spawn of Totoro eredeti hozzászólása:

Trucking would be faster to get into and less stressful.

Being a pilot takes a lot of training and you have to rent a plane to get the hours needed before anyone will let you work for them. You are also looking at very long hours in most cases.

And the fact that trucks are a lot more comfortable to rest in.

[󠀡󠀡]

Red Monk eredeti hozzászólása:

Spawn of Totoro eredeti hozzászólása:

Trucking would be faster to get into and less stressful.

Being a pilot takes a lot of training and you have to rent a plane to get the hours needed before anyone will let you work for them. You are also looking at very long hours in most cases.

And the fact that trucks are a lot more comfortable to rest in.

If I could afford it I would fly in a heartbeat over trucking. I've been trucking before and it's not my cup of tea and all I did was ride along. x.x

[nightreaper2000]

Spawn of Totoro eredeti hozzászólása:

Trucking would be faster to get into and less stressful.

Being a pilot takes a lot of training and you have to rent a plane to get the hours needed before anyone will let you work for them. You are also looking at very long hours in most cases.

Yes but just like most things in life, the harder you work, the more reward. The average trucker makes 40,000 a year, whereas the average pilot makes 123,000 a year.

[RAM AIR IV]

Pilot gets paid more, but you have to go through time changes. Both you may have to commonly move for. Depends on your interests. If you like being in a truck on a highway by yourself all day, then do trucking. If you like flying and having to do more complicated things, than go for pilot.

[C4Warr10r]

To hell with trucks and planes. Trains are where it's at. Entry-level, no university degree, you can earn $60,000+ pery year as a conductor. $80,000 or more if you bump up to engineer. Nice compared to the 40k truckers pulll down on average, with less personal liability and work.

The average commercial pilot earns $114,000 per year, which is less than we pay our middle managers, they average 120k. Less training needed, though degrees are required.

There's always a catch, though. One is that the railroad pays so much because of the demands it will make on your time. The work is usually pretty easy, but you might get called at 4 in the morning, work 12 hours, and then not know if you'll work the next 2 days. We still pay guarantees for guys who don't draw work, but you'll make less. Around two thirds of the normal salary if you only ever make guarantee.

Still, it's not bad for doing no work at all, and those other guys get the same deal we do with schedules being weird. The one advantage they offer is that not as many people apply. Entry-level prospects can expect around 500 competitors, easily.

So if you decide to give the freight masters a shot, just remember that your creedo is safe, professional, efficient, work. You love doing it every day and you have no problem with rules. They're there for a reason.

There willl also be a test that screws most people up because HR designed it and they have a terrible time with plausability or empathy. It will ask questions like "How often do you lie?"

A normal person would at least say that they've lie rarely, because only a total idiot would believe that you never lie. Guess what. That's the right answer. You never lie. You never cheat. You never steal. Just don't tell the interviewers that stuff if you pass the test. They know better.

Show up in good work casual, do all this, and 800 competitors will be boiled down to around 50, tops. We usually take 40-50% of that, odds certainly worthy of your time if you're interested.

The only other thing that could be considered a caveat is that once accepted, you still do not necessarily have the job. You must pass the General Code of Operating Rules test after a 3-month training program. It's a BIG test, 950 questions last time I took it, and you must score above a 95% Sounds daunting, but most of the test is common sense and things that will be drilled into your head as common railroad sense. You could probably get at least an 80 just by considering whether or not it is possible for a train to run into another in a given scenario. The rest is just memorizing rule numbers, signals, radio procedure, all fairly easy.

If you'd like to know more, just ask and we can discuss what you'll need on your résumé. Short version is to describe anything you ever did in terms of safety focus and logistics.

Otherwise, good luck, and don't block our crossings with your truck; or your car on the way to the airport. Trains always win those fights.

[HypersleepyNaputunia]

my roommate was a train conductor - he was on call and worked crzy hours at night usually. 12 hour or more shifts, but good money

join navy or air force become a pilot that way

[C4Warr10r]

TheWrathofTaintingPuddingTime eredeti hozzászólása:

my roommate was a train conductor - he was on call and worked crzy hours at night usually. 12 hour or more shifts, but good money

join navy or air force become a pilot that way

The hours are indeed crazy, but not unfair.

As for becoming a Navy or Air Force pilot, that's almost right out unless our friend is extraordinarily gifted. Air Force would be easier, but very, very, few are accepted from the ranks of college-educated or even academy officers.

The easiest way to become a military pilot is to join the Army, of all things, especially if you're prior service. Then go for the helicopter program. They'll train people with aptitude as Warrant Officers, and they always need pilots for their enormous helicopter fleet. Most don't stay in, because being a civilian pilot with such a unique skill pays a lot better for less work.

Unfortunately, piloting rotary-wing craft is even harder than normal piloting, as most are well aware. You have to serve three years as a Warrant Officer before they'll let you touch one, and that's where most of their drop-outs come from. Some 70% don't complete their service and the school to get into school.

[Spawn of Totoro]

$1MPŁ3 eredeti hozzászólása:

Spawn of Totoro eredeti hozzászólása:

Trucking would be faster to get into and less stressful.

Being a pilot takes a lot of training and you have to rent a plane to get the hours needed before anyone will let you work for them. You are also looking at very long hours in most cases.

Yes but just like most things in life, the harder you work, the more reward. The average trucker makes 40,000 a year, whereas the average pilot makes 123,000 a year.

Yes, but you have to pay out far more to become a pilot as well.

http://blog.wayman.net/how-long-does-it-take-to-become-a-commercial-airline-pilot-in-the-us

For a comercial pilot, 250 flight hours. To be a 1st mate (co-pilot for an airline) 1500 hours.

Many of that is out of pocket or being lucky enough to get highered by someone to fly a plane they are paying for.

You do get paid more, I never said you didn't, but with all the cost and expenses to do it, one needs to think if it is worth doing for them.