Should I go into Trucking or law enforcement?

I was a cop for 21 years, if it was me now, considering what's happening around the country, I'd go with trucking.

How young are you? When I retired I joined the ranks of law enforcement it gave me the structure that military service does, but I was 38. I was not eligible for Federal LE. But because local doesn't discriminate on age I applied and got hired. Many agency's don't require a degree, there out there. Trucking is great good money but you're away from family and ton. And your body will take a toll.

I used to say that if I had not been a career LEO, I might have been an OTR driver. I think I would have enjoyed the solitude and the scenery. But I did the police route instead. That said, going into law enforcement today requires a mental attitude that is 1000% prepared to face all the SHIT you are going to encounter. This is NOT a profession for the faint-hearted, the physically weak, or, in this case, someone who might only be looking at it as a job. Most people I knew who failed in law enforcement did so because they feel into one of those three critical categories. And Failure Is Not An Option in law enforcement.

With the trucking company, there is always availability for drivers. From what I've heard that there is still a shortage for drivers. If you don't have a CDL, there are companies out there that will send you to school to get your license; but be weary of them. In order to pay them back, you have to work for them for x amount of time and they take your tuition out of your paycheck. My husband went to school through a company and at his 11 month of being with the company, they fired him, sticking him with the rest of his trucking "student loan". While he was able to fight it off, it was a rocky road with him and the company. He did get with another one and did well (around 3,000/wk but he was gone 3 weeks at a time with only 2 days off during the month).

There are several ways that you can make money. Majority of companies will need OTR (over-the-road) drivers; meaning riding through CONUS and sometimes Canada (depending on load and company). There are regional (3-5 states) and dedicated (local) routes with companies but you have to be there (meaning, you can't take a local job in Dallas but live in Arkansas). So if you have a family, make sure to discuss it with them to see if it's a good idea for all of you. If you're single, then think it over and do your research.
There's also the endorsements (HAZMAT, Doubles, Tanker, etc.) that which you will need to have in order to take some jobs. Some companies will pay for the training/test and some you will have to go on your own to the DMV to get that done and pay out of pocket, if necessary. I know that in the state of IN, you can go to a DMV and get your tanker endorsement through a test; they even give you a study guide.

The cop idea, while you will be going to an academy, you'll have to wait to see if the department wants you as a candidate, and the application process can take a while. If you choose to go this route, make sure to apply to a few law enforcement agencies in your area. One may pop up yet not work out but you still have 2 other opportunities.

Sometimes you have to sacrifice some things in order to get what you want; we all know about that. Either way, you can have a great career in both lines of occupations.

Good luck to you.

Do what you enjoy and make money from it. That is the best advice I can give.

Law Enforcement, especially a State Trooper.

Law Enforcement.

I would use your benefits and go to college. Try to work in a few different jobs while attending college. Make sure that you do a paid internship after the junior year. Your benefits will pay enough for you to support yourself.

Go to college, it's easy. If you have that "hole" in your life that many people feel after military service, sitting all day in a truck by yourself might give you TOO much time to think about it. Everybody is different, but that might not be the best thing for you. While being a cop would give you that sense of brotherhood back, it's not something you should go in to unless you REALLY want to be a cop.

Here's my case for college: The post 9/11 GI bill is awesome. I used the Montgomery bill for my first year until the 9/11 came out. It's worth it. You get paid BAH at a rate of E-5 with dependents (even though you have none).

http://www.defensetravel.dod.mil/site/bahCalc.cfm

They pay for the college 100% and you get a book stipend every semester which is usually more than books cost. For a single guy, that's plenty to live on in most places if you keep your expenses down.

Full time college really isn't "full time." You go to class maybe 2-3 days per week for a few hours and do your assignments on a pretty flexible schedule. You have plenty of time to have a part time job if you want one. For the first year or two, you're just doing pre-requisites, so you really don't have to make a decision about what you want to major in. It's boring, but think about it this way: you're getting PAID to sit in class. It's actually kind of a stress reliever to sit and think about new ideas without any real responsibility for a while.

Here's the best part: the girls. You're older, more experienced, and generally way cooler than other college guys. You can buy beer. Girls will be impressed. (I am not advocating providing alcohol to minors). The Beastie Boys said it best: "college girls are easy."

I started college at 25, got a degree in teaching (ALL girls, btw), was a teacher for 4 years, now I work for the DOD. I highly recommend that you take this time to relax and decompress; college is a great way to do that. If you want any advice in that area (using the GI bill, navigating the VA, etc...), I would be more than happy to help, I've done it for lots of people. Feel free to PM me.

-Chris

Nothing to Tie You Down. Plenty of Options it sounds like. Trucking I hear can pay pretty good but none of the Truckers that I have met impressed me as Wealthy Though but not a bad place to start.