Really? Why!? – Part I

That’s the response we typically get whenever we tell someone we want to be truck drivers. It’s an understandable reaction. After all, Mike has worked in local government for nearly 26 years while Lori has spent the past several years as a successful real estate agent. Not the kind of work experience you would expect to see on the job application for an 18-wheel truck driver.

While there have been a few interesting twists and turns along the way, our lifestyle has been that of a typical Southern California suburban family. We had every reason to believe our lives would continue along that same path as we advanced into middle age and our children became college students and graduates, husbands and wives, and parents of their own kids.

But as He so often does, God changed the circumstances of our lives. Instead of worrying about it (which we did for a little while), we decided to trust Him and pursue whatever opportunities He might put in our path, not try to knock down any doors He closed along the way, and adjust our attitudes accordingly.

The one thing about being a real estate agent is that, if no one is buying houses, you’re not making any money. The mortgage industry meltdown and resulting downturn in the real estate market meant Lori went from being one of the top producers in her office to having no sales in over three months. Knowing we needed two incomes to meet our financial obligations, Lori started looking for another job but nothing presented itself - despite Lori’s best efforts.

That’s when her brother, who’s been a truck driver for over 10 years, suggested Lori think about learning to drive a truck. He invited Lori to ride with him and his wife for a few weeks to see if she liked it. If she did, his company – Prime, Inc. – had a driver training program where Lori could get paid while she trained. We figured why not; she could manage the handful of real estate listings she still had from the road using her cell phone while Mike would provide whatever in-person support service was needed back home.

Lori loved being on the truck so she started the training program, got her commercial driver’s license, and is currently putting in her required 70,000 miles as a “B seat” driver with her trainer, another middle-aged, Christian grandma who lives in the same area as us. The two of them get along great; it’s too perfect of a match to not be a “God thing.”

Once Lori completes her B seat requirements (probably in late April or early May), she’ll be eligible to operate her own truck for the company, either as a direct employee or an independent operator driving a leased truck.

As for real estate, Lori has transferred her listings to another agent in her office and periodically gets phone calls from potential clients, which she refers to an agent friend of hers. Should any of the listings sell or the referrals result in a buy or sell, Lori would get a referral fee. But given the current condition of the market, that’s not likely to happen any time soon. For all practical purposes, Lori has made the transition from real estate agent to long haul trucker.

So where does Mike fit into all this? Well, that’s the subject of another post!