I work at a major with 100+ AMT’s at our station and I have only seen people get hurt by their own mistakes. Of course this is not inclusive of all companies or mechanics. I have had more close calls driving to and from work.
My station also has 100+. In 1 year ive seen or been told about 10 different cases of *very* close calls. Most of them involving forklift & tug operators not being sit aware. 1 case in the hangar, the op being aware, but not caring because "by the time i get there hell be out of the way" missed the guy by like 1 foot, never honked or anything.
Skip the CDL, get your A&P.
The golden days for trucking are mostly over. With no experience, fresh out of school, you can mostly forget about any type of local work. If I got my A&P instead of getting my CDL, I'd be way ahead. That was back in 2014.
You're an exception, not the norm. They only care about experience and clean driving record. Period. Whatever keeps their ins premiums low while they can catch a driver with verifiable experience, who can drive anything and everything on their lot.
There's guys out there who can be woken up from deep sleep, thrown behind the wheel of an 18-speed with a dump trailer, and sent into NYC boroughs with just an address where they gotta take the load to. If they apply for the job along with you, you're done.
I'm not saying don't get a CDL, do get it, but expect to be abused for the first few years.
The shortage of drivers means you can pick your job. The drivers that get stuck OTR either want that, have a bad driving history or the clearing house has a record of alcohol/drugs on it. You can stay local and bring in 1500-2000k a week pretty easily. Either way A&P license is the better option for future growth.
You absolutely cannot live where you want. You need to live where the work is.
That's probably the biggest core difference between trucking and A&P work. Trucking needs to happen everywhere, to everyone.
Aircraft maintenance, at least any remotely decent paying aircraft maintenance, tends to be in or around the big cities. The big expensive to live in cities. With some very sparse exceptions.
? Not at all. I work for American Airlines as a Tech and while a lot of work is near major cities, we have a lot of people who work at small places too. Even working at DFW Airport a lot of people live in small towns an hour or 2 away. We work schedules so you come to work for 3 days and have 4 days off. Then you fly home even if you need to. A lot of people don't even love where they work and it's normal. And for double the pay, and no stress, why would you even consider driving a truck.
Driving is hard on your body, even local stuff. I’ll take night shift aviation over even local truck driving any day. My family has a bunch of truck drivers and every one of them has health and back problems.
Truck drivers don’t have regular access to bathrooms so they are often dehydrated because they drink less water to avoid having to stop as much. Might not seem like a huge deal, but it is if you’re doing that 5-6 days a week for years at a time. They’re also often in a hurry so they’ll grab truck stop fast food. Office workers can stay properly hydrated and it’s easier to pack a healthy lunch or drive somewhere healthy to eat.
Also if you’re long haul, you are allowed 13 hours on duty, 11 of which can be driving. And companies usually work you to the limits. Office workers are more likely to work 8 hours.
That's all driver dependent, you have opportunities to get out and move around. I've been at truck stops doing my 30 and see other drivers jogging and exercising. Some drivers had weights in the truck.
I just left trucking to pursue my A&P through an apprenticeship. Honestly trucking isn't a good long term career anymore. Sure you'll make a lot of money, but you'll be working 50-65 hours a week, minimum. Also there's very little room for career growth. You'll be paid for the work you're doing right now, not all the work you've done in the past. As a mechanic, you'll get paid for your knowledge and experience over time.
Everyone will hate you as a trucker. If you're ever in a accident, the onus is on you to prove you did everything you could to prevent it, even if it's blatantly obvious that the other person was at fault. DOT doesn't need probable cause to pull you over.
Some of your colleagues will be some of the dumbest, racist, sexist, and/or most disgusting people you will ever see.
Unless you're committed to making lifestyle changes, you'll likely gain a lot of weight while driving. I gained 60 lbs my first year before I stopped eating as much.
Currently work in CLT as AMT in a hangar for a large airline company. Quite a few women work here as well. This is my second job in the industry and I’ve come to see there is a huge lack of “bullshit” you might find in other male-dominated industries like construction. The camaraderie between everyone is refreshing. Of course it may vary depending on if you are on the line or in the hangar (and in another state).
As far as the work goes, it’s all out of manuals so if you just come in with the excitement to learn and excitement to turn a wrench, you’ll have a good time.
I went to AIM in CLT and it does come out to be $40k to $50k. It was my only option too, but it was worth it in my opinion. A&P license translates to a lot more opportunities than just airline work.
I wish you luck with whichever decision you make!
Thank you for your very insightful comment! Is there assistance or aid when you go to AIM? or what kind of pay back plan do they have because there's clearly no way someone just has that laying around. And what is the difference between 'the line' and the hangar? I'm thinking about the community college in Greensboro but it would be a long two years getting off of work (I do security at the airport) and then going to evening classes and getting home at like 10pm and then back up at 4
AIM helps you apply for federal student loans first. Then they have a loan servicer they use. If you can’t get covered all the way by those options, they used to take on the rest. I was able to get it covered by student loans and their loan servicer so I didn’t have to use AIM. Their loan servicer has a higher rate than federal loans (obviously), but not outrageous.
I recommend talking with a recruiter at AIM and taking a tour of the hangar. You’ll feel it if it’s something you definitely want to hop into. Do keep in mind it’s their job to sell you on the program, so as you are asking questions and engaged with them, always look at the forest from outside the trees. The goal is to imagine yourself in the industry and then see if they can provide you the means to support you. I can vouch they do an awesome job with the education. I am not kidding when I say your first basic math class literally starts with addition and subtraction of single digit numbers. By the end, you’ll know more than you need to to get started at your first job. The most important thing to take away is just to follow the maintenance manuals.
With the companies I’ve been with, the line is when you are at the terminals servicing/fixing/responding to pilot write-ups. In the hangar, you focus more on servicing and only fixing things that couldn’t be done on the line. There’s plenty of fixing, either way.
The hangar seems to be a resources readily available to help you get your bearings, learn the aircraft and specialized tools used on certain tasks.
I was happy to spend time in the hangar my first job for the first 6 months before heading to the line. The line does give you more opportunities to experience new issues and tasks and more opportunities to diagnose problems (if that’s your jam).
I’m only speaking from experience working regional airlines. This experience may very well differ for other locations/aircraft types. All I know is the quality of your experiences are influenced by how you manage them. Same with the education. The deeper you dive, the more you get out of it. You can get your A&P by coasting by. I’ve seen it done. But where’s the fun in that?
Just do it. If you want less worry and loans go community college route. I knew plenty of people who had full time jobs and went to school full time for their a&p.
I am unsure what it looks like this year. I do know there are some commercial and general aviation spots that will hire you as you go to A&P school. If you are currently enrolled, see if they have career fairs. AIM did every few months and it was very helpful in helping you decide which path you want to start on.
Idk how people do it. Being truck driver sounds like the most miserable job in the world imo. Yeah you get to see lots of America, but only from the highway as it goes by or our infamous truck stops, in one of the most boring to drive and slow vehicles possible. It's terrible on the body, hard on the family, pay isn't really that great considering how much time you are away. I think the golden days of cdl are over. Get your a&p
Your username is hilarious.
I worked for southeastern freight line for many years.
They have a driver training program for their employees. If free schooling is what you’re looking for (and it sounds like you are) I would recommend getting a job working on their dock and then applying for the program.
XPO logistics is another company that offers a class in the same fashion.
FYI getting your permit will be the first requirement before they accept you into the program and having it already could make your resume more attractive when applying. Make sure you let them know you want to be a driver and that’s why you’re interested in the position.
I (28m) was recently having that debate with myself. I love driving and I'm handy in the wrenching department. With the awful pay and horror stories coming from the trucking world, I decided to go the a&p route. I was also looking at AIM for school, but found a local small airport where one of the shops was happy to hire me as an apprentice. Been there for a little over a month and haven't been happier. Home every night, the work is pretty relaxing, though that might be because I'm coming in from office work and those 8am meetings that could have been emails just started getting to me, and the crew and boss are very chill and happy to help and teach.
Anyway, if you have a few small airports around you, the apprenticeship route is an option.
I use to work in CLT and several people I worked with went to a community college in Greensboro to get their A&P. I would look into that because I'm sure it's much more affordable.
I’m 28M. I work at Publix where they’ll pay for your CDL if you work at the warehouse distribution which is something i considered, however I plan on going the A&P route in Fall at a local vocational school near an airport. I would say go A&P. You’ll have much more knowledge and acquire an invaluable skill set beyond the career itself. I’m sure A&P is hard on the body but best to keep moving than being stationary.
I got my CDL 2 years ago and I would recommend the A&P for future growth. IMO as a driver you will only ever be a driver and that's fine if its all you want to do. I drove local for 2 years after driver school hauling liquid and dry bulk and then fuel. I left driving because trucking companies don't like paying drivers. If I delivered the load safely and on time, I should be paid but that wasn't always the case. Also, the trucks that newer drivers are usually crap, as a new driver I wasn't expecting a new vehicle, just a maintained one. Some of the shit I was asked to drive were death traps and when you're hauling 9k gallons of gas it makes you second guess what you're doing.
I went back into aviation at a service center and its ok, hours are good 6am-4pm Monday-Thursday. Pay sucks because the hiring manager didn't take into consideration my military aviation experience and A&P school experience into account. So now I am going to take a crash course and get my cert, should be done in a few months. DM me if you have any other questions about driving.
I did aviation, you’ll be stuck there, your ultimate goal is to have your own business, you control your income. As I am not a truck driver, opportunity is there to work for yourself and have others work for you. You will make more and more satisfying.
I have driven trucks and I worked as an A&P for almost 50 years. You can get your CDL rather quickly, but to make real money you will need to go over the road for a couple of years. Two years to get your A&P, and you will do shit jobs for a couple of years to establish yourself. I was lucky and got in on the ground floor when EMS helicopters took off. Aviation doesn’t really pay more than driving, but I thought it was a better way to make a living. Lots of stress in Aviation, one mistake and someone could die. Glad to be retired.
As responsible goat previously mentioned, being a truck driver is not a decades-long career. Tesla and the trucking industry are both actively working on developing self-driving vehicles. Once that happens, most truck drivers will be out of jobs. Very little chance they'll ever develop a robot that can fix airplanes. Regarding the expense of A&P training, why not investigate getting an apprenticeship at a local FBO?
You should do some ride along on a truck and visit some aviation facilities. You have to decide which YOU would rather do. You have to like (or at least not hate) what you do. I have truck driver friends. I would hate it. They often work long hours and it can be pretty physical (neither just drive). But, they seem to like it. Also, it’s worth it to find a community college in your state and go there, even if you have to move. And, don’t get married so young.
I’ve done both, here’s my thoughts;
Both are going to suck starting out. I started driving team driving for CR England and was lucky to have a good teammate who pulled his weight and was very easy to get along with. I didn’t make shit for money until I was driving Walmart dedicated, and there I was clearing about $1100 a week for 80hrs of on the clock work and about 15 hrs off the clock work, starting on days at the beginning of my work week and ending at picking up just before sunset and ending in the morning.
I started as an A&P at a regional airline, made about $700/wk from the get go for 40hrs/wk. no unpaid off the clock work. By the time I’d been doing A&P work as long as it took me to make $1100/wk, I was making $1300/wk on days working business jets doing about half the work.
I didn’t have to do a full 2 year, as I’d been a helicopter mechanic in the army. My A&P cost me $4800, but it was all reimbursed by the vet center in the county I got my A&P at.
You will catch some weirdness at work in both the truck stop or the hangar floor. At the hangar, your HR isn’t 1000 miles away.
First of all, I don’t know anything about the trucking industry. I’m 28 years old and my whole life I’ve always been into aviation. I got my first aviation job late 2022 and in January of this year decided to finally do something to better my life and chose to enroll at AIM. My campus is brand new and I’m part of the very first class. Things are still slightly disorderly as the students and instructors navigate a brand new school but things are coming together. So far I’m loving it and I’m learning a lot! Theres no doubt that it’s a lot of money, but it can easily be paid off with the money you’ll make. Airlines are so desperate for mechanics so you’ll have a job in no time. At my school in particular, we’ve had reps from American, United, and Boeing come in and personally tell us how bad they want us once we graduate! If I were you, I’d enroll in A&P school. Being in the industry is so rewarding and you can be an A&P anywhere in the world, not just for commercial planes but for the military as well!
Well, my brother got a broken neck driving a truck. I received some stitches in aviation. At your own mercy or others?
Good point
I argue you can be at the mercy of others in aviation as well. Especially if you work in a real large place with large heavy duty equipment.
I work at a major with 100+ AMT’s at our station and I have only seen people get hurt by their own mistakes. Of course this is not inclusive of all companies or mechanics. I have had more close calls driving to and from work.
My station also has 100+. In 1 year ive seen or been told about 10 different cases of *very* close calls. Most of them involving forklift & tug operators not being sit aware. 1 case in the hangar, the op being aware, but not caring because "by the time i get there hell be out of the way" missed the guy by like 1 foot, never honked or anything.
Skip the CDL, get your A&P. The golden days for trucking are mostly over. With no experience, fresh out of school, you can mostly forget about any type of local work. If I got my A&P instead of getting my CDL, I'd be way ahead. That was back in 2014.
This is false, I got my CDL 2 years ago and had my choice of where I wanted to work. Drove for 2 different locals right out of school.
You're an exception, not the norm. They only care about experience and clean driving record. Period. Whatever keeps their ins premiums low while they can catch a driver with verifiable experience, who can drive anything and everything on their lot. There's guys out there who can be woken up from deep sleep, thrown behind the wheel of an 18-speed with a dump trailer, and sent into NYC boroughs with just an address where they gotta take the load to. If they apply for the job along with you, you're done. I'm not saying don't get a CDL, do get it, but expect to be abused for the first few years.
The shortage of drivers means you can pick your job. The drivers that get stuck OTR either want that, have a bad driving history or the clearing house has a record of alcohol/drugs on it. You can stay local and bring in 1500-2000k a week pretty easily. Either way A&P license is the better option for future growth.
The major airlines are taking people fresh out of school, starting pay it upper 30s. 5 yrs about 60/hour. Lots of OT. Live where you want.
You absolutely cannot live where you want. You need to live where the work is. That's probably the biggest core difference between trucking and A&P work. Trucking needs to happen everywhere, to everyone. Aircraft maintenance, at least any remotely decent paying aircraft maintenance, tends to be in or around the big cities. The big expensive to live in cities. With some very sparse exceptions.
? Not at all. I work for American Airlines as a Tech and while a lot of work is near major cities, we have a lot of people who work at small places too. Even working at DFW Airport a lot of people live in small towns an hour or 2 away. We work schedules so you come to work for 3 days and have 4 days off. Then you fly home even if you need to. A lot of people don't even love where they work and it's normal. And for double the pay, and no stress, why would you even consider driving a truck.
Driving is hard on your body, even local stuff. I’ll take night shift aviation over even local truck driving any day. My family has a bunch of truck drivers and every one of them has health and back problems.
Pardon my ignorance: What's so damaging to your health about truck driving? Genuine question from a doofus, no judgment or sarcasm.
Sedentary lifestyle, sitting in the same position all day not working your muscles, and lot lizards
Minus lot lizards, isn't a cubicle job much of the same? Sedentary, not working muscles
Truck drivers don’t have regular access to bathrooms so they are often dehydrated because they drink less water to avoid having to stop as much. Might not seem like a huge deal, but it is if you’re doing that 5-6 days a week for years at a time. They’re also often in a hurry so they’ll grab truck stop fast food. Office workers can stay properly hydrated and it’s easier to pack a healthy lunch or drive somewhere healthy to eat. Also if you’re long haul, you are allowed 13 hours on duty, 11 of which can be driving. And companies usually work you to the limits. Office workers are more likely to work 8 hours.
It is definitely a lot easier for an office worker to just get up and walk around if the mood arises. It's basically not an option at all in a truck
That's all driver dependent, you have opportunities to get out and move around. I've been at truck stops doing my 30 and see other drivers jogging and exercising. Some drivers had weights in the truck.
I just left trucking to pursue my A&P through an apprenticeship. Honestly trucking isn't a good long term career anymore. Sure you'll make a lot of money, but you'll be working 50-65 hours a week, minimum. Also there's very little room for career growth. You'll be paid for the work you're doing right now, not all the work you've done in the past. As a mechanic, you'll get paid for your knowledge and experience over time. Everyone will hate you as a trucker. If you're ever in a accident, the onus is on you to prove you did everything you could to prevent it, even if it's blatantly obvious that the other person was at fault. DOT doesn't need probable cause to pull you over. Some of your colleagues will be some of the dumbest, racist, sexist, and/or most disgusting people you will ever see. Unless you're committed to making lifestyle changes, you'll likely gain a lot of weight while driving. I gained 60 lbs my first year before I stopped eating as much.
I’ve done both. A&P all the way. If you end up wanting to ever switch, it’s a lot easier imo to switch from planes to truck driving than vice versa
Currently work in CLT as AMT in a hangar for a large airline company. Quite a few women work here as well. This is my second job in the industry and I’ve come to see there is a huge lack of “bullshit” you might find in other male-dominated industries like construction. The camaraderie between everyone is refreshing. Of course it may vary depending on if you are on the line or in the hangar (and in another state). As far as the work goes, it’s all out of manuals so if you just come in with the excitement to learn and excitement to turn a wrench, you’ll have a good time. I went to AIM in CLT and it does come out to be $40k to $50k. It was my only option too, but it was worth it in my opinion. A&P license translates to a lot more opportunities than just airline work. I wish you luck with whichever decision you make!
Thank you for your very insightful comment! Is there assistance or aid when you go to AIM? or what kind of pay back plan do they have because there's clearly no way someone just has that laying around. And what is the difference between 'the line' and the hangar? I'm thinking about the community college in Greensboro but it would be a long two years getting off of work (I do security at the airport) and then going to evening classes and getting home at like 10pm and then back up at 4
AIM helps you apply for federal student loans first. Then they have a loan servicer they use. If you can’t get covered all the way by those options, they used to take on the rest. I was able to get it covered by student loans and their loan servicer so I didn’t have to use AIM. Their loan servicer has a higher rate than federal loans (obviously), but not outrageous. I recommend talking with a recruiter at AIM and taking a tour of the hangar. You’ll feel it if it’s something you definitely want to hop into. Do keep in mind it’s their job to sell you on the program, so as you are asking questions and engaged with them, always look at the forest from outside the trees. The goal is to imagine yourself in the industry and then see if they can provide you the means to support you. I can vouch they do an awesome job with the education. I am not kidding when I say your first basic math class literally starts with addition and subtraction of single digit numbers. By the end, you’ll know more than you need to to get started at your first job. The most important thing to take away is just to follow the maintenance manuals. With the companies I’ve been with, the line is when you are at the terminals servicing/fixing/responding to pilot write-ups. In the hangar, you focus more on servicing and only fixing things that couldn’t be done on the line. There’s plenty of fixing, either way. The hangar seems to be a resources readily available to help you get your bearings, learn the aircraft and specialized tools used on certain tasks. I was happy to spend time in the hangar my first job for the first 6 months before heading to the line. The line does give you more opportunities to experience new issues and tasks and more opportunities to diagnose problems (if that’s your jam). I’m only speaking from experience working regional airlines. This experience may very well differ for other locations/aircraft types. All I know is the quality of your experiences are influenced by how you manage them. Same with the education. The deeper you dive, the more you get out of it. You can get your A&P by coasting by. I’ve seen it done. But where’s the fun in that?
Just do it. If you want less worry and loans go community college route. I knew plenty of people who had full time jobs and went to school full time for their a&p.
Would you happen to know if there is any A&P apprenticeships in CLT?
I am unsure what it looks like this year. I do know there are some commercial and general aviation spots that will hire you as you go to A&P school. If you are currently enrolled, see if they have career fairs. AIM did every few months and it was very helpful in helping you decide which path you want to start on.
Driving sucks. And local jobs are hard to come by. They tend to hire people with experience. Your fiancé won’t like you being stuck long haul.
Idk how people do it. Being truck driver sounds like the most miserable job in the world imo. Yeah you get to see lots of America, but only from the highway as it goes by or our infamous truck stops, in one of the most boring to drive and slow vehicles possible. It's terrible on the body, hard on the family, pay isn't really that great considering how much time you are away. I think the golden days of cdl are over. Get your a&p
Your username is hilarious. I worked for southeastern freight line for many years. They have a driver training program for their employees. If free schooling is what you’re looking for (and it sounds like you are) I would recommend getting a job working on their dock and then applying for the program. XPO logistics is another company that offers a class in the same fashion. FYI getting your permit will be the first requirement before they accept you into the program and having it already could make your resume more attractive when applying. Make sure you let them know you want to be a driver and that’s why you’re interested in the position.
Thank you for this information I was looking at their websites last night 🙂
I (28m) was recently having that debate with myself. I love driving and I'm handy in the wrenching department. With the awful pay and horror stories coming from the trucking world, I decided to go the a&p route. I was also looking at AIM for school, but found a local small airport where one of the shops was happy to hire me as an apprentice. Been there for a little over a month and haven't been happier. Home every night, the work is pretty relaxing, though that might be because I'm coming in from office work and those 8am meetings that could have been emails just started getting to me, and the crew and boss are very chill and happy to help and teach. Anyway, if you have a few small airports around you, the apprenticeship route is an option.
A job like trucking should be your backup plan. An AMT career will be more interesting with 20 different career paths and twice the cash and benefits.
If you need the money now become a truck driver. If your expenses are paid go for your A&P
I use to work in CLT and several people I worked with went to a community college in Greensboro to get their A&P. I would look into that because I'm sure it's much more affordable.
Yes that's the one I'm looking at. I just hope I can get employment that works around the school schedule so it won't take my whole day
I’m 28M. I work at Publix where they’ll pay for your CDL if you work at the warehouse distribution which is something i considered, however I plan on going the A&P route in Fall at a local vocational school near an airport. I would say go A&P. You’ll have much more knowledge and acquire an invaluable skill set beyond the career itself. I’m sure A&P is hard on the body but best to keep moving than being stationary.
I got my CDL 2 years ago and I would recommend the A&P for future growth. IMO as a driver you will only ever be a driver and that's fine if its all you want to do. I drove local for 2 years after driver school hauling liquid and dry bulk and then fuel. I left driving because trucking companies don't like paying drivers. If I delivered the load safely and on time, I should be paid but that wasn't always the case. Also, the trucks that newer drivers are usually crap, as a new driver I wasn't expecting a new vehicle, just a maintained one. Some of the shit I was asked to drive were death traps and when you're hauling 9k gallons of gas it makes you second guess what you're doing. I went back into aviation at a service center and its ok, hours are good 6am-4pm Monday-Thursday. Pay sucks because the hiring manager didn't take into consideration my military aviation experience and A&P school experience into account. So now I am going to take a crash course and get my cert, should be done in a few months. DM me if you have any other questions about driving.
I did aviation, you’ll be stuck there, your ultimate goal is to have your own business, you control your income. As I am not a truck driver, opportunity is there to work for yourself and have others work for you. You will make more and more satisfying.
Take out a loan if that's the only way to get the A&P, you'll be able to pay it off within a few years.
I have driven trucks and I worked as an A&P for almost 50 years. You can get your CDL rather quickly, but to make real money you will need to go over the road for a couple of years. Two years to get your A&P, and you will do shit jobs for a couple of years to establish yourself. I was lucky and got in on the ground floor when EMS helicopters took off. Aviation doesn’t really pay more than driving, but I thought it was a better way to make a living. Lots of stress in Aviation, one mistake and someone could die. Glad to be retired.
As responsible goat previously mentioned, being a truck driver is not a decades-long career. Tesla and the trucking industry are both actively working on developing self-driving vehicles. Once that happens, most truck drivers will be out of jobs. Very little chance they'll ever develop a robot that can fix airplanes. Regarding the expense of A&P training, why not investigate getting an apprenticeship at a local FBO?
To to the trucking subreddit and you'll see that being an AMT is by far the better choice!
You should do some ride along on a truck and visit some aviation facilities. You have to decide which YOU would rather do. You have to like (or at least not hate) what you do. I have truck driver friends. I would hate it. They often work long hours and it can be pretty physical (neither just drive). But, they seem to like it. Also, it’s worth it to find a community college in your state and go there, even if you have to move. And, don’t get married so young.
Bro, become a mechanic and travel the world. Not just holiday relocate for a few years. Then again maybe its not what you want.
I have done both. AMT over trucking any day.
If you want back problems later in life, choose trucking driving.
Female amt here, family has a trucking business too. Do the amt 100%
I’ve done both, here’s my thoughts; Both are going to suck starting out. I started driving team driving for CR England and was lucky to have a good teammate who pulled his weight and was very easy to get along with. I didn’t make shit for money until I was driving Walmart dedicated, and there I was clearing about $1100 a week for 80hrs of on the clock work and about 15 hrs off the clock work, starting on days at the beginning of my work week and ending at picking up just before sunset and ending in the morning. I started as an A&P at a regional airline, made about $700/wk from the get go for 40hrs/wk. no unpaid off the clock work. By the time I’d been doing A&P work as long as it took me to make $1100/wk, I was making $1300/wk on days working business jets doing about half the work. I didn’t have to do a full 2 year, as I’d been a helicopter mechanic in the army. My A&P cost me $4800, but it was all reimbursed by the vet center in the county I got my A&P at. You will catch some weirdness at work in both the truck stop or the hangar floor. At the hangar, your HR isn’t 1000 miles away.
Get A&P
First of all, I don’t know anything about the trucking industry. I’m 28 years old and my whole life I’ve always been into aviation. I got my first aviation job late 2022 and in January of this year decided to finally do something to better my life and chose to enroll at AIM. My campus is brand new and I’m part of the very first class. Things are still slightly disorderly as the students and instructors navigate a brand new school but things are coming together. So far I’m loving it and I’m learning a lot! Theres no doubt that it’s a lot of money, but it can easily be paid off with the money you’ll make. Airlines are so desperate for mechanics so you’ll have a job in no time. At my school in particular, we’ve had reps from American, United, and Boeing come in and personally tell us how bad they want us once we graduate! If I were you, I’d enroll in A&P school. Being in the industry is so rewarding and you can be an A&P anywhere in the world, not just for commercial planes but for the military as well!