I have finally realized that it’s time for me to stop running up and down the road.

I’m past the typical age of retirement and my reflexes are not what they used to be.

My body is wearing out and when my gut starts to rumble I don’t want to be forty miles from the next toilet.

I no longer feel safe driving a vehicle weighing thousands of pounds.

Every night I go to work I wonder if this is the night my body has a major malfunction and I kill myself or maybe someone else.

Mechanical problems

The winter months are brutal not only for me but also on the equipment. It seems that problems wait for winter to happen.

There are far more breakdowns in the winter months than in the summer.

With the new Federal requirements of electronic logs coupled with the frustrations of my company developing their own digital equipment with all the inherent bugs that need to be worked out, I’m just not happy anymore.

It’s time to retire

I no longer enjoy my job and haven’t for some time now.

I have been thinking about retirement for a few years. If Winky were still alive, she would confirm this.

Trouble is, I have not been a good steward in preparing for this eventuality.

It always seemed like there was never enough money to put anything aside for retirement.

My plan

I need a plan to find supplemental income; something that I could do from home that wouldn’t consume my whole day, wouldn’t have a lot of related expense, and would supplement my social security income. Earn enough to possibly save for a vacation doing something that I want to do.

After spending many years trying one type of home business after another, I began to evaluate what I was best suited for.

As it turns out, I am detail oriented and good with numbers. But abstract concepts leave me cold.

My best bet is to pursue a skill that plays to my strength; something like bookkeeping.

Last summer i began a course in bookkeeping.

I had done bookkeeping when I had my own trucking business, but I have learned more than the feeble attempts I made then.

When I finish this course I will be able to search for clients to help that can provide me with an income to supplement my social security income.

I don’t need many to earn what I currently earn from my trucking job.

Hurdles to jump

There are barriers in the way though. Like what do I do about health insurance, and what other insurance do I need to protect myself from being sued, etc.

Do I want to form an LLC and what are the costs involved there?

I have started a checking account strictly for business purposes. I’m not sure if I need to file a quarterly report even if I have no revenue yet. 

There are probably more things to think about that I’m not even aware of.

I have saved a bit to help me get through the building process, but  I’m not sure it will be enough.

One cautious step at a time

I am playing it cautiously, taking my time. I think when the time is right, I’ll know when to pull the plug on my job.

I’m hoping to be able to quit within the next couple of months.