Coming to the realisation that I have very little future earning growth potential in my current industry...

Hi all, I hope you're all well. I'm close to 30 years of age and have been a truck driver for the last 10 years of my life.

It's not a bad job, and I generally don't mind doing it. It's not a physically hard job in the traditional sense. I got into it because of the relatively low barriers to entry. Pass my driving tests and unlock a much higher earning potential than the minimum wage I was on at the time.

I'm currently doing 40 hours a week and earning around £45k, but to earn this I'm working unsociable hours. 4 Nights a week and finishing at around 3am.

I've recently seen my living expenses increase with a house purchase and aren't saving anywhere near what I could before. This has hit me with the realisation that my wages can't really 'grow' in this industry. I could work some overtime for a boost in pay, have much less free time which I think would be unsustainable given the unsociable working hours.

I have no formal qualifications other than GCSEs, and my skills aren't easily transferable to other jobs. Train driving or Plane piloting could be possibilities, but very hard to get into. I can concentrate for long periods and stay alert and work to various rules and regulations.

My earnings aren't going to grow over time like most people assume they will in other industries with promotions etc. It's quite disheartening abd makes me think I might need a change in approach in order to FIRE.

I guess like lots of truck drivers you feel trapped in this industry, because the other likely options for someone with no obvious qualifications is minimum wage jobs, and a drop in pay.

Should I be exploring other avenues? And what jobs or industries could suit my skills and lack of formal qualifications?

Many Thanks.