Turned the keys in...

[TruckerChris]

Yup, I just decided one day out of the blue to turn my truck in. It was a very bittersweet thing to do. That truck has been my life for the last year. I've been everywhere with it in all types of conditions and what not. To tell you the truth, I haven't broken down and cried for a long time but I did do it when I locked the door and walked away. It's tough although I'm excited to go local. Hope I can get on with a company like Old Dominion or something along those lines...

I had a blast out there the last year. I ran every state west of the mississippi along with a handfull of the east. Pretty good for a mainly west coast company although GTI is opening up a Idianapolis yard next year.



I'll still be around. My blog will be updated within a couple days... I'm taking a month or so off to ride my new snowmobiles and to just relax.

Thanks everyone for all your help a year ago when I first asked about OTR... Now I can give answers

[Useless]

Well, BOL2U!!

There are a few times when I miss being OTR, but it never takes me long to remember why I came home!!

[glasman2]

Best of luck to ya Chris. GTI is who I want to work for when I get out of school. Did you ever get my e-mail? I sent it through your blog site.
Who are you going local with?

[MADLUX]

keep your blog going, I enjoy reading it.

[Rookie McRookerson]

Kona, I've been tracking you through this site and your blog. I even posted a "Where is Kona" when you dropped off the map!

You don't say why you are leaving OTR. Everything in your post above sounds like you love the job. Mind if I ask what caused you to leave?

I just got a call from GTI this morning. They want to send me a letter of intent to hire. I am starting school on January 15th. I would be very interested in your thoughts on the company.

Best of luck to you!

[sinclac]

Sacramento,huh, Same here
It's a tad slow right now on jobs here. You might want to look into tanker (Thats what i do Fuel)

[TruckerChris]

Kona, I've been tracking you through this site and your blog. I even posted a "Where is Kona" when you dropped off the map!

You don't say why you are leaving OTR. Everything in your post above sounds like you love the job. Mind if I ask what caused you to leave?

I just got a call from GTI this morning. They want to send me a letter of intent to hire. I am starting school on January 15th. I would be very interested in your thoughts on the company.

Best of luck to you!

It was a whole mixture of things that made me just up and quit. For one, it get's extremely boring running up and down I-5 and just because we run the 5 it doesn't mean you're going to get home more often. They may say that but usually that's not the case. If I could have it my way I would be running coast to coast or at leat to Tennesee or Green bay, somewhere far from the west. I was lucky enough to get on a dedicated fleet. When I got on I was told not to tell anyone or else all hell would break loose. Suppsoedly I jumped in front of a lot of driver who were in line waiting for an open spot.

At gordon, It's all about WHO YOU KNOW. Remember that. Being away from home when you have someone you love very much is hard. Although for me it was easier, getting in my truck and just thinking about road conditions, delivery times, what I'm going to grab for lunch and what time my favorite show on XM comes on. But my girl is left at home depressed, my mom is nervous and I felt really bad. I keep on saying that if anything ever happends between my girl and I , I will come back out for sure.

Also, I can finiancally afford to take a month or two or maybe even more if I'd like to. Time for a break, but I will be back driving in one type or truck or another.

[Malaki86]

I agree 100% on it not only being hard on you (the driver), but also on your loved ones at home.

During my Christmas break I was pretty much given an ultimatum by my fiance. I chose my fiance. I called Celadon and arranged for me to bring the truck and the load to Indianapolis to turn it in. They didn't want me to go and when I arrived at the terminal, a message was left at the guard shack for me to see the terminal manager, which I did. He gave me a hand-written job reference by him, and said that if I ever wanted my job back there to give em a call.

I've already got another job lined up which will run me regional, with the company terminal 20 miles from my house. I'll be home every weekend and a couple times through the week. The only thing I'm waiting on is the drug test results (took the test yesterday).

[TruckerChris]

I agree 100% on it not only being hard on you (the driver), but also on your loved ones at home.

During my Christmas break I was pretty much given an ultimatum by my fiance. I chose my fiance. I called Celadon and arranged for me to bring the truck and the load to Indianapolis to turn it in. They didn't want me to go and when I arrived at the terminal, a message was left at the guard shack for me to see the terminal manager, which I did. He gave me a hand-written job reference by him, and said that if I ever wanted my job back there to give em a call.

I've already got another job lined up which will run me regional, with the company terminal 20 miles from my house. I'll be home every weekend and a couple times through the week. The only thing I'm waiting on is the drug test results (took the test yesterday).

Yeah, I hate leaving and seeing my family cry. It's not a lot of fun. I hope to get something local soon but right now I'm just relaxing. Theres a big storm coming in on thursday which should dump 2' of snow... Then I'll be up in tahoe tearing up the mountains =0

[homer]

best to get busy getting the next gig.a lot of companies use dac computer and if you dont give 2 weeks notice they file a dac report.they try to black ball you.when checking references they only say if they will rehire you or not.that dac they enter whatever dirt they put in your personnel file,damage,accidents,late delivery,quit under load or stranded truck. on the positive side my bro inlaw just retired from teamsters and he said they have a hard time finding peolple who can pass drug test.you might not get alot of hours with no seniority so you have time for your snow machine.the blog on the road was well done

[homer]

I called Celadon and arranged for me to bring the truck and the load to Indianapolis i wish all those celadon drivers who are us citizens would hurry up and quit before their mexican fleet starts running all over for 19cpm.its retarded for an experienced driver to work for them when they can get 40cpm right now.enjoy the race to the bottom and 19cpm

[BanditsCousin]

Quitting before landing the local job? What a way to start the new year 8)

[Ian Williams]

CA just passed a big infrastructure bond so all of the big civil engineering gigs will be busy. Reading the want ads in the Sun Sacramento Bee there are plenty of local jobs open for an experienced driver. The Sac Con-Way barn has had a Now Hiring banner up for the year I've been with them.

Local jobs are plentiful here in Northern CA & NV. It seems like skilled blue collar work in general is looked down upon here, everyone wants to go to college majoring in liberal nonsence and proceed to ask "Would you like Fries with that?" or "Grande or Venti?" Heck even when I lived in Humboldt County were the labor market sucks by CA standards the local trash and ag haulers were often hiring.

[Folsom Flash]

Good luck to you Kona. I got a local job here in Sac when my OTR gig went up in flames.

I'm having the time of my life and am so glad someone finally gave me a shot. You should have no problem finding work since you have experience as I found jobs all over town until I told them I was new.

Shoot me a private message or email when you want a job and I'll check for you here.

[Splitter]

Well, best of luck to you Kona. Take some time off, and get reacquainted with your lady. I don't think you'll have any trouble finding a seat to fill when your ready. Enjoy those sleds!

[mikey4069]

He will be back on the road in less than a year . When it get in your blood you cant fight it . 8)

[TruckerChris]

I was really thinking about it yesterday. I was on 80 in Sac and saw all the trucks coming down just covered in Donner dirt. Theres just something about driving a big truck. I want to do bad.

[dieselgrl]

During my Christmas break I was pretty much given an ultimatum by my fiance. I chose my fiance.

You know, that comment hit me personally. That's happened to me twice. And twice I left my rig to be with my fiancee.

Now? Now I'm single and being kicked out of my apartment by my now-ex fiancee.

I should know by now that I'm better off on the damn truck...

[Malaki86]

During my Christmas break I was pretty much given an ultimatum by my fiance. I chose my fiance.

You know, that comment hit me personally. That's happened to me twice. And twice I left my rig to be with my fiancee.

Now? Now I'm single and being kicked out of my apartment by my now-ex fiancee.

I should know by now that I'm better off on the damn truck...

I think I made the right choice by going to a small, local company. Most of their runs are out and back within 2 days. I just did my first trip. Picked up less than a mile from the terminal, drove 350 miles, delivered this am, drove 100 miles, did a drop/hook, drove to a plant about 2 miles from the terminal, unloaded. Now I'm home until tomorrow am.

Ya, I can deal with this.

[dieselgrl]

I think I made the right choice by going to a small, local company. Most of their runs are out and back within 2 days. I just did my first trip. Picked up less than a mile from the terminal, drove 350 miles, delivered this am, drove 100 miles, did a drop/hook, drove to a plant about 2 miles from the terminal, unloaded. Now I'm home until tomorrow am.

Ya, I can deal with this.

Better you than me. I ran local deliveries for a while for an OTR company. Found out the hard way I can't see my dispatcher every single day, multiple times a day - particularly when he's an ass.