Truck Driving Jobs

bentstrider · Joined: 17 Aug 2006 Posts: 90 Location: Hesperia, CA

It's been awhile since I last posted here, but here it goes.
I was involved in a rollover accident in Utah, back in October.
I drove with Swift(ha ha ha) and thought they were a good company up until they sacked me for the accident.
I never intended to stay in trucking forever, but I didn't want it to end that way either.
Needless to say, I've been going through a few, other big companies and I get the same response.
"Can't hire you until you get an accident-free, year of driving."
Same thing goes for Swift if I want to get back with them.
Problem is, they tell me to find some "Mom and Pop" companies that might take a chance by letting me redeem myself.
These companies tend to stay below even the most, primitive radar systems and seem to be hard to find.
I also have a total of 14 months under my belt, and a trucking school bill from another company that has to be paid off.
Please, somebody throw me a bone as far as "forgiving" companies go.

Fredog · Joined: 23 Apr 2005 Posts: 2131 Location: North Georgia

bentstrider wrote: It's been awhile since I last posted here, but here it goes.
I was involved in a rollover accident in Utah, back in October.
I drove with Swift(ha ha ha) and thought they were a good company up until they sacked me for the accident.
I never intended to stay in trucking forever, but I didn't want it to end that way either.
Needless to say, I've been going through a few, other big companies and I get the same response.
"Can't hire you until you get an accident-free, year of driving."
Same thing goes for Swift if I want to get back with them.
Problem is, they tell me to find some "Mom and Pop" companies that might take a chance by letting me redeem myself.
These companies tend to stay below even the most, primitive radar systems and seem to be hard to find.
I also have a total of 14 months under my belt, and a trucking school bill from another company that has to be paid off.
Please, somebody throw me a bone as far as "forgiving" companies go.

Mom and Pop companies tend to be stricter than the mega carriers, people who give you that advice have never driven for one. the ones that do hire just anyone are usually outlaw companies that you should stay away from.
with 14 months experience and a rollover already, you are going to have a real hard time finding a decent job. At the small company I work for, they couldnt hire you even if they wanted to. the insurance is strict, if you have a rollover or a right turn crash or a following too close ticket or wreck, they wont cover you.. period..

bentstrider · Joined: 17 Aug 2006 Posts: 90 Location: Hesperia, CA

Thanx for the response.
I'm obviously going to be getting alot of "no's" and whatnot.
I shouldn't have tried to push myself too hard, now this is what I get.
Some people are even saying it's time to find a different career path.
I tell them, "basically, another 25 years ahead of trying out and fvcking up."
Essentially, that means trying out too many different career choices, spending money on all sorts of training, and you learn only one thing.
I DON'T LIKE ANY OF THESE CAREERS!!
If that's the case, I better find something before I'm too old to earn any retirement.

Uturn2001 · Posted: Mon Nov 26, 2007 9:11 am Post subject:

Quote: If that's the case, I better find something before I'm too old to earn any retirement.

For the most part people are responsible for their own retirement any more. The days of getting a pension for spending 20 years or more with one company are quickly coming to an end.

What every working person should do is set up a IRA and put money away for the day they do retire. If you work for a company with a matching 401k use it too and then when you leave that company and your next one does not have a 401k then roll the money into your IRA.

kreeper01 · Posted: Mon Nov 26, 2007 11:27 am Post subject:

Reading this post and seeing the situation that Strider is in, do not feel bad Strider, i am in the same boat. I have been told the same thing from every top name carrier out there.

In my current situation, i could go back to being a janitor (scrubbing toliets), the problem i face is that all janitorial companies want a "high school education" and i have "beyond high school" with my cdl.

I can simpathize with you Strider, start applying at any truck stop that has a mechnical shop where you can help out, work for a towing company, or you can work at a local company that operates dump trucks. Keep your chin up, Strider and keep looking for any sort of local work.

bentstrider · Joined: 17 Aug 2006 Posts: 90 Location: Hesperia, CA

I'm also still in the process of getting into Calif. Dept of Corrections as a Correctional Officer.
Only thing is the fact that this job takes too much, damned time to get into
due to psych checks and other, trivial bull$h!t.
I'm in excellent physical shape though, so I'm going to keep at this.
As far as driving is concerned, I'll keep at the search lightly.

feederfred · Joined: 22 Jun 2006 Posts: 267 Location: Nevada

Bentstrider-Rock Hard Transportation, Fontana, California 10763 Poplar Ave. Fontana. 1-909-355-0050 Dirt Haulers, some freight. They are not picky, heck they love anyone that casts a shadow....BTW, your accident @Swift WILL screw you up on the background for CDC. Terminations are not looked upon kindly...Have family member employed@HR for them in Rancho Cucamonga, do NOT lie about it during background (not saying you would...). Former long-time Hesperia resident until I got smart, retired and got the hell out of the High Desert. BOL ! Oh and a psychological exam to work in a prison is not considered "trivial".....

bentstrider · Joined: 17 Aug 2006 Posts: 90 Location: Hesperia, CA

feederfred wrote: Bentstrider-Rock Hard Transportation, Fontana, California 10763 Poplar Ave. Fontana. 1-909-355-0050 Dirt Haulers, some freight. They are not picky, heck they love anyone that casts a shadow....BTW, your accident @Swift WILL screw you up on the background for CDC. Terminations are not looked upon kindly...Have family member employed@HR for them in Rancho Cucamonga, do NOT lie about it during background (not saying you would...). Former long-time Hesperia resident until I got smart, retired and got the hell out of the High Desert. BOL ! Oh and a psychological exam to work in a prison is not considered "trivial".....

Well, I'm not taking "no" for an answer.
In the meantime, I'll keep pushing myself back into driving, into CDCR, and if I'm meant to be some, loser, egghead, then USC Engineering School.
The last one being the ultimate, failed-at-life-it-sucks-now option.
Only because in every movie, or book I've read, engineers always end up getting killed or beat to death.

bentstrider · Joined: 17 Aug 2006 Posts: 90 Location: Hesperia, CA

Guess the only other reason I miss it now is because I could start working whenever I felt like it.
Now I have regular schedules to deal with.
No matter what career I find myself getting into, no matter how important
or high-paying it is, it's never going to compare with driving a truck.
I'm just not sure if I'll be able to find that type of extreme flexibility/autonomy in the other, sucky fields I've chosen as back-up.

Fredog · Joined: 23 Apr 2005 Posts: 2131 Location: North Georgia

bentstrider wrote: Guess the only other reason I miss it now is because I could start working whenever I felt like it.
Now I have regular schedules to deal with.
No matter what career I find myself getting into, no matter how important
or high-paying it is, it's never going to compare with driving a truck.
I'm just not sure if I'll be able to find that type of extreme flexibility/autonomy in the other, sucky fields I've chosen as back-up.

If you could manage to go to a company and actually talk face to face with the safety man, you may get somewhere. tell him you are willing to take a refresher course or a training period or something like that (only if you are)
I think that's the best chance you have.

bentstrider · Joined: 17 Aug 2006 Posts: 90 Location: Hesperia, CA

Fredog wrote:
If you could manage to go to a company and actually talk face to face with the safety man, you may get somewhere. tell him you are willing to take a refresher course or a training period or something like that (only if you are)
I think that's the best chance you have.

Thanx, I might go ahead and try that one.
As I said, if I could get a chance to prove myself for one more year, then get back to Swift and finish another year with them, accident-free, I'll be able to move on with my life and put this all behind me.

bentstrider · Joined: 17 Aug 2006 Posts: 90 Location: Hesperia, CA

I spoke with the HR guys @Swift Headquarters about my accident.
I was told that I could keep applying every six months within the next two years.
Essentially, they were saying that even if I can't find any other driving experience within two years, they say that should be long enough after the rollover to reconsider me for rehire.
I'll only go back with Swift/"trucking in general" if I find my pessimistic attitude towards other careers is true.

MoneyCat · Joined: 20 Apr 2006 Posts: 64 Location: Richmond, VA

SMX outta Fort Dodge, IA.

http://www.smxc.com

When I was in orientation, met a guy who said he was at maverick before where he had a roll over.

chuck3507 · Joined: 19 Oct 2006 Posts: 144 Location: Texas

I'm not sure, but you may try Arrow out of Tulsa, Ok.

bentstrider · Joined: 17 Aug 2006 Posts: 90 Location: Hesperia, CA

Thanks for the additional suggestions.
Swift treated me fairly well.
My original intention was to drive OTR with them for awhile, then switch over to a part-time format while taking some college courses for a degree.
As much as I complained about college, I'm just trying to open up other doors.
In the meantime, I feel that I must drive the truck again to erase the thought of a "failed mission" from my mind.
Not to mention it could more than assist me in finally getting that $3600+ school-fee for CRST's training, "out-of-sight, out-of-mind".
If these two still say no, I'll go ahead and keep Swift in the crosshairs for the next 6mo-2years.
I say if I haven't gotten in CDCR by then and I'm at least still going to college and completing courses, I'll do what I have to get back with them and erase the accident from my mind.
At least in 1-2 years of waiting, I could get the most-difficult college courses(Algebra, Calculus, Biology, Chemistry) out of the way, and then finish easy stuff(English, History, Humanities) while enjoying myself and keeping safe on the road.
I'll just think of this anew, as the "Frat Party w/a constant case of roadtrip".

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