Truck Driving Jobs

Jimbo56 · #1 12-18-2006, 08:33 PM

Ok guys, I need some real honest advice.....the good...the bad, and yes even the ugly.

Here's my mistakes. I'm not going to pull any punches and I don't expect anyone that responds to pull any either.

I am 50 years old and I have had a total of three driving jobs in the last 18 months. I worked for no one more than 30 days. I can drive, and I enjoy driving, but the time away from home puts a real heartache on my family. If I'm ever going to drive, they (and me) will have to get over this.

Here are the companies I have worked for and the reasons I left.

1) CR England. (11/02/06 thru 12/01/06)

I was a trainee due to my lack of experience. England put me and another trainee in a truck with a trainer that was only 24 years old. (That makes THREE) It was crazy. I left after the trainer and the other trainee began to sample the night life in the local truck stops.

Don't get me wrong, I'll drink a beer when I'm home and definitely don't mind a little window shopping. But not on the road, no alcohol and I plan on staying married. I stuck this out for a month and then notified my training coordinator that the OTR was not working for me. I got off the truck when it was in my home state.

That was mistake number one. Maybe I should have asked for another trainer, but considering England has to put two trainees in a truck, chances my next trainer will be no better.

2) Swift (June 06 thru July 06)

Considering all the negative comments about swift, surprisingly this was my best experience. I left only because of a family medical emergency.

3) USA Truck. (July 2005 thru August 2005)

I have no one to blame for this one except myself. After spending 30 days on the road with a trainer, I promptly failed their road test upon arrival in Van Buren. No I didn't hit anything ( or even close). Just nervousness and lack of experience. I got so frustrated I hopped the next bus home.

I can drive a truck. I have No tickets, NO accidents, NO suspensions, NO DUI's, NO Felonies. NONE EVER.

Now for the 64 thousand dollar question.

Have I screwed the pooch due to the bad work record and am I now un-employable in the industry?

Useless · #2 12-18-2006, 08:43 PM

Well, you may have to take a refresher course, but I do think that there are still some companies who would take a look at you.

Family considerations can not be ignored. Are you really certain that OTR is right for you??

If you can make it work, and if you left on favorable terms, then I would suggest that you go back to Swift, and re-train. After all, you do have to start somewhere.

Sheepdancer · #3 12-18-2006, 08:54 PM

Your main problem is going to be because you were terminated from your last job for failing the road test. You are going to get a lot of the "sure we can hire you after you work for someone else first" stuff.
Why not go back to Swift and get a little more time under your belt?

Jimbo56 · #4 12-18-2006, 09:07 PM

Going back to Swift seems the general response and it may well be my only option. Both England and Swift picked me up after being released from USA, so I'm not sure that will be a problem. I talked to a recruiter for one of the companies recruiting for multiple companies and he essentially laughed in my face. The problem doesn't seem to be because I was released from USA over a year ago. The problem appears to be the job hopping from one company to another.

Are all trucking companies hurting so bad for trainers that they will take anyone that signs the dotted line or are there some out their that actually believe in professional and responsible trainers?

Cripplecreek · #5 12-18-2006, 09:18 PM

I would try Swift again jimbo. Eighteen months ago I went to orientation at Swift and they were going to Greyhound me to another terminal to hook up with a trainer. I decided no bus trips for me, I told them I'll go home and give me a call when you find me a trainer. They called back 2 days later and said come on up to Ocala, we've found you a trainer, again I declined. I told them I see Swift trucks going down the road everday were I live, have a trainer pick me up when he's close. Two days later they call me again and say we have a trainer in your area he can pick you up a mile down the road, again I declined. The reality was I couldn't leave my family and I had another baby on the way, I got cold feet and explained maybe OTR isn't the best thing right now, sorry about wasting your time and money.

Just last week I again toyed with the idea of going OTR, so I called Swift and much to my suprise, they still had all my paperwork on file and were receptive, they said no problem about 18 months ago,we understand. They even said I wouldn't have to fill out abunch of new paperwork, and since I only had one job since I last apllied with them, I only had to have my file updated, and they could have me out on the road in about a week. I told them I'm thinking about it, and may just do it.

classicxl · #6 12-18-2006, 09:20 PM

I say go back to swift get you experince and try for a regional run around your home but this time stick it out till you have some experience

millersod215 · #7 12-18-2006, 09:23 PM

Maybe you need to look at if you even want to be on the road, i've been with a couple companies OTR, and have stated reasons why i left, when the real reason i left was because of family and time away from home. I drive local, and still get the enjoyment out of driving, and also the time spent with my wife and two dogs. Maybe all your reasons for backing out on the OTR gig was because the real reason you didn't like it is because you wanted to be home with your family. Look, it's nothing to be ashamed of if you're not cut out for the road, the way i look at it, with the money i make and the amount of time at home, plus weekends, and holidays, and the satisfaction of not having to sleep in a truck at night, i think i got it pretty good, maybe you should check out the local side of things. BOL.

Frogman · #8 12-18-2006, 11:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jimbo56

Ok guys, I need some real honest advice.....the good...the bad, and yes even the ugly.

Here's my mistakes. I'm not going to pull any punches and I don't expect anyone that responds to pull any either.

I am 50 years old and I have had a total of three driving jobs in the last 18 months. I worked for no one more than 30 days. I can drive, and I enjoy driving, but the time away from home puts a real heartache on my family. If I'm ever going to drive, they (and me) will have to get over this.

Here are the companies I have worked for and the reasons I left.

1) CR England. (11/02/06 thru 12/01/06)

I was a trainee due to my lack of experience. England put me and another trainee in a truck with a trainer that was only 24 years old. (That makes THREE) It was crazy. I left after the trainer and the other trainee began to sample the night life in the local truck stops.

Don't get me wrong, I'll drink a beer when I'm home and definitely don't mind a little window shopping. But not on the road, no alcohol and I plan on staying married. I stuck this out for a month and then notified my training coordinator that the OTR was not working for me. I got off the truck when it was in my home state.

That was mistake number one. Maybe I should have asked for another trainer, but considering England has to put two trainees in a truck, chances my next trainer will be no better.

2) Swift (June 06 thru July 06)

Considering all the negative comments about swift, surprisingly this was my best experience. I left only because of a family medical emergency.

3) USA Truck. (July 2005 thru August 2005)

I have no one to blame for this one except myself. After spending 30 days on the road with a trainer, I promptly failed their road test upon arrival in Van Buren. No I didn't hit anything ( or even close). Just nervousness and lack of experience. I got so frustrated I hopped the next bus home.

I can drive a truck. I have No tickets, NO accidents, NO suspensions, NO DUI's, NO Felonies. NONE EVER.

Now for the 64 thousand dollar question.

Have I screwed the pooch due to the bad work record and am I now un-employable in the industry?

The human brain works like a guided missile. We program in what we want, our expectations and our self-image . . . most of this is done sub-conciously . . . and then things just "happen." Suddenly, we arrive at our destination. Unfortunately, it's often not the destination we think we really "want."

It could be that you're telling yourself one thing conciously . . . but telling yourself another on a different level.

Just from what you wrote here, it seems like you give up pretty easily and let yourself be turned away at any obstacle. Some of these obstacles appear to be ones that you create.

I'd take a hard look at this driving gig.

but the time away from home puts a real heartache on my family. If I'm ever going to drive, they (and me) will have to get over this.

Why? Why is driving that important to you? You're 50. How long do you expect to live?

Whatever that number is, divide it by two. Now take that number and divide it by two again . . . what if half of the time you have left you can expect to be in good health and the rest in chronic illness? Do you really want to spend thje time on the road?

Maybe if it's putting a real heartache on you and the family, you should listen to your heart.

millersod215 · #9 12-19-2006, 12:19 AM

Frogman, I just conveyed the same message previous to yours, and i agree, I went through the same thing, trying to convince myself OTR was for me, and making up reasons why jobs just didn't work out. I find my niche in local driving, and it's what i like, hopefully this guy will take the advice and seriously take a look at what he really wants out of driving a truck.

Jimbo56 · #10 12-19-2006, 12:43 AM

I appreciate the advice from all of you. I've looked at the local market and can't seem to get past the required experience. Truthfully, I would much rather be home with my family than out on the road. Most drivers would prefer being at home each night but the industry requires that the wheels on the truck be rolling or the profits dip into the red. However, I think the major carriers can do better than four to six weeks on the road before allowing home time. But, I'm a rookie and don't know all the ends and outs of the business. I do know that a person should not have to give up morality and ethics to be a driver. I've met plenty of clean, honest drivers that do an honest days work for an honest wage. I may have messed this deal up from the start, but the industry needs drivers and I can drive.