So where did you come from (work wise)
 

Ok, so from what kind of profession or work did you come from.

i was a college student majoring in psychology in San Diego, moved to Fresno cause my GF wanted to be by her family (quit school for now) and just went to driving school and got a CDL... trying to decide if i want to drive and who to go with, or whether or not to join the police academy or something... prospect of being OTR for weeks at a time and dealing with jagoffs isn't thrilling, but i have a cool buddy from school that wants to team, just have to go through training first... would love to team, yeah my story sucks, so what.

None of the above...guess I'm older than the rest of y'all.

I managed a shipping/receiving dock over 20 years ago .... I was organized enough that 20 minutes guaranteed of unloading you and getting you off my dock. Gone are those days huh boys? :)

Company closed left me unemployed with no real clue what I was going to do except I had a degree in Advertising. Last driver in on my last day to pick up the last load made me an offer. Funny thing....never got off his truck, today we are business partners still driving together. :wink:

Pretty tall assumption there, BB :wink: BTW, AWESOME avatar!!

21 years pushing jet fuel on Uncle Sam's aircraft carriers. Probably wouldn't qualify as "business" (never had to show a profit :lol: ). Technical or professional, who knows? Anyway, getting tired of uprooting the wife & kids every few years to follow my transfers, so retiring this year, off to National Training here in FL, then hopefully CFI, Epes, Star (Nashville) or Coastal Transport. Being away from the house will be nothing new. Heck, might even be better that way. After all the time away over the last 21 years, I wonder if the "War Department" and I could get along if I was actually home every night :lol: :lol:

30 years as an electronics tech for an aerospace OEM, just retired at age 50 and starting at Central Tech in Oklahoma in April.

Electronic technician for ten years, then electrical engineer at an electric motor shop for another 13 years... Been driving for another 13 years now. O/O for three years.

So.... BB, how much older did you say you are?????? :roll: :roll:

And, this should be the last truck I drive. When it's done, so am I. Going to retire and go fishing.... Someday. Just turned 60, so it shouldn't be too long anymore.

..10 Years Marine Corps, college, followed by 20+ years in Logistics/Distribution management, currently working as a DOD contractor......bd

Didn't say how old I was :shock: and I know better than to post when I'm sick.

But when I looked at the choices above made me feel old. Guess I've been doing this since I was a young pup. Wasn't ever looking to do this just happen into driving and never left. I have no regrets but the only think I haven't figured out is if I have an appointment why can't the shipper or receiver keep it?

jetfueljunkie...thanks for the compliment on my avatar. 8)

For the last 25 yrs, I was VP/GM for the family ranching ops. Nice title, fully chartered Corp., but what it really was was One Man cowboying - all the Tactical ops, 24/7. Long hours, low pay, no 401K, hard physical labor, "It's a good Life, it's just not a Good Living.") But I moonlighted with my Bro in remote broadcast TV, too... Grip, Audio2, asst to the EIC, etc.
Before that, 6 yrs w/wholesale Plbg Supply - from dock help into the Office.. Rcvg, Shpg, Ctr Sales, Inside Sales, Quotations, Asst Branch Mgr...
Steel mill, (rebar fab, shpg)..
But it's all been hurryhurry physical labor requiring organizational skills and a quick mind, and a LOT o patience....

The family closed the ranch, business reasons. Always been scared, or at least in Awe of Big Rigs.. but at 49, something "called" me. I trained at a top school (PTDI), I found a small but profitable company, mostly regional, and it's been a "fit" to my personality and background. I have hope now, I'm much happier, and by golly I'm finally making money.
And this is a higher income gig that I can stay with into my twilight years, since I have a lot o financial gains to catch up on. :wink:
I'm lovin' it.

Didn't answer the poll as nothing seemed to fit.
I did a bit of everything before trucking. The most recent was dental assisting. :roll: Before that I was General Manager of a restaraunt.

I am a farrier by trade (horseshoer) but have a bad back, those 2 things don't mix.

Bush Bunny wrote:
I have no regrets but the only think I haven't figured out is if I have an appointment why can't the shipper or receiver keep it?

Oh, dear..... I'll bet you're pulling a refer, aren't you... You know.. Those people stay awake nights trying to figure out new ways to screw over a driver, don't you?

I got my CDL B when I was 18. I applied to the same company my dad drive a concrete mixer truck for. They hired me on to run heavy equipment for an asphalt plant so I wasn't actually using my CDL. I was there about 8 months then I got a job delivering roofing and siding materials. I usually delivered bundles of shingles with a roof top conveyor. That job wasn't very nice on my back so I left after less than a year for a job delivering commercial turf and irrigation equipment for golf courses and schools over most of New York. Most of the time I was moving new equipment and used equipment bringing it in for service then taking it back to the customer. I started out in a rollback straight truck then moved onto a tractor trailer within the company. I left there after 3 years. I actually really miss that job. It was a great local job and I had lots of freedom and trust. I currently run over the road with Marten and have been with them for about a year and a half now. I do look back and wonder if I should have went to college and all that stuff but I'm pleased with how everything has worked out so far. :D :D

Well, I was a lost puppy when I got out of high school. Nobody really sat me down and talked about my options with me so I went to the only place that seemed to want me at the time...the Marine Corps. I retire in August. I spent my first 6 years in communications and my last 14 have been in retail (yes, it's a real job in the Corps :P). I've done two tours in the Middle East and that was more than enough for me.

I start my CDL school on Monday and plan on starting to drive for a decent company (still researching that) shortly after my retirement from the USMC.

I came from the Military was in the special forces during Somalia.

After high school I joined the military spent 5 years on active duty. Joined the Army National Guard and have been there since... Just racked up 22 years. Went to work for a corporation in Blythewood, SC working as a Microcomputer Engineer in 1995. Went back to school recieved my degree in business management. Have worked in telecommunications, telephone and Satellite communications. After seeing the bottom drop out of all these companies I knew it was time to make a major career change. So now I am here. I am currently in school TDI with two weeks to go. I have 5 pre hires but would only look at maybe two of them, because of the issues raised on the forum.

Like most of us newbies I wish you BOL in finding the match of you and the company.

I've done just about everything :oops: .

Started off working in a sporting goods store in high school, then a bag boy at a Safeway, then a finish carpenter, then joined the Navy for 4 years as an aviation structural tech. Got out and tried selling cars, then moved to Iowa to do carpentry, went to work at Maytag Co., got laid off, moved back to Idaho to get my degree in criminal justice, worked as a federal park ranger, then got hired by TSA as a screener supervisor. Stayed there for a couple of years, then moved back to Iowa, worked as a prison guard, then hired by Allied Insurance as a commercial services rep....Now I'm moving to Arizona to start my own dump truck business. 8)

Various other jobs I've had are propane delivery driver, building materials deliverer, DJ, feed truck driver, and painter. And I was in the Army national guard for 4 years as a combat engineer...

Spent 6 years in the Marine Corps, Started driving but now I am a Career Firefighter and just drive on my days off.

So where did you come from?(work wise)
 

Started out doin' light delivery work in my own car out of high school. I was also in the Naval air reserve at that time ended up becoming a member of the Tonkin Gulf Yacht club, chasin' F4's up and down a flight deck as a plane captain. Afterward's decided to stay in Aviation and acquired my A&P certificate and have been in that field for the last 30 yrs or so. Last employer decided not to bargain in good faith so we walked out in aug of last year. I started training for my CDL at the end of October and now have only three weeks left of schooling. Looking forward to getting out on the road with a good company. Any suggestion's as to a good company will be greatly appreciated. :D

32 years as a copier field technician ( I used to get paid to drive around-over half a million city miles- and fix photocopiers)...too many take-overs and layoffs sent me towards trucking.

I noticed after I posted the poll that I did not include a line for Other - in training .....

If someone can tell me how to add it I will.

I was a cop for eleven years. I drove for a local dump company part time while still on the force. Now I drive local P & D for Dayton Freight.