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10-26-2014 04:57 PM |
Quote:
Originally Posted by bubbagumpshrimp
(Post 532579)
I started this process a couple days ago. I already got a positive response from one (Werner), so that is encouraging.
How short do you think the shelf life is?
I've been out of the industry for quite some time, and much has changed over the past decade. When I became a driver, if you had a pulse and you could fog a mirror, pass a drug test, and if you had an IQ over 65....... make that 55, and a somewhat decent MVR, someone would hire you. Back then, a newly minted Class A had a shelf life of about 90 days. If I were you, I'd plan on no more than 60 days.
You must remember that upon graduation from a local wholesale freight relocation university, (that's a nice way of saying "diploma mill trucking school") your newly acquired Class A means that you've passed a written exam and that you've demonstrated MINIMUM basic skills in handling a big truck to the satisfaction of the safety examiner. In reality, it's a license to learn. What skills you gained while in school will diminish very rapidly if you don't get into the cab of a big truck in very short order.
.....i.e. If I go to part-time for the class (I have a probably work conflict coming up soon)...that will likely put me somewhere around 12/20 for a graduation date. I wouldn't want to start orientation and be gone for Christmas, if I can prevent it. That and I have to assume (maybe incorrectly) that no companies are going to want to start orientation Christmas week...so maybe this is a non issue.
I can dig wanting to be home for Christmas, but you're embarking upon a career where holidays are nothing more than just another date and another day on a calendar; especially where the McMega carriers and OTR companies are concerned. That's the nature of the industry. As a driver for the McMegas, you're nothing more than an employee number with a truck number, a trailer number, a bill of lading number, and a delivery date.
With few exceptions, dispatchers only care about getting the freight picked up, moved, and delivered. They're generally no respecters of drivers, especially rookies. You'll most likely spend some Christmas holidays parked in a truck stop waiting to be assigned a load, waiting to pick up a load, or parked in a truck stop while waiting to deliver a load.
So my second question would be...do you think I'd have a problem getting a company to agree to a orientation on or after 1/1/2015 if I don't graduate until approximately 12/20? Thank you.
The timing of your anticipated graduation date could hardly be worse. The reason being that the first quarter of the year is a very slow time for freight; especially during the months of January and February. Time was that the McMega's hired and trained year round. I don't know if that's still true, and I'd be very leery of what the recruiters tell you.
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Bear in mind that I've been out of the industry for quite some time now, (nearly a decade) and I was never a "career driver"; I drove for a few years because it was something I had always wanted to do, and I had a very limited window of opportunity in which to do it. That was also before fuel hit $2.00 per gallon.
I was much luckier than most noobies, as I worked for a fine, family friendly, midsized carrier (N.D.I.; National Distributors Inc., which is now N.D.L; National Distributors Leasing) out of Sellersburg, Indiana. They were small enough to know me by name and kind enough to care about my family, yet they were large enough to keep me running steadily. I also had an honest recruiter, an incredible trainer an excellent dispatcher, and yes, I was able to spend Christmas at home. How did I get to be so lucky?? I can only say that The Good Lord watches over children and fools, and I was no child!! Once again, that was about a decade ago, and much has changed in the industry over the last ten years.
After the economy entered into recession in the latter part of 2007, and entered into free-fall in 2008, the dynamics of the industry shifted most dramatically. In addition to the recession, fuel prices shot upward, and quite a few long established trucking companies shut their doors. Many experienced drivers suddenly found themselves on the outside looking in. Since that time, the overall economy has recovered, and the trucking industry industry has recovered to varying degrees, with certain parts of the industry being hotter than others.
In the oilfields, the demand for drivers is screaming, but even that boom won't last forever. While those jobs pay well, you'll earn every dime they pay you. The hours are long, the weather can be horrendous, and a lot of things can go wrong. Those industry jobs are usually filled by experienced drivers, and even if it's possible for a rookie to get hired, I'm not sure that attempting to begin your career in that industry would be a good idea.
Please understand that I'm not trying to discourage you, nor am I trying to be overly pessimistic. Here's wishing you the best!!
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