Originally Posted by Orangetxguy

Dang now LBJ / CFM...there you go....combining a halfazzed rant...whith and entirely understandable alternative, to a bad situation!

:shock: :shock: :shock:

Have you been feeling ok? Did you hurt any other part of your body when you fell the other day? Are there bad bruises? That is twice in a week you actually supported the idea someone can benefit from doing OTR...even if it is just to get reilef from a crappy situation!


Can we get you a pillow? Perhaps some liquid advil?? :wink:

I have always stated that OTR is a job of last resort, Stan. Since these people are one step away from living in a Maytag refrigerator box and standing in line to get donated commodities and dirty looks from the locals, OTR is better than nothing.

Wouldn't you agree?

[Sealord]

As a previous poster stated, you'll have to do a face-to-face at your nearest "one-stop" in the Melbourne area. Check this link -http://www.floridajobs.org/onestop/onestopdir/. And yes I know you apply for unemployement assistance in Florida via the internet, you get job training assistance by face-to-face with a counselor. Be prepared to burn some shoe leather getting started and satisfying the state and federal WIA requirements if you go that way. I believe you'll have a better training experience if you go the community college route for training vice a commercial school such as National or Roadmaster. Relocation from south Florida may also be something to consider. BOL

[okie]

I agree the phone blows. Face face with WIA worked best 4 me as well. Be prepared to blow them away with facts and figures a list of your accomplishments, such as in a job interview. You have to make them want to help you. Make them feel your suffering so to speak. I knew I had succeeded when I walked out and she handed me a refferal to be able to get 1st dibs at a "Toys 4 Tots" event. Good Luck

[DaveP]

Originally Posted by Ridge Runner

Let's tackle work on first things first......getting the training. The FIRST thing I would do is ask the unemployment office about WIA ( Workforce Investment Act ).

I was in your position in '92 and THIS is the way to go.

WIA saved my butt. I hold that program in high regard.

Not to mention the fact that you'll likely get much more thorough training that you WON'T get in one of those CDL "mills"...

[Keeper of the Chaos]

Thanks so much Sealord for posting the URL for the one stop site. We were getting pretty discouraged when the office we go though for unemployment said they didn't know anything about WIA. I guess the actual place that we deal with for processing our Unemployment checks is different than these one stop offices. I had never even heard of these one stop offices unti you mentioned them here. So we found out our local one isn't far from here. Monday beng a holiday, they'll be closed, but Tuesday, Bob is going to be on their doorstep with his best pitch! Do you know if you have to make an appt. or can you just walk in?

I appreciate all the input. Feel totally lost sometimes with the system and jumping through hoops to get help.

We want to try to do this the way that is going to get him the best, most thorough training and getting WIA to do a Community College seems to be the best way to go.

Will keep you posted.

Debbie

[Sealord]

Debbie,
"Do you know if you have to make an appt. or can you just walk in?" Dunno, I'm a vet and I'd just walk in and ask to meet with a VetRep. I had to wait a bit if one was busy, but usually not long. While I was waiting I'd be going thru the job listings on the bulletin boards or in EmployFlorida.com. on a computer terminal. P.S. They also help with resume and interview prep. BOL

[Keeper of the Chaos]

Anybody got any input about where we should think of relocating to be in an area that has some trucking companies that my husband could work for if he goes through CDL training via a WIA grant?

I think I've read Tennessee is a big area that has trucking companies/local hubs etc. What part of Tennessee should we be looking at? Also, what about Georgia?

I probably shouldn't have posted this here as it's not what the thread was about, but I'm kinda shy about creating too many new threads on message boards! I know how that goes!

Thanks Guys!
Debbie

[coastie]

Originally Posted by Keeper of the Chaos

Anybody got any input about where we should think of relocating to be in an area that has some trucking companies that my husband could work for if he goes through CDL training via a WIA grant?

I think I've read Tennessee is a big area that has trucking companies/local hubs etc. What part of Tennessee should we be looking at? Also, what about Georgia?

I probably shouldn't have posted this here as it's not what the thread was about, but I'm kinda shy about creating too many new threads on message boards! I know how that goes!

Thanks Guys!
Debbie

Tennessee Nashville area has several Companies located there, Memphis also.

Georgia - Atlanta area.

[Roadstar]

Debbie, don't know if your husband has made a decision yet. Your story is very similiar to mine. Hard to start a new career at our age, I'm 50 also. Not much work out there for Real Estate agents right now. So after doing all the research I could find, I'm going with CR England for the school and training, plus they get you on the road in 4 weeks and start making money. At this point, money is key and a very important consideration. After 3 years of a horribly bad RE market, my family and I are nearly broke, and short of McDonalds, I went with this option. From all the research I've done, this may not be ultimately the best route to take, but it is the quickest one to a regular paycheck. England doesn't have much of a reputation on this board, but I am a member of several other forums from mortorcycles to real estate and from my experience, take what you can and leave the rest. You get what you pay for so to say. I start next month with England at their Utah facility, pay about $80 to get started and they provide the bus ticket. They finance the school and take it out of your paycheck. If you don't finance it's $1900 and they pay you back $1000 over time if you continue to drive for the company. So, since I'm at the end of my rope in the RE industry (20 years or so), I'm actually really looking forward to this new adventure and am going to make it work no matter what I have to put up with.

Also, as an introduction, I'm new to the forum and thanks to all of you for the valuable insight. Really appreciate it

Mark[/img]

[Ian Williams]

Roadstar

Even in this economy I suspect that you could do better than CRE. At least Swift does not hard sell LP and or make you deal with Grocery Warehouses.

If you insist on going with CRE: Get you training, DO NOT under any circumstances get sucked into their "Fleece-Pruchase" sharecropping scam, do your year and get out.

You goal is to make a bit of $, protect your driving record and get out. Do NOT let your "trainer" or dispatcher pressure you.

If you can grind it out 9-12 months you will be in a better spot to hire on somewhere better.

For comparison the reputable truck schools in Reno (Horizon & Sierra) will sometimes have specials for $1500-2000 TOTAL.