Hay Aftershock. I understand what your trying to do and I thank you for that but Like I said this is one of those thing that I will like to do and I for one I'm not going into it blindsited. All I'm saying is that if you put your mind to it you can do it and attitude is one thing that will take you a longway. Who are you driving for if I may ask.

WhAT? How can you be SURE you won't be blind-sided?
Are you aware of ALL the folks who thought the exact same thing, ---
only to be blind-sided on BOTH sides? And all I'M sayin' is that now-a-daze, setting one's mind, TOO often is NOT enough.
In the past?
YeS.
But NOT now.
The failure rate is off the Richter Scale.
There are NO guarantees, ---
even with a positive attitude. You sure can ask, Macho.
Right now, as I sit here with around a million mile-markers in my back pocket, ---I'm drivin' a computer chair --- and wanting to re-enter the truckin' industry.
But, under the current conditions, and even with my years of experience, I KNOW better than to go with what's being offered.
That being, a recipe for disaster.

I have enough experience to recognize a raw deal when I see one --- and I'm seeing waayyy more raw deals than good deals.

But, if y'all are HaiL bent on givin' it a go,
my advice is to be prepared to be stopped dead in y'all's tracks.
Might even find y'all's selves stopped ON the tracks --- with a train a-comin'.

__________________
Pontificating Dogmatist

Hopefully it wont be so bad. And I love what your doing, I have been reading a lot on this forum and I see you all over it. I for one thank you for your input and keep them up and let us know anything you may know.

i bet you are the same kind of driver who will put one of those "say NO to cheap freight" stickers on his truck/trailer. I bet you're the kind of driver who (in my best 'black voice') ...WANTS TO BE PAAAAAIIIIIIIID.
I bet you want to drive for a big paycheck, then spend more of it for those higher priced goods because the companies product you're buying has to jack up the price to cover that more expensive freight.

Tell me, what is better.......working and earning a paycheck REGARDLESS if it is the 'quality' or what you think your experience is worth, or driving that computer chair of yours?

You can do me a favor....and stay retired. cause when the freight does pick back up, there will be more for me.

oh and one more thing. say you have a business with 100 trucks. you have the space to hire 50 drivers. are you going to hire 50 drivers with 10+ years experience, expecting twice as much pay as you'd give a newbie or another driver with 1-2 yrs experience? i know you are dying to say "i'd hire the one with 10 years experience because i know i dont have to worry about the truck and its load. i know that driver will do his/her job." but i beat you to it. You'd also tell me that a newbie driver will make more mistakes. But guess what........and grab your pantyhose and pull, cause this might be a shock......you and everyone else with a trillion accident free miles were all newbies once. you all made 'rookie mistakes'. But being 'new' dont mean that the truck and load will always be late.

Hay KGB I think you p### him off. I like to listen to exp but sometimes I think some people like to take it to the fullest. We all know how bad it is out there and thats what he don't want to see and I even feel that he dont want anybody coming into his world.

Ok ol Shocky, I think I hear what you have been trying to tell us all about the volatility of the industry and overall economy. Currently there are several large companies that are not hiring or running newbie classes due to the slow down in frieght. Soon through the natural attrition of 80% plus annual that these companies have in turn over no doubt they will begin to hire and those drivers that can make it into the industry and maintain those positions could be in the best place as far as seeing the benifits of the recovery when it happens, (me thinks it will start about mid year 2009).

I have to say if you gotta job keep it and grin and bear it until then, and if you can get into the business prior to that happening then do so.

But have no illussions, it is going to be tough for the next year and you won't be buying that new caddie like you planed, but you'll make a living if you are thrifty.

__________________
You can take a horse to water, but you can't make them drink... Unless you hold their heads there long enough!

Hope don't always float. Really?
I'll remember you said that. Some think that's because I'm lost, ---
While others think it's because I'm found. I'll be glad to tell y'all "anything I may know" ---
But if y'all want to know EVERYthing I know,
it'd take me a minute to tell y'all.

It makes no difference to me what color you are, or what color your voice, is, KGB ---
But it sounds like you're a gambler.
WhAT?
Another "bet"?
Perhaps a call to G.A. would help you?

I have a "bet"ter idea.
Why don't YOU tell us what YOU think, ---
While YOU still think YOU know-it-all?
Saves time that way.

Besides, if you haven't seen my computer chair, how can you know
what's it's like to drive it?

WhY would I want to do YOU a favor? .OH!
Now I understand.
If I came out of retirement, and you and I applied for the same drivin' job, you wouldn't stand a chance of gettin' it.
HeY!
That's the way it goes.

Or, are you thinkin' that YOU'd get the job?
If so, it's not a truckin' company I think would be worth drivin' for.

Promise? OK,
You have a business with 100 trucks.
(Didja notice what color MY voice was? ) How would I know?
It's you who has the 100 truck company.
I'm smarter than to own a truckin' company. You seem to think you know a lot about someone you know nothing about. HeY!
WaiT a minute thar, KGB!
Just a couple of paragraphs ago, you said "oh and ONE more thing" (emphasis mine) and you're STILL goin' on and on and on.
Whuzzup with that? Tell me QUICK!
The suspense is killin' me here.Speakin' of "shock" --- I don't wear "pantyhose".
NopE!
Now, if you'da said a (slightly) faded purple cape and bright (but not hot) pink speedos, you'd be closer to actuality.
You see,
I'm a baaadd man ------->
Just doin' my thang.

By the way, I'm detectin' a bit of an attitude from you.
Should I be offended?Well, ....... DuAH!
How long did it take you to figure that out,
newBee? YuP!
The very same "mistakes" you HAVEN'T made, ..... yet.
But you WILL.
And if your attitude doesn't change, you'll CONTINUE to make MORE mistakes.
Over and over and over again.

You indicate your experience at being somewhere betwixt 0 & 1 year.
Right?
Now, if I were a bettin' kinda guy, ---
I put it closer to 0,
than one year.
No bluff, either. Whereas the "load" might not "always be late",
I wonder about the driver.

Really?
WhY is that, Macho? Would you prefer half way? Let's see --- you're only a student,
and not even a newBee,
yet YOU claim YOU "know how bad it is out there"?
You're killin' me here, wannaBe. I'll tell you what, Macho ---
If you pay as much attention in class, as you do here, there's a pretty good chance that you'll NEVER come "into my world".

How so?

Quote:

Currently there are several large companies that are not hiring or running newbie classes due to the slow down in frieght.

Twue.
And more may follow.

Quote:

Soon through the natural attrition of 80% plus annual that these companies have in turn over

More like 100%+, but I'm with you so far.
But one should realize that of those truckin' companies that continue to train, some, or many, of them depend on stary-eyed wannBees to provide cheap labor ---
Which hurts EVERY Big truck truck driver out thar, who's tryin' to RAISE the standard of pay within the industry.
Yet newBees willing to fill Big truck truck seats cheaply can't seem to understand why experienced Big truck truck drivers view them with disdain.
If y'all ain't part of the solution, by golly ---
Y'all are part of the problem.

I think unions call 'em "scabs".

Quote:

no doubt they will begin to hire and those drivers that can make it into the industry and maintain those positions could be in the best place as far as seeing the benifits of the recovery when it happens, (me thinks it will start about mid year 2009).

I think you're being optimistic about mid 2009 being the recovery period.
I think it'll take at least a couple of years AFTER stabilization to fully recover.
But, one never knows.
Does one?

I think the key here is making it in the industry,
at THIS time.
It's harder now than in the past, with industrial production down by around 38%. And could go lower.
No raw materials shipped, and much fewer finished products being shipped. Those are BIG numbers.

Quote:

I have to say if you gotta job keep it and grin and bear it until then,

I agree!

Quote:

and if you can get into the business prior to that happening then do so.

.I don't agree with that.
I suggest folks wait and see where thangs are goin' before takin' a leap of faith.
UNLESS they're financially able to weather the storm.
But if they're broke now, I think they'll be broker before they see the light.

Quote:

But have no illussions, it is going to be tough for the next year

"The next YEAR"?
Again, I think you're being optimistic.
I'm thinkin' more like 2 ---> 3 years after the economy recovers before the truckin' industry realizes a reasonable recovery.

Quote:

and you won't be buying that new caddie like you planed, but you'll make a living if you are thrifty.

Is General Motors still in business?

"But you'll make a living IF you are THRIFTY."
Now, ...... that right thar is hittin' the head right
on the nail.
But, if y'all are already behind the finincial 8-Ball, don't expect Big truck truckin' to be y'all's salvation.
It ain't a short-cut to riches.
And could easily be y'all's dead-end on a road leadin'
NOwhere.

If y'all choose not to believe ol' AfterShock ---
Go ahead, take the plunge off the deep end and getcher feet wet.
That's about all the water there is in the pool.
And if y'all are still awake when y'all hit bottom,
dunk y'all's head and get IT wet, too.
Especially behind y'all's ears.

I promise I won't laugh, ----
But I might say I told y'all so, ---
If y'all don't remember that I DID.
Mark my words.

OH!
If you're still readin' this, Macho, ---
And wonderin' why it took me so long to respond, ---
Lemmie 'splain -------------------

It could be only one of two reasons.
1. I have an 18-speed keyboard, and I ain't real good at
shiftin' it, ....... yet.
Or
2. I had sumthin' more important to do than --->
I'll let you decide.

*"And I love what your doing."
*~~~~~~~~~~~~ Quote by Macho

SEE?
I remembered that YOU said that.
Just like I said I would.
Imagine that.

__________________
Pontificating Dogmatist

Actually, the latest turnover numbers are out and the industry average for large fleets is at 67% currently (according to Sirius Trucking news the other day). Those who have jobs are a little less likely to change companies in this market no matter how green the grass may look on the other side. This would really be a good time for companies to look at increasing their image in the eyes of their drivers rather than cutting driver pay and benefits to stay afloat. I applaud what USX is doing by taking the cuts into the office as well. Most companies say it is "all about the driver" yet when the bottom line is shrinking they are more inclined to govern trucks (cutting pay, though they present propaganda to try to convince drivers otherwise) and take away driver benefits. All the while the drivers are already beginning to take it in the short through less miles because of declining freight.

This is truly fascinating, but what does it have to do with Swift?

__________________
Cowboy up!