Just got my Class A, now the real work starts!

I just finished CDL school here in Ft. Lauderdale, FL for a class A so I could get back to driving and working outside. I worked for a few years with 1-ton's & gooseneck trailers doing P&D with equipment all over Florida from 04-09' and loved it. I went into the corporate world as a marketing & creative director, did it for a few years and decided that office life just isn't for me.

I found the school to be fun, passed all of the tests first time, as well as the road training and shifting instruction without issue. I ended up coaching a few of the other students in parking maneuvers that asked me for help because they just weren't getting it and the instructors were spread thinly at times. I even got a few hours of practice floating the gears (which was way easier) because I told the instructor I know that next to no-one in the REAL world double clutches... and I didn't want to be trying to learn on a company truck and tearing up the boss' stuff. I came into the school with 80,000+ plus miles and a few years working with trailers + driving a friends 40' diesel pusher motorhome hitched to a 30' stacker. Yes, I know that equates to less than a year of OTR miles... but that's dragging a dually and 40' trailer through neighborhoods, 2-way streets, rush hour traffic, and working in tight confines most of the time. The motorhome was mostly out west through the mountains and across I-10. Either way, when I had P&D as a job... no matter the problem, how irate the customer was, or how stupid & inconsiderate the 4 wheel drivers can be, I always managed to enjoy it. I also have 3 years and a hefty amount of hours operating a forklift.

Over the last few months I've been digging through hundreds of pages of great information from the professionals on this site and it has given me a really good look as to what I am getting into. I think I helped out some of the students because they were just plodding through school with no motivation, purpose (or clue) what they were doing.... I told them to check out this forum for ANYTHING they would ever need to know in the trucking industry.

Now that I have my little plastic card, the real work starts... I just started applying to every LTL, Aggregate, Container, & Equipment hauling operation I can find down here until someone gives me an interview or a chance to fill the gas tanks and polish the wheels until they have an open driver position. I'm looking to work hard and sweat while I'm still young (just turned 25) & in good shape. Sitting in the cab for days on end isn't going to accomplish that. It sounds crazy, but being outside, the smell of diesel, loading/unloading/delivering and working around machinery is fun to me. I know there are a few OTR companies that will take new grads but hauling a van & a military-deployment length away time just doesn't work for me at this point.

I'm excited to get this going & we'll see where it takes me.