What was your job before trucking? And After?

13 Years US Coast Guard. After 16 tons MJ Bust, 8 Cocaine Bust, Stopping 128 Chinese from making it in the USA Illegally, and picking up 800 Cubans in the Florida Straights, and unknown amount of LIVES saved, Played DOT to the fisherman in between. I started driving in 1996.

 

Since college I spent 10 years as an architectural designer for a custom home builder. The market collapsed, and there no longer was a demand for million dollar custom homes, so I was laid off in Dec. 08. Immediately after I acted on a lifelong dream of mine to drive, so I enrolled in school and have been driving for nearly a year now.

 

Correctional officer (juvenile most recently, but adults before that)

 

Did you learn anything in your previous professions that you use on the road?

KH

 

9 months in a factory which 6 were in shipping. For as hard of labor as that was I enjoyed it, the co-workers made that job better than it really was. Worked in an automotive repair facility. Went to a four year school to become what I really didn't want to be, a mechanic. Which I am right now, I also had to get my cdl to drive trucks anywhere they need them to be.

 

from when i was 12 to 17 i pretty much just hauled juice citrus with my dad, it's pretty much were i got all of my trucking experience. hooking backing, climbing wet clay grades (gotta zig zag or you'll just sit in one spot and spin). had a falling out with my dad so i ended up moving with my mom and started washing dishes in a holiday inn, (wasn't half bad) got kicked out of my high school for getting into it with my principal. so i went to a Votec school to get the rest of my credits and my deploma.. ended up taking welding while i was there.. got certified as an Arc welder and started welding on bridges at nite in orlando (great people, great money, interesting times). when summer came i stopped washing dishes and started working for an industrial temp agency.. drove fork lift for saddle creek corp, built pallets in their Red Barn, counted the explosive pellets at the air bag factory. and was the guy who washed all of the excess paste off the floor at the dry wall/fiber glass pipe factory in Plant City.. Got offered many jobs while i was a temp but turned them all down to join the military.. Now i'm sittin here counting months to get back and start driving..

 

This will take a while lol.

A few years in the Army after highschool.
Then a few months delivering pizzas and doing some construction work. Decided I was not a laborer.
Went to truck driving school.
Tried the OTR thing, did not work out at the time, I was 21 and wanted to party with friends. So went to local driving.
Saved money while driving and after about 4 years went to College. Still drove some weekends and every summer and winter break.
Started out in Wildlife Biology, but after 3 years of school and not seeing job availability after graduation, I swapped to a Recreation degree with a minor in Biology.
Turned out not much work in that eather.

Worked seasonal for a few years. Running a lumber yard for a log home dealer for a few years and as a mechanic at a Marina for a Summer. Winters I spent working as a ski instructor, teaching mostly kids 3-16. Did that for 7 winters.

While still skiing winter weekends. I swapped to working as a Childcare worker. I worked with court placed youth 12-18 years old. In a unit, and then group home setting. I loved the work and the kids (over time lol) but the pay was very very low.
Eventually went back to driving local Mixers, and eventually back to the road.

 

Drove over the road from 1977 to1984, then quit and joined and stayed in the Army for 8 years,went in when i was 28. got out and have been driving since 1992 in the LTL sector, been with the current LTL carrier for 14 years.

 

I see a pattern here of escapism from the burden of public relations. I was a perpetual college student of psychology, then later a high school and community college instructor for 15 years. I don't regret any of those years, having learned a lot from my instructors and my students, except as mentioned the time wasted by parents or students interested in gaming rather than learning. All along though, I also rebuilt out waterfront home, and became a globe trotter, having visited now some 19 countries on all continents except Antartica and Australia. I lived in the Middle East two of my teaching years, and married a Venezuelan beauty who still teaches. I continue travels now by my travels in the USA by truck, though the logistics of leaving the truck are a logistical challenge. I'm an owner operator who looks to park his rig somewhere other than the next Flying J and bicycle or walk away from it for a couple of hours. Overall, I like driving for it's relative freedom. My photography and notes on many trucking adventures, as well as my world travels, can be found at www.virtualtourist.com under the member name of atufft.