New Career ... From the beginning.

Let me introduce myself. My name is Mark...I've been in radio and advertising all my professional life. I started working at the local radio station back in 1966, when I was 16. But, now at age 61 - the ad business and the radio business has changed...and they really are careers for young people. I've been helping my wife start a flower shop business, but now it's time for me to start doing some things that will bring some money into our household. So, somehow, I got the idea to go to truck driving school. I was very happy to hear that jobs for OTR drivers are plentiful. I've been unemployed for over a year... and have been in numerous interviews, sent out dozens of resumes...so finding out that getting a job as a driver will be almost assured, I'm excited. Our house if full of people, my children are grown up and have children of their own..so, I am in a position to seek a job that will keep me out on the road for 3 to 4 weeks at a time. I couldn't have considered it 20 years ago. So, I"m at Sage Truck Driving School...I've finished my 2 weeks of classroom study. I've got my CDL permit, and today I started driving a big rig ...on the range. Thank goodness the range is at an old air force base...we use one of the old taxi ways...there's nothing to hit, no curves or hills to maneuver...only orange cones to squash. Today I drove laps...shifting up....then shifting down...up down..... up....down. Then there was parallel parking. After a dozen attempts...I finally finished one...in the right place. I'm feeling pretty good tonight. Two more weeks of practice..then the road test on December 5th. Then...Then....I hope to join Prime and drive reefer over the road. time will tell. Thanks for reading...I'll do my best to make a complete thread.

 

Well it's not a done deal...but, While Prime has an extra long training period..they pay 500 - 600$ per week during training. The run reefers, which I want to run...if times get hard, the country will still need food and medicine....and I am looking for miles and I want to get to know this great country..the thought of just running the northeast , I think , would be boring. At 61, I don't have a lot of time left to work...so my hope is to go OTR fora year...then probably look for something more regional. I know there are drivers out there who don't think too much of Prime...and in a few months...I may feel the same.

 

One of the things that freaks me out is memorizing the Pre trip inspection for the DMV road test. It's been years since I tried to memorize lines.

 

Yes it's true, but once we get our trucks we won't have a boss looking over our shoulder while there is accountability, there is a wonderful freedom in trucking.

 

Thanks...feel free to add your two cents anytime.