New Career ... From the beginning.

Glad to hear they're not letting you go Markus. From what I've read on this forum about some of the companies out there you could be with a lot worse and maybe out of a job. Makes me feel good about going with Schneider too.

 

Throw out the GPS.... use a telephone or written directions. If in doubt call the customer.

It's a shame that our country is in such bad shape that this once honorable profession has now become the "last chance" job... kinda like fast food used to be. I'm not being critical of you new guys who have no idea what this job entails... you will find out the hard way. No recruiter, or even most drivers, won't be honest about it... misery loves company as they say.

New driver prospects leave at an alarming rate in this biz... I would guess at least 25% never complete school and 50% of those left never make it a year on the job. I have seen hard figures that say 80% of new drivers never make 5 years... this job ain't for sissies I can tell you that.

Family problems, lack of good sleep, health issues, tight delivery schedules, unreasonable customers, traffic, etc all contribute to most guys packing it in and saying adios. Heck, the average life span of an OTR driver today is just 61 years... compared to maybe 76 or so for the general population? That alone is something to think about.

Most rookies break stuff and hit things... and most guys don't get a second chance to prove themselves in today's sue happy society.... their is a steady stream of new recruits coming on board to pursue their "dream"... the guys that have bad luck or make bad decisions are gone. these big carriers don't keep people who cost them money... you re a "profit center" to them... no profit, no job.

So you old guys have a tough road ahead of you. That 10 hour break will be long forgotten when you punch in at 9PM some night and have to be in NYC for a 7AM delivery and you are 400 miles from your delivery... and your "travel agent" beeps that QC asking why you are stopped when you are taking a quick 15 minute nap.

I retired last year but kept on working simply because I need to pay the bills and recover, financially, from a too-close-encounter with a drunk illegal in '09. Life kicks you in the teeth and you gotta get back up and make a dental appointment, I guess.

If you want honest, no BS answers to you questions let me know.

 

Markus, perhaps your sh**ty first day was a blessing in disguise. The lessons you learned on your first day are preparing you for other challenges that lie ahead. Wishing you all the best.

 

Hey markus, I am glad to hear I was wrong about them Terminating you. Or that it atleast appears that way. I believe if they were gonna fire you then you would have been told to leave at drop yard. I too had a inncident on my first trip of a new Job.

I was working for JB Hunt and went to Chicago, Having to deliver to a customer thats dock was a blind back due to being a 90 degree ally dock into a building, You had to keep doors closed till you got in when I got in opened doors straped them back(With smaller than normal straps) as I started to straigten up truck jerked a bit (Unbeknown to me my right trailer door came loose and swung arond hit dock, I tore it off (breaking hinges) I had to do a bit of extra training, and make a video explaining why use of RUBBER straps to keep doors back is mandatory and what happened, now part of the orentation I'm told)

But the point is the Ccompany did give me a second chance.

 

Markus..........One heck of a start.

Thank God you and the Fed Ex driver are both OK.

I'm sure that you don't need to be told that bobtailing doesn't give you the braking control that you would have with a trailer. Of course the traveling conditions coupled with being fresh out of the gate didn't help, I'm sure. Doesn't seen fair, but that's just the way it is sometimes. Learn from this and move on, don't dwell on it.

A GPS is a great device, but unreliable for trucks. My company has a GPS that's part of the 'Driver Tech' computer system. I have a Garmin as well. Sometimes they work, many times they don't. If it's not 100% reliable, you can't depend on it.

Plan your trips the old fashioned way. You'll be much better off.

Keep the faith, Mark. Things have a way of working themselves out.

 

Markus, I am 52 and have not yet begun my journey into the trucking world. I am retiring from my current 32 year career in about 6 months and will be starting truck school (and my new adventure) in April.

May I just say that you and your experiences as written here are an inspiration.

I am looking forward to it all.

Thanks and keep up the good work my man!

 

I started pulling flatbeds full time for Mercer at age 52... my son told me I'd never be able to do it at that age and my current state of decomposition. But I did 5 1/2 years before my bad shoulder relegated me to van work.

I liked flatbedding... I accepted the challenge.

But it's not without it's hazards... I fell from the top of a 6' high load to the deck after the wind caught my tarp and took me with it. Then I tripped and toppled from the deck to the ground while chaining a load then later on I backed out of my tractor (after reaching in to get some paperwork from the dash) and missed the step and took another header. I found out that prednesone was my friend....

I often get accused of being a naysayer and one who has nothing good to say here on the board... but, after nearly 40 years of chasing sunsets, I can only tell you what I know... why sugar coat the bad stuff when it may provide some insight into what it takes to do the job?

My biggest problem with these "driver mills" is turning guys loose after three weeks of being trained by a relatively inexperienced driver who was also trained by a relative newbie. This industry needs a comprehensive traing program similar to what the skilled trades offer to electricians, plumbers, heavy equipment operators, etc. Anything less puts everyone at risk...

I wish you luck.