My Son Fed Up With Stevens

Dors he have a hazmat?

A food grade tanker wouldn't require hazmat. Florida makes food.

 

Facilities | Heyl Truck Lines

 

Lanes of Operation - Kottke Trucking, Inc.

 

Big G Express: OTR Trucking Company

 

Apply to Walmart and UPS. Look at USPS too.

 

I understand that he is frustrated, and I get that. The first year is frustrating because the new driver doesn't understand how things work, and as such doesn't see how his choices/actions are contributing to his frustrations. He is venting to you, which is good. You're a safe space where he can express his feelings without fear of repercussions. It's also bad, for two reasons. The first is you don't know the industry so your ability to give constructive advice is limited. Secondly, YOU'RE TRYING TO FIX THINGS when you should simply be listening and asking Socratic questions.

If your son were to post on TTR, we'd be able to give him specific feedback on the problems he's facing. For instance, he's frustrated about 'short miles'. The first thing he needs to do is start tracking 'dispatched miles' and 'actual route miles' and 'hub miles', then compare them. When I was on zip code to zip code I thought I was getting really screwed, but once I started actually tracking miles I found that overall I was only being 'shorted' by 5%, and companies that paid practical miles were paying about 8% less per mile (at the time). So does your son want to 'get paid for all his miles' or 'make the most money'? On the same idea, early on I thought I was getting screwed with short loads, then I started tracking and found out short loads paid better than long loads. Give me a choice between 4, 700 mile loads and 9, 200 mile loads and I'm choosing the 9x200 because I'll make more and have more time on my 70 to pad the paycheck.

Right now, if your son switches companies he's going to quickly become just as frustrated. Maybe over different things, but frustrated is frustrated. Once he understands the industry and learns how to make the rules/policies/trends work for him, he will be able to chose a company that's a better fit. He's not going to learn these things on his own, at least not before he burns out. Advise him to get on here and ask questions.

 

Walmart will require a minimum 30 months of CDL class "A" experience.

They will also want you to have/get a hazmat endorsement.

The hazmat endorsement will be for store items like paints, hairsprays, charcoal, etc....that aren't really dangerous stuff.

-- L

 

Perhaps your son should ask for himself. Maybe your son doesn't need mommy and daddy to guide him now that he's, you know, a grown-### adult?

 

I get it. You can never stop worrying about your kids. Just hope they'll find their own way.