Coming Full Circle? *long*

New to the forums, so a bit of an intro that I'm sure you've all heard a lot recently.

I'm a 20 + veteran of the trucking industry. Started out driving for an O/O hauling produce out of my home state of Florida in '79. Drove for another hauling chickens out to California and produce back to the south east after that. Bought a truck and later a trailer and did my own thing for a while.

Sold the equipment, went to work for carrier as a bookie. They moved me and my then new bride from Fla to Texas and then to NC and the home office. Worked as a dispatcher getting exempt loads coming back in the direction of home for the fleet for several years. One of the owners was literally a drunk and made life hell for all the employees, but especially dispatch. I had an opportunity come my way and took it.

The opportunity came in the form of a neighbor who owned a couple of trucks and was hauling feed and grain on auger trailers and hoppers. He wanted to expand so he bought a few more trucks and I stepped into one of them. Pulled a hopper and ran the S.E. exclusively. He paid me 25% of the trucks revenue (in the late 80's early 90's) and while I wasn't getting rich, I was making a decent living and discovered a form of trucking that I really enjoyed. I used to joke "The load falls in and the load falls out..." My wife and I had a child the year before I started, and while it wasn't too bad being away from them during the week at first, it got harder and harder as my son got older.

The company I had worked for previously was eventually sold and as I had a good reputation there eventually I was called to come in for an interview. They offered me a job back in the dispatch office that I took. After a couple of years I was eventually promoted to operations manager. A few years after that it went belly up.

Went back into brokerage for a while, and ultimately ended up working for a logistics company that had an exclusive contract with a local brewery. Stayed with them right up until the brewery was sold...

Along about that time a friend of mine bought a motorcycle shop and asked me if I'd like to run his parts department. I took a heck of a pay cut, but as riding has always been a passion I jumped on it.

For the next 10 years I worked at three different shops under six different owners. Even in the good times it's a tough business and once the credit crunch hit and the economy took a dump it got real tough. Last October myself and three others were laid off as the shops new owner began cutting expenses to try and keep up with dwindling revenues. I've been out of work since then.

Since then I have been trying to find employment in and out of the motorcycle industry with no luck. So at this point I'm thinking I might be heading back to trucking.

I quit driving before CDL's were mandatory, therefore I've never had one, it's also been close to 20 years since I pulled that hopper. Obviously I'm going to be starting over, which means going to a school and then having to start out as a student. I've been doing some research on schools and companies, which is how I landed here.

I'm open to advice and suggestions and will be scouring the forums trying to get up to speed. Wish me luck.

 

No, my father still lives there, but I'm in central NC now.

 

Thank you for the kind welcome(s)!

I have spent several hours perusing various threads and the forum in general, even got involved in a thread that was discussing 'hands' and companies from back in my days as an O/O. Even posted a couple of photos. Seems to be a lot of intelligent people who are dedicated to the industry here.

Thanks for the links BTW, and to answer the question of schooling, I guess the answer is yes. At this point my game plan is to continue my search for decent employment outside the trucking industry so that I can try and maintain my current lifestyle, we all know what a change trucking will bring!

There is a local community college that offers a training program that from all indications is very highly rated and compared to the commercial schools, much more reasonably priced. It's tough for me to get used to the idea of paying someone (especially a huge amount of money) to teach me to do something I already know how to do... The next class they have starting begins on August 16th, and at this point I have given them my intentions to attend so that a spot will be reserved for me. I have until the 9th to show up with a CDL 'permit', a DOT health card, proof of having passed a drug screening and my money. If I fail to do so then my position will be given to the next person on the list. The course itself lasts for eight weeks.

In the meantime I will be continuing my job search, investigating trucking companies, and getting my ducks in row to prepare for the class.

Speaking of which... I'm amazed at what I'm finding in regards to pay structure for trainees during the training period! Especially if the numbers that some of these people quote for average driver pay are remotely accurate. It's less than half! Unless I find something different it's going to be a long fall and winter...