Memphis on my Mind(long post and story)

Hello Everyone,

Long time lurker but first time poster here. My name is Zach and I'm an Illinois native currently living(struggling) out here in Southern California. I'm looking to escape SOCAL and relocate back to the midwest or in the South before the year is up. I can't seem to stop thinking about Memphis......

A little about me...I have 12 years of driving experience doing general and refrigerated freight as well as flatbeds and some equipment operating experience. Collectively I have driven OTR for about 5 years and the rest of it was spent doing local jobs.

The last job I had was driving for a dairy back in 2008 who fired me for claiming that I refused a drug test. The first and only accident I ever had, happened when I had my rig parked and was out of the truck making a delivery. A bunch of construction guys who came to the building I was delivering at had parked around me boxing me in. They were offloading tools and materials.....
After I made my delivery I searched for the pickup drivers and could find them nowhere so I began manuvers to get out and get to my next stop. I ended up brushing my trailer up against an overhang and knocked some stucco off of it. (about a $20 fix with some texture and paint) When I got back to the shop at the end of the day...My superviser told me to clock out and go to the HR office and talk to them. So I waited for over 2 hours on my own time for them to get done with their meeting before I decided it was time to head home and get some rest..I was on my own time and not the company clock after all. When I came back to work they informed me I had been fired for refusing a drug test.......garbage!

Anyway....I fought for and won unemployment from that company and being tired of driving, I went to a certification course and got certified as a low voltage and fiber optic cabling technician.(thanks GIBILL) The only problem is that with the economy being the way it is here in SOCAL, there aren't many construction jobs as there once were. Thankfully I can make some cash on the side working as a musician (music is my first love) and from an investment property I am part owner of in another state.

I want to drive again.

I've been trying in vain to get a local driving job around here. I have a suspicion that the dairy I drove for back in 08 is telling people that I am some sort of druggie(I'm NOT). Even if I were a druggie they have no proof. But I feel that not having driven since 2008 may be a problem as well as my last employer quashing my efforts to find a job. I thought about just not listing them as a reference but that would mean I haven't driven since early 2007 which isn't much better. Here in San Diego there just isn't much to choose from anyway.

So about Memphis Tennessee............

I've been looking around Craigslist and a few other places looking for jobs
and it seems like Memphis TN is a pretty happening place as far as local and OTR trucking jobs go. It's not too far from my hometown of St Louis either. I'm thinking about sending out some resumes and making some phone calls to area companies.

Sorry for the long post/rant but to sum it up...

• How would you all handle my situation? (fired for refused DT)
• Any Companies to avoid around Memphis?
• Any neighborhoods to avoid around Memphis?
• Any places in the Midwest or South a better choice than Memphis?

Thank you in advance for any advice you all can offer. Like I said, I've lurked around here a long time now and I really respect the years of collective knowledge and opinions here at this site.

Sincerely,

Zach

 

Nobody out there from Memphis? I find that really hard to believe......

 

Thank you for the reply Stray.

I'm currently waiting on my DAC to get here so I can look it over. I have an interview
Friday here in San Diego so my time in SoCal may not be over yet. If the drug test refusal is in fact on my DAC I will be hiring a lawyer.

That is a shame to hear these things about Memphis. I'm also looking at Phoenix AZ.

 

:UPDATE.

DAC is in and it's clean except for old speeding tickets.