It's a small volunteer department, and if you can operate that vehicle, you have a leg up on some of the guys that are already on the department. Would be nice to be able to show someone once how to operate something and actually have them retain it... LOL
Experience?? Why do some things not count???
Discussion in 'Questions From New Drivers' started by Hank74, Jan 18, 2011.
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I actually have a soft spot for volunteers. I'm smack in the middle of a tinderbox, so they're out here a few times every summer knocking down flare ups at my place or on the surrounding BLM land. Good on ya for doing it! I did some wildland firefighting once upon a time, but I actually got paid for it! Just about enough to keep me in beer!
Good luck with the driving; something tells me you'll sort it out.Hank74 and I am medicineman Thank this. -
As in most things, it all depends on where you are standing and where you want to go. The opposite is probably true Hank in that a guy that drives a big truck for 20 years would not be given that credit toward being a fire truck driver because you know that driving the fire truck is the easy part. Knowing your pump-hydraulics, how to use all the various pieces of equipment, dealing with the on-scene personnel, etc. is the harder part (in my opinion). In the big truck world, I also think that driving the truck down the road was the easy part. All that other stuff was the pain in the rear, and sometimes very unpredictable....thus experience counts.
Industry to industry overall does not transfer credit very well. Become a security guard and see how much "time served" law enforcement will credit you (hint: 0).
And yes, as stated, the insurance companies.I am medicineman Thanks this. -
RockinChair, I am medicineman and rocknroll nik Thank this.
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Gettin a little irritating. Only thing you can do is the same as me...just keep on trying. The job Im on right now is coming to an end, another month at most. Hopefully Ill find somethng soon so I can get the OTR experience I need to open up a few doors. -
You have no idea how far off your evaluation really is.
I can tell you that the paperwork alone will make you BEG for a logbook, and the QC department makes a Kalifornia DOT check look like a trip to the ice cream shop.
I can only hope that maybe some day you will get a chance to see what we really do.
I know I sure miss the miniscule amount of paperwork I did in my many years of driving a truck OTR after every run we do.Hank74 Thanks this. -
I have been n the same situation with beng a vol for 14 years. Did it all operate, fight fire, med runs, up all night and retired as a lieutenant. But I have to agree that anyone can drive a fire truck. I have been through the tests that you take and you can take a wet behind the ears kid and give him an afternoon of training and presto! You can drive a $300,000 rig around town. This does NOT give you a 1/3 of the knowledge you need to drive OTR. Just because you drive with lights and sirens for no more than 15 mins at a time, it doesn't compair to driving 10 hours straight with all the different traffic conditions, weather and not to mention the paper work and the day in and day out stresses that come with it.
Sorry but this is just the reality of it! Love ya like a brother for being there for this country and your community, but you just have to realize it is not the same thing as OTR trucking. -
Hank 74 and I am medicine man...... Don't mis-understand me, you guys do a great service, BUT, your jobs don't come close to OTR trucking. I'll concede, you do have paperwork, but firemen are famous for hanging around the firehouse and cooking dinner while waiting for the next call. Ambulance guys the same. Fighting a fire or transporting a sick person is your first priority, not maintaining a vehicle or trip planning or customer service, or traffic nightmares or anything else that goes with trucking.
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With ten years of hiring drivers, I always had to follow the rules set by the insurance carrier.
In addition to 23yrs old w/ 2 years verifiable experience in similar equipment* while having nor more than X number of minor violations, and X number of non chargeable accidents and zero major violations and no DWI within the past X number of years.
Usually Major violations were reckless, speeding 15 over, leaving the scene, etc.
Most companies defined like equipment as being the same as your company operated and one went so far to give an example for pier drivers that 5 years flatbed experience wouldn't count!
I usually ignored the stupid part as long as the number of violations/accidents fell in the numbers...
The insurance company can deny a claim if you use a driver they don't approve of...During 6 years w/ that carrier I saw two accidents, one fatal and one w/ just alot of 4 wheelers, that cost the insurance over $400K...no carrier wants to pay that out of pocket so the driver has to meet the numbers! -
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