And so the adventure begins!!!

Hello everyone my Name is Phillip,

I'm starting this thread a little early about 12 days early. I start my schooling on the 28th of Feb, at Roadmaster here in Utah. I'm pumped up and a little intimated at the same time. But thats what its all about when starting a new career.

A little background is needed so I'll do the reader's digest version, of course feel free to ask any questions of me you like and try an answer them.

I have 6 yrs in the military 3 active and 3 CA/WA national Guard. At the time I was in the Guard in WA. state I also became an Electrical apprentice and this I continued for about 12 yrs. I finally took my tools off professionally and started to look for something else, I decided to get into trucking and was all scheduled to attend school when I came down with this terrible Flu about 2 days prior to starting and it took about 3 weeks to get rid of it. I missed school and was going to wait till the next class started but my bills and my mortgage were calling for me, and I was offered a job in the RV business by a friend of mine who knew I needed work So I pursued a career in the RV business still working as an electrician on the side. I enjoyed my career in the RV business I was a mechanic and moved up to Service Advisor and quality control. I've always been a big Hot Rod Motorcycle guy so I moved into the Motorcycle industry to be around something I truly had a passion for. I never really thought about Driving again.

Jump forward a while and I decide that Its time for me to be my own boss I Had always done things on the side and liked the freedom it allowed me. So I started an online used Motorcycle parts store and quit my full time job. I had plenty of money thanks to the exploding housing market in Calif. My store grew and I decided to go further and we relocated to utah and opened up a small dealership here. When they say timing is everything they mean it. I was about 2-3 yrs behind the curve and within about 3 yrs of opening the dealership the economy was going bad and I was loosing my shirt and everything else So I closed the doors and went to work for Home depot. I had actually started with Home Depot part time about 8 months earlier and they were offering me full time so I decided then to close the Doors on the dealership.

Jump again and its about July 2010, and working in a retail environment has just done me in after almost 3 yrs. I need a change but the economy and the Job market are crap especially here in this very small town. I won't leave Utah I like it here. So I struggle on, thinking I'm gonna go pursue the driving thing again but how do I take the time off for 4-8 weeks of school how do I pay for it and provide for the family With every thought of doing this comes a new question that deserves an answer...I keep going and in the meantime my wife who has also been working at home depot since it opened here in Richfield lands a State job Great pay and excellent Benefits...

Jump again! Now be careful what you ask for, remember earlier I was wondering how I was going to pay for school take time off etc...here it comes...God does answer prayers and though at the time it might seem like something else if you open your mind up it will provide an answer normally...so Its Dec 22nd 2010 and guess what I get fired for some BS S.O.P. violation, no warning, no coaching, no corrective action, just fired. I could go into all the circumstances of all this but I won't lets just say that it was God sent.. It s was such a BS call on Home Depots part that even the state of Utah saw through their Crap and awarded me my UI stating in a letter that I was found "Not at Fault" for my discharge.
So now I start looking to getting my CDL...but how to pay for it. I have UI coming in that helps my wife is working we're doing ok, but no money for school. So I look to the VA no help there I've been out to long almost 27 yrs... huh now what So I have an appt with my WFS counselor and we're discussing options and I tell him what I would like to do and does the state have anything they can help with He says yep we do. long story short, after two attempts, I get approved for state assistance in school I'm excited now!!!

So Here I am thanking God for his divine intervention and Looking forward to starting Driving school on the 28th.

I will continue this Thread, with your help I'm sure, through my school, Job search, and hopefully beyond that....

Here we go!!!!

 

So 1 more week to go and the fun begins, I'll be going to the school for a visit sometime this week. Just so I know where it is and my hotel etc....get paperwork out of the way etc etc. Might be able to get on with a couple of local companies right out of school...that will make the family happy Its something I'm looking into.

I'm trying to find a good website that explains the logbook and the driving hours thing I'm starting to understand it but having a hard time getting my head around it...

thanks Guys for all the encouragement...

 

so so far I have 2-3 pre-hires, according to the guy at the school. he's sending them down to me via email, I should here from Schneider and GTI this coming week so we'll see how many I get in the next week or so....

'nuff said!

 

hey seawheeler,

Good luck with WIA, I heard that they might do away with the program. I don't know if my program wasn't WIA or not, I know I didn't qualify at first cause we made to much the first time, so I had to wait to reapply because I could show no income except for UI which isn't counted against you.

Good luck my friend, I'll check out your post asap and comment on it maybe we can keep each other motivated and up to date of our current status....