Protect your CDL

Kittyfoot, can I please help them guess? I'm thinking it is that thing that used to be important when our country was founded and when you and I were youngins'. Could it be "reputation"? Do I get a prize, do I, do I?

 

And in about 10 min somebody is going to make a thread on how he has 2 felonys for grand theft and 20 tickets and wants to become a truck driver

 

Yes..... we have us a WINNER (not a weiner) folks!!!!! (insert recording of the Halleleujah Chorus here).

Your reputation is who you are in this business. Get a bad one (all too easy to do) and you might as well hang it up. A bad rep is pure hell to overcome. That may not sound like the truth to you new guys, but it very much is.

Aaaaaaaand your prize is...... Lemmie see here (sound of rustling inside a paper bag)...... aha... A DEEP TONGUE KISS FROM THE UGLIEST LOT LIZARD ON THE LOT!!! Waitaminnit, that can't be right. ######, who gave me the Obama birtday gift bag????

Guy, gonna have to get back to you, sorry.

 

Your word (which makes your reputation) and your reputation have always been two of the most important things that anyone has besides their health. Unfortunately, somewhere along the way we stopped teaching this.

The joke about the wrong gift bag was reward enough because it made me laugh.

 

glad to see this thread was really starting to thing i was the only one who understood how important this is im sure i dont have to say why
ill give a sample for any newbies that might read this
to start bout 8 months ago i lost a really good job
finally had to make a choice.. my choice wrong and i new it while in oreintation so bout 3 weeks later i ran into a very happy driver i asked him who he pulled for and bla bla bla bla a week later dumped truck at yard jumped on a greyhound ( first time ever) to knew job at oreintation safety says to me when i saw your record i couldnt get you here fast enough
keep in mind i was terminated bout 8 months ago and was quiting this one in less than a month still couldnt get me there fast enough
clean dmv/csa/psp !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! youll allways be a peace of meat in the seat to most of these companys but keep your record clean and you'll be prime usda meat by the way my second pick was pretty good hmm well i had more to say but got side tracked now ive lost my train of thought oh well i guess that will b my 2 cents for now KEEP THAT RECORD CLEAN
DONT LET ANYBODY OR CO. TELL U ITS JUST APART OF TRUCKING CAUSE ITS NOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! CYA

 

I do'nt like the idea of some gestapo agencies or someone in a uniform having that kindof control over my livelyhood or freedom. To me at time it just seems that these higher ups are out there just to burn us drrivers who are just trying to make a honest liveing and yet get treated like a bunch of criminals. It makes me see red at times. I know there needs to be a measure of regulations and whatnot to keep the roads safe, but in my limited experience it seems these people go way overboard at times. We are not criminals we are decent hard working people trying to make a living at something we enjoy. For me I've already have thought of other work I could or would like to do if for some godforsaken reason I ca'nt drive. If you like travel,adventure and challenges like I do their are other industries out there that provide one with a living without all the legal BS!! of trucking. Good luck to all and be safe.

 

Guy, I can tell you right now that you best take that alternative. There's more coming and you ain't gonna like it one bit. The changes are already in the pipeline and today's trucking is gonna seem like heaven compared to what's coming over the horizon.

 

Yes you are correct I probably could have worded that differently. This is tough to talk about and moreso in to lay it all down before you guys here and open up about this. You as well as a number of other drivers in here I have come to respect and look up to in sort of a way and its kinda nervracking throwing something on the table like this. It is the one and only thing in my entire life I would change if I could go back and do it differently. Ive been through tears, Ive been through anger, Ive been through hate like Ive seldom known, and am in the process of trying to forgive, but never will I forget that night. A mother lost a husband, and now children are going to grow up without their father. You better believe that ****** me up pretty good, it doesnt go away.

As for lessons BigJohn, the most important ones I walked away with are 1).That life is so fragile and precious, and It can end any second. 2).Safety='s Top Priority and must be foremost. 3).Your never really safe out there, ever. As long as the wheels are turning.

My apologies if I seemed to come off as only selfishly concerned with myself. If I look like some jackoff to you guys I dont really blame you. I know Im young, and lot of you probably think Im an idiot, I cannot change that. I came here because I needed sound advice from people whom I look up to in the industry to point me in the right direction, and I got exactly that. Thank you for taking the time for me. I take it seriously, and guess I had to hear it from someone besides myself.

 

I can't imagine what you have gone through and I didn't mean to be an ###. I certainly don't look down on you. I live by the belief of "let he who is without sin cast the first stone". When I remember that I put my stones in my pocket and move on. If I had to pay for all the mistakes I've made I would owe a lifetime.

My advice was about making sure you do this in an interview. I now understand why you didn't address this. Just don't let a potential employer get the wrong impression like I did.

When I have been in a position to hire, within my power to do so, I would always give a guy a second chance if I felt he accepted responsibility for his mistakes and learned from them.

If you want this bad, don’t give up. If I’ve learned anything during my 54 years, it is very few things are written in stone. This means you can get around most anything if want it bad enough.

 

Well when you look back on it yes I can see where you got that impression. I guess initially I thought it best to save the feelings side of the story but I guess with this I must be mindful of my wording. Yes it is very very sad and I wish I could make it right but thats not going to happen. The only thing I can do is learn from it.

But either way your advice was what I needed to hear and Im grateful you took the time to read and respond to it. Sometimes in life Ive learned you just need someone to believe in you, and I guess I just wanted a glimmer of hope to shine again. Ill do this, and Ill do it right, but as if I didnt have this tragic incident to contend with, a trucking company startup is intimidating enough. Thanks to you gentlemen though I have been able to get more information just from this forum, and more questions Ive never considered, than everywhere else Ive been looking.

And I do want it bad enough, but especially with driving, you gotta earn your stripes. I was being foolish thinking I was too good for a swift truck for a person in my situation. In reality Id be honored to be behind the wheel of 80K lbs of truck blazing through Arizona again at a whopping 59MPH lol.

Thanks again John for the encouraging words. They mean more to me than you realize, and just knowing there is a chance is all I really needed. The rest Ill purchase with blood sweat and tears the way it should be. Either Im too determined to fail or too stupid....I think its a fine line sometimes...