Update: The Job Search Continues

Still notta on the job front. I thought I was close with the last company I've been dealing with the past 2weeks. Now they're blaming one of the background checks as taking another 2weeks as the hold up. Huh?, I thought DOT mandates that it's 48 hours for a (former)employer to respond to a written request from another company?

Just got off the phone with another local company who's hiring flatbed drivers(been there done that already), late model equiptment, no tarping(pre tarped, just pull-fold after stops are unloaded), home every night, no weekends, good benefits and pay $1000-$1300 per week(.43/mile, 15.50/hr, 15.50/stop, $15 to strap load each morning). Long days, 3am-3pm M-F, no big deal(again, been there done that already).

Scheduled for an interview tomorrow at 11am. Was told if all goes well there, they will send me right over for the drug screening, and I could start on Monday at one of their dispatch terminals just 25 miles up the road.

I'll report back after I return from the interview.

 

Interview-RoadTest went just fine(company 2), and they even sent me to their doc for another(just had a fresh one last week) physical-screening, and told me to call them tomorrow at noon for the yay or nay. BP was a tad high today, so their doc wants me back in the am w/o caffeine and tylenol sinus in me blood.(ugh, takes me over an hour to get back to this place.)

I get home here and there's a voicemail from the previous company(company 1) I interviewed with 2 weeks ago tomorrow, stating "we have good news for you, call us back asap!". I just left a voicemail for the hr guy there to call me back, still waiting for him to call back as of this post.

Now I (probably?)have two offers, here's the differences I need to decide from.
Company 1:
* 52weeks per year, no layoffs since their inception back in the 50's
* Out on the road, NE Regional, M-F, no weekends. Sleep in truck
* 53ft Van, Help Customer Unload(to tailgate of trailer)
* Better benefits, Better Equiptment, and great pay (50-60+k per year)

Company 2:
* Not 52 weeks per year, usually layoffs in dead of winter months.
* Pretty much local, home every night(no weekends), 12-15 hour workdays. Sleep at home every night.
* 48ft Flatbed, No Touch, No Tarps, just throw the straps and go.
* Benefits not as good, Equiptment not as nice, decent pay, around $1200/wk, not a 52week gig tho, ugh.

Tough spot, as of yesterday this time, had notta on the job front, now it looks like I might have to decide between 2 companies. Leaning towards company 1, as I don't like layoffs at company 2, even though I gotta go regional and only sleep home 2-3 nights per week, as opposed to 7 nights with company 2. Better benefits and never any layoffs with company 1.

Decisions, decisions.

 

I really prefer to be home every night, but divorced so the kids are outa the house now, over 100 miles away, and will more than likely trade this for better pay-benefits-equiptment and no layoffs during the winter months.

Still waiting for Company1 to call me back, as I just left the hr guy there another voicemail & email to call me back now that I'm home for the evening.

I will report back when after he calls me back. If not, I'll have to drive the hour+ tomorrow and go get another bp test taken so they'll(Company 2' doc) give me their dot card although I would prefer to go to sleep tonight knowing for sure exactly what Company 1 has for me.

 

Well, the "good news" from Company 1 was that they have me scheduled for orientation on Tuesday next week, now we're just waiting for the power that be there to sign off on myself and a few other drivers. They tell me I'm 95% hired. I'm still a tad unsure, as to me 100% is a sure thing.

A bit frustrating I must admit, as this process with Company 1 started almost 4 weeks ago. I guess they start with the new account their hiring for the 1st week in May, so I guess my situation seems more urgent than theirs as I've been outa work for a few months now and the funds are dwindling to just a few morsels left. Selfish, I know.

I'll report back on Monday as they told me they would have the final answer late in the morning. I hope this works out as I really want to go to work for them, and passed on 2 other offers I had this past week(I hope this won't come back to bite me).

I sure wanted to go to sleep this weekend knowing I have a gig to start next week, but we're still in a holding pattern here. Oh well, what's another few days?

 

Update:
Looks like I'm 99% of the way into Company 1.
I report tomorrow, do the road test right away, pass it(the 99% then turns to 100%), then go into Orientation for the remainder of the day. It's only a 1 day Orientation, and that's a relief, as I can't stand sitting in a classroom for days on end.

No other details as of yet as the HR guy would prefer the nuts and bolts of the gig to the TM, which I'll meet with again tomorrow. Should be on the road for them on Thurs or Friday and full time beginning next Monday?.

I will report back when I have more info after I return home from the orientation.

 

Yes I agree danc694u, hopefully the wait will be worth it.

I am looking to retire with a company as I've claimed for how many years now(?), so hopefully this one is it. Truth is, I haven't changed a bit my entire career, the companies of the past have changed the rules a bit into the game.

I'm sick of playing dirty pool with those type of companies, and hopefully that bs is over for good with this company.

 

Update:
All went well today, passed the road test no probs then took their hazmat test(and a few more sigs, company hand books etc) and have to go and recertify my NYS hazmat test to which I find out now is not only the written test, but ya give NYS $138.00 dollars(huh?), a birth certificate(huh) and then go get fingerprints take at local trooper station as the feds now do FBI checks for hazmat holders all in the name of The Patriot Act.

I've had the HM endorsment for almost 20 years, and this is the first time this state has ever notified me of the drastic change in this endorsement. They were almost rude at the dmv office because I didn't know of this change. Of course it's up to the enforcing agency to notify of such a change in procedure, I would think.

Sad thing is when I was at NYS DMV a few weeks ago to have them do an address change on the license(to which it took them 2 attempts to get it right), they never(or up to this point since 1990) notified me of the Hazmat Endorsement changes(even tho it was printed on the temp card they issued a few weeks ago, and the endorsement did not print on the laminated copy I got in the mail this morning) I mentioned above. They now force ya to recertify this endorsement every 5 years(written test, fingerprints & $138.00).

Of course the supervisor at DMV could not answer when I asked as to "why the state never notified me of this change". Go figure, it's really all just about the state taking yet another fee from a citizen. One last kicker is that they only do the tests from 9a-1pm M-F and I was there today a tad after 15:00, so it's back tomorrow to recertify for the HM endorsement.

"The Empire State" is a good name for this place.