National Carriers...The Beginning of a New Journey (Part 2)

Good evening or good day depending upon where you are at,

First, thanks to all that gave me well wishes on my Journey. I have been off a truck for a year and a half due to my wife being ill. I have had my share of challenges getting back into this. If I wanted, I could have went and drove a straight truck with a sleeper over the road in the expedite game, but I am and very proud to say, a Tractor Trailer driver.

Here I am, an experienced driver, talking to various companies who basically discounted my experience, telling me well you've been off the road, your skills may not be there. Last time I checked, driving a truck is no different today than 18 months ago.

I am glad I found National Carriers and Debbie F, who is a recruiter there. She is a straight shooter and she tells you like it is and it is really as she says. Thank the Lord that integrity still exists in this industry.

We had a slight issue two days ago that came up and I really thought that my chance of getting into National Carriers was done. Since I went through a carriers in-house school, this particular school, Fort Worth CDL School, owned by Raider Express, does not give you a certificate of completion. Your certification is their trainers telling the company that you are ready to go solo and your certificate is your job.

National Carriers has a policy that if your off the truck for more than a year, they need a certificate from a school, showing that you went through 160 hours of training.

The recruiter called me today and asked for an update on how I was coming along with getting that certificate or atleast a letter of verification. I told her that Raider Express said no, they will not do that. I did mention well Raider Express is on my DAC report and she said ah ha, sign a release form and if they are on your DAC, you are good to go, as long as everything else checks out. It will check out.

I know they are a trucking company, but for me, this is a company that I feel I can be proud of representing.

Why did I choose this company to pursue employment with? because they shot straight with me from the start and they have been people of integrity and I am about being honest and not blowing smoke with people. I give 100% of myself and I value a company that has nice equipment and cares about the people that work there.

I also value that I was given pay rates, lanes of travel, and I know their expectations from the start. So my update for now is that I am on track to become a member of the Elite Fleet, but at the end of each day, I am a driver who works hard and gives 100% of myself and that I will have National Carriers best interest at heart at all times. I believe you have to be loyal to the company you work for and when you don't agree with something, you work through it with the company, not going on forums and being a cry baby because in the end, there is no perfect trucking company or perfect job.

 

I worked at Raider Express which primarily hauled beef products throughout the Midwest and up into Fort Collins, Colorado. I sat for three and a half days at a meat plant in Otumwa, IA because it was a Friday and they shut down at 4 pm and I arrived at 3 pm. The plant said we dont take deliveries after 2 pm on Fridays, so I sat until Monday.

Was supposed to have a load going to Nebraska at 9 am, that was given to a team because if they didn't get the load, Raider would have had to pay legitimate detention time and re-plan their work load. I got a load out of that plant at 12 noon going to HEB Warehouse in Houston. Took that load and then once I dropped that load, I was re-loaded at HEB with Dole Fruit that was shipped to the wrong place and took that load to Port of Galveston where I had to wait four hours to be unloaded because they didnt know I was coming.

I am accustomed to sitting and accustomed to the meat plants. I actually don't mind waiting, know that sounds weird but I feel its all part of the job.