Aspiring Truck Driver

THANK you for your service.

Period. Full stop.

The fact that you hit rock bottom, recognized your issues, and have a plan speaks well for you, sir.

Question: what are you looking for in your trucking career? Do you want to pull dry van, reefer, flatbed, bulk, or tanker? That plan will make your first career move important. Do you like physical labor, or do you want "no touch" freight?

Regarding your income requirements, even Swift will more than meet your needs.

 

If you applied at USPS, you pretty much are guaranteed a job, no matter what position you applied for, and these are very good paying jobs. Now whether you can pass a drug test or any other government background check that is required is up to your sobriety.

Now that being said, Military Vets get top priority over regular applicants, for ANY position in the Postal Service. That includes Mailhandlers, Letter Carriers, Clerks, Dispatch, Expeditor, TTO, etc., but that doesn't mean you can immediately start at the top. We run by seniority, so you would have to start at the bottom just like everybody else, whether it be Casual, PSE, PTF, Assistant, or even Full-time. There is no training that I know of currently, that the Postal Service offers to become a Tractor Trailer Operator, although they did offer this in the past, but it may still be available. Each Postal Facility has their own set of rules, so training MAY be still offered at certain locations. But if TTO is not an option, there are many other positions that Vets can apply for that pay excellent as well.

Good luck.

 

I don't know how Trump's ban on new hires for US government work will affect that...

 

Wait a minute! He banned something!? But I believed everything that he told me just a very short time ago ...

 

Well, that's what was on the news, he used an executive order. Then again, that could just be some alternative facts...

 

That's a very good question. I'm not sure how it's gonna affect the hiring process. The Postal Service is considered an "Independent" branch of the government, not executive, and doesn't use a dime of tax payers money. So the freeze MAY be a temporary thing, or we might be exempt from the ban. It's too early to know what's gonna happen, but they haven't taken down any job listings yet.

 

Good luck. I'm surprised about KLLM since they have a school in Texas and Illinois. You'll be on the road soon with some company.