An Easterner (ME) headed West (WA) - to live.

I've never heard anything good about Spokane. I've heard it is an armpit "tin can town" from just reading around and watching videos on You Tube. Of course where I live gets made fun of a lot to or used to, we seem to have kind of pulled our selves out of the toilet though in recent years.

 

I keep thinking of Nevada after getting experience and getting the hell out of the terrible Michigan job market. It seems like an area that has very steady weather. I'd like to get out of the snow, but also not deal with tropical storms like some of my relatives on the coast do.

Could someone with 6 months to a year experience find something local there? Or at least something not OTR?

 

North Idaho is a lot better than the Spocompton area in my opinion.

 

Plenty of good jobs there. Reno gets too cold in the winter, but Las Vegas and surrounding area is good year round.(www.propertyvegas.com & www.zillow.com)
Here's some companies with terminals in Las Vegas area and there's more.
Mountain Valley Express
Pan Western
A&R Logistics
Watkins-Shepard
Estes Express Lines - 12 mos. exp. required
Clean Harbors
Old Dominion Freight Line
Gardner Trucking
Reddaway
Night Train Trucking - runs reefers to Los Angeles and return.
Tru-Line Corp. (www.trulinecorp.com)
Target Distribution Center has a facility in the area, but don't know which company pulls for them.

 

I can deal with some cold, I'm just sick of the snow.

 

LOL, I went to that yard last week and talked to the driver manager about the job. The inter-modal is day cab, as of last week three slots were open, 9am start, 10am start and evening start. With that sign-on bonus, probably won't last long. DM seemed like a decent sort. Although right out the gate (so to speak), getting out of the yard is probably a PITA. Fairly busy looking street. For them inter-modal is a rail yard not far away, as opposed to the ports. Qualcomms in the trucks. Pay calculation seemed a little complicated.
Got a line on something else that will suit me a little better.

 

I understand that; it's not as bad in my home state of Tennessee as it is in Michigan, but still more than I'm willing to deal with any more; that's why I moved to Nevada.

 

I've lived in western Washington since 1979 and moved out here from the east coast via California. I've lived in many states and find Washington to be the best of the best.
The state is divided into two halves, politically speaking. East of the Cascade range is high plains desert, drier, colder, super conservative farmer types, flat and featureless with miles between the few cities that are there. West of the mountains is the diametric opposite--wetter, warmer, overcast much of the time with beautiful scenery, waterways, nice cities filled with people that have ultra-liberal attitudes. That's where I live. We also are home to several fortune 500 companies--- Boeing, Microsoft, Amazon, Google, Starbucks, Nordstrom, Costco, Paccar, Expedia, and more that influence our economy.

Someone mentioned the cost of real estate here. It's like most places---some expensive parts (mostly near Seattle) and some inexpensive parts with great deals on real estate. Two-thirds of the state is uninhabited with most of that area being national parks. I like the state capitol--Olympia---which is situated halfway between two large cities--Portland, Oregon and Seattle---and within an hour of the Cascade range, the Olympic range, and the Ocean.

As far as trucking jobs go...I get offered two jobs a week. There are two big ports (Tacoma and Seattle) that offer can-hauling jobs starting at around $22-24 per hour, lots of regional jobs that have you home every night, and of course, all the majors have terminals here. I've never had any problems with finding a trucking job here that paid well. I think it ranks about number 7 on the best paid areas to be in for trucking.

The general attitude here is laid back. Everyone wears jeans, there are many local pot shops, alternate lifestyles and nationalities are well-tolerated, low crime rate, really bad traffic, and there a great nightlife. Educational institutions are exceptional. Nuff said. Ready to move?

 

I spent 6 glorious years at Sysco Spokane. 6 lovely years I will never get back. They have seriously gone down hill since Obama entered into office.

The Bakery that you are refering to is Snyders/ Franz Bakery. Union job. Safeway is also Union along with URM.
Do yourself a favor and leave your attitude from where you come from. This is the NW and We have our own ways of doing things and don't like outsiders telling us "How we did it back home". Remember, There is a reason "why" you left there and came here. Idaho is much cheaper wages than Spocompton.

 

Uummm...did I miss something? Where did @itaff show any attitude, or say anything about "How we did it back home"? Was it in another thread? Because I don't see it here...