A wannabe with a story and some different questions

No thanks. I've got to take my skills tests yet. Got my permit, and we're going to try to go this weekend and get some practice backing and driving so I can learn that stupid double clutch thing again. It's been so long since I drove that I need to get some practice in before I go take the driving test. Then I'll be pulling grain local. Guy I know still has an empty truck that he needs a driver for, so he's going to take me out this weekend (weather permiting) so I can get a refresher on driving. Fifteen years is a long time. I can't go OTR right now anyway. Hubby and I have a two year old and I can't leave him to go OTR. Bad enough that hubby is OTR. When the boy is older, I might go out and run team with hubby, but that's a LONG way off.

 

When I first drove, I started out doing flatbeds. The tarps ARE heavy and cumbersome, but being female DOES have it's advantages,as there was always a few guys offering to throw the tarps on top for me. Always chained and strapped 'em, myself, though. Had to use a "cheat bar" to get everything good and tight, but I never had any problems. At the time, I weighed MAYBE 115, soaking wet.

 

One of the test's for Maverick is lifting a lumber tarp from the floor to the bed of a truck, they are about 120 pounds.

 

Twice. You have to ground it and do it again.

 

i ran flat bed for three yrs after i got out of the active duty air force for Too Much Chrome and western express it is ruff with those 8 foot drops. it got bad windy in dallas and it threw my 220 lb butt off the trlr

 

I think its great that your making your dreams come true. keep up the good work!! I don't see you having any problems driving a truck. I've seen companys re-install the seat forward or back for drivers that needed a little less or more room. But you have to give it a try. If you don't you'll never know!!

 

Hahahaha. Oh, I'm so sorry. My mistake. I totally didn't read the "Trucker Wife" part. I apologize!

 

Thanks for your input, SimplyRed.

 

Bonez this sounds like my life story and it's not that impossible to drive and be on active duty but it is harder today than when I did it many years ago. I too always wanted to drive because my father did it and I rode in the truck when I was 4 years old. But my high school wasn't all that great and I dropped out to join the Navy back in 1970. I drove on base hauling nuke's for my first 6 years. I was a Gunner's Mate Technician that later change to Weapons Tech then the rate was eliminated all togther.

Before the switch I was stationed at Cecil Field Fla and back then the Navy thought they would save energy by changing the work week to 4 10 hour days so every fri, sat, and sun I had off. I went out and bullsh-tted my way into a job driving Ryder lease equipment for a company named Sav-A-Stop. I was driving every weekend and making more money driving than my first class pay. In fact I would pay others including officers to take my duty on the weekend so I could drive. But I had to have an agreement that if I broke down the company would get me back to work monday morning. Don't shy away from local jobs. You'd be surprised how much money those dirt haulers make and you'd be back to work for sure. So I gained three years experience there. But then I had to go to sea and was stationed aboard the USS Constellation and as you know there's no trucks there.

I knew the rate change was coming so I took a shot at going into the Seabees and got lucky and became an Equipment Operator. I knew by doing this I gave up any chance of getting promoted since I went right from the fleet into a Construction Battalion but that was ok with me. As an EO I got plenty of time driving OTR hauling heavy equipment and my last duty station I was gone all the time and even hauled equipment from MD to your area at Lakeside UT.

So you can drive while on active duty but here's my advice. Since it's harder now days to get your CDL you'd be foolish to waste your money now on school unless you're getting out. And you'd be foolish to get out especially since you're making LDO. I wish that I would have done 10 more. The driving jobs will always be there so having a second income along with benefits is a huge plus. That extra pay will get you through the crap jobs that everyone goes through.

You should look at public works at the base you're at and see if you can get a military license to drive trucks. Some times the states will take that license and convert it over to a CDL after you pass the tests. You won't need to take a road test. Then keep that CDL for later.

That's all I can tell you from my experience. Stay Navy then go make the "Big Bucks". Besides it can't be all that bad since you don't have water hours on your new "Bird Farms" I like did. 60 second showers really suck,LOL.

 

GasHauler,
Thanks for your story. Water hours on a bird farm? Thats crazy. I've spent over 8 straight years at sea from LHA's-CVN's-DDG's and I've never had water hours. Of course I know what it is, but I guess I've always been lucky.

I've almost made up my mind that I'm going to start school at Sage in May. I have the director at the school trying to find someone that'll give me a pre-hire before I commit to the training and this weekend I've spent a lot of time looking for companies in my area that might give me a chance. The guy at the school thinks that Watkins Shepard or James H. Clark & Sons might give me a chance so I'm going to give them a call tomorrow.

Like I said before, I'm not getting out, it's just I'm so bored. I'm a Chief Petty Officer in the Navy's Seaman to Admiral program (STA-21) so my only job until Aug 2010 is to go to school at the University of Utah and get a degree. Usually the only time I have to show my face is on Thursday's when the active duty gets with the kids straight out of high school on scholarships and we teach them something Navy. Everyone's dream job, getting paid to go to college. I've just been so active for so many years that now I'm going crazy with all this time and I figured why not start driving sooner rather than later.

To everyone else that replied, thanks for your support. If I do decide to go to school then it'll have to be in May because my summer classes are light and support going to the eight week driver school. I'll keep everyone updated with my decisions and most importantly if I can find somewhere that will let me drive on weekends.