Another almost rookie question please

It's not that you don't know nothing... I think its just you feel that way cause you don't know lots... Some is better then none and you will learn lots more.. It's like anything you gotta crawl before you run

Like me, I am basically getting out of trucking now cause I applied for a Heavy Construction job at work.. I will have lots to learn when I go from the Solid Waste department to the Water department... I will drive 4 axle roll off and tractor trailer dump but not everyday like what I do now.. I will mostly be operating equipment and other things like VAC truck etc.... Lots of learning for me as well

 

I've been at this 30 years, and I'm still learning stuff.

IE - I learned last night that, while driving into a head wind, I can make that irritating wind whistle from the outside visor go away if I sing along to Roxanne, by the Police, at the top of my lungs.

I also learned, to the misfortune of the guy next to me, NOT to put my thumb in the air actuated pintle hook while hooking up an A-Train dolly. I helped him climb into the ambulance.

 

Yep getting into heavy equipment operating isn't easy.... When I went to school for the Trucking/Heavy Equipment my goal was to get into construction to begin with.. I ultimately wanted to end up operating the excavators. Getting my A class wasn't so I could go drive a truck, it was so if I worked for a company that gave you a dump truck with a float trailer and a piece of equipment. But like you I also found that all companies I called told me I needed experience (the operators union didn't even help me told me I needed to work for company) I finally got irritated and said to 1-2 of the people "How do you expect a new guy to get experience when all of you are saying the same thing?" ... Needless to say I went on to driving truck OTR into the US... 13 years later and still driving a truck (but operating a front end loader to load myself, not really the type of operating I wanted tho)

Well at least now I got this new job in water (dunno when I start)... So at least now I will be operating machinery and actually doing construction work with the machines.. Rather then just loading material into my trailer.. I will be digging trenches, around wires, gas lines etc.... I will be loading a dump truck etc... This job I could be operating a excavator one day, a hydrovac the next day, a crane the following day etc... Lucky for me I work in the CITY and I can move around... Also lucky for me I am only 32 (33 soon) so I am still pretty young...

Good luck and whatever you decide to do.... If heavy equipment is what you want to do keep trying for it.... Just fill the time driving the truck for now.. Be careful tho you might just enjoy it and keep at it... I enjoy trucking which is why I have done it for 13 years but being stuck in Toronto all day in 401 traffic is wearing me down, almost all day long you have traffic.. There are also issues within my department that make me want to leave but I won't get into that

 

Yes it will be nice to do something different everyday, kind of gets me out of the monotony that I am in with this job... Everyday I almost do the same thing everyday when I am hauling recyclables.. I go to the same place everyday (we only take recycling to one place) and I come from the same transfer stations everyday... Sure I like loading and driving the truck but it gets repetitive with that I am doing.. The 401 with all the idiot drivers (4wheelers and truckers alike) makes it interesting cause there is always something going when you travel the 401 in Toronto lol... The only time it is a little nicer is when I am hauling yard waste because we have several places to go with it and most places you can take different roads if you wanna mix it up a bit..

This new job will be great.. I will get to do more of what I really want to do and it's a different job everyday.. One day you can be driving a roll off truck and the next day you can be digging out a creek etc...

You just need to look for the companies... You will be better off trying to find local or regional home everyday or other day companies... I did the US stuff for about 3 years and that was it for me and I don't even have a family I am a single guy.. Some aspects I like and some I didn't but ultimately the aspects I didn't like overruled and I left it.. Now that company I suggested to you (Apache Freight Lines) they are a good smaller company who does mostly local (GTA) stuff, Regional and 2 day US trips.. When I was there I was doing the US and like I mentioned before I was only gone overnight and back home, Never was I gone out all week (that is why I left my previous company which was Sunday to Friday/Saturday gone all week)... Apache has their US drivers so I doubt you would even have to go to the US... They sound like a company that would be good for you, We have trucking companies around Whitby/Oshawa as well you can look at.. My buddy about 2 years ago got his licence and was working with Mackie Moving so they hire new drivers but I don't know if he was local or long haul....

 

My advice... Move! Lol Jk Jk good luck in the job search! I'm only 4 years into my career and I'm doing oversize machine moving. Get into flatbed to start is my advice. Vans are just too boring