Can't make up my mind on a new job.

I would honestly just go with the shortest commute. No use having a couple hours every day tied up in your car.

 

I called and the wait time was currently two hours, I'll call back later and see if they aren't as busy lol. Working in a shop is back breaking labor too, wheels, brake drums, curled up on top of the truck sound overheads etc. That's not saying it's bad just that it's hard work too. Boss breathing down your neck for productivity, ####ty drivers that are just gonna beat up and break what you fix and then blame you. The only thing you don't have is the traffic but I can deal with that...I live in Tampa Bay... traffic is life lol. If I don't like it after a bit I leave with a CDL and go back to swinging wrenches. If I take one of the two jobs fixing junk that I've been offered I am own my own to go re get my CDL which isn't impossible but still an inconvenience. Gotta weigh all the options first.

 

questions:

aren't there independant truck repair shops down there?

instead of a mega carrier, aren't there any LTL companies down there, that have shops?

that "short commute" job...coke was it..??

may be short to and from, but it'll be all the stop and go inbetween that can kill you worse then the longer commute back and forth.

i wish you well..i remember what is was like to be 38....

hair on my head.....mostly, is what i can remember......

 

Every Indy shop I have looked at has been a #### hole. I have dropped my info with Saia, XPO, and old Dominion and haven't heard anything back. None of the ltl barns seem to be hiring at the moment. Nextran is hiring and has a nice shop but they pay very low, like even low for Florida standards.

 

now i remember where i was when i was 38...

driving my oxen wagon..

that's me walking along side the oxen, i needed to stretch my legs a bit...

 

i am surprised to hear this....up here mechanics have no problem finding work at some of the LTL carriers.

the shop at a former employer of mine, NEMF, was clean and neat....even the Penske shop up here at my retired employer, THAT shop was really clean

 

Penske is really hard to get into here, I have heard it's a really good job and have applied when they are hiring but they seem to like to take the lot guys and tire guys and promote them into a mechanic position. I can't hate on that because I worked in a union shop that operated the same way. I also tried Southeastern freight because they have a huge terminal near me but haven't heard anything. You know what's gonna happen, imma take a job somewhere and then everyone will start calling lol. The grocery warehouses around me are always hiring in the shop but they pay real bad, I don't know how those guys afford tools lol.

 

While the short commute is enticing who had the better benefits package? It’s easy to get the blinders on and just see the dollar amount on the surface, but don’t overlook benefits either bud. 24/hr with crap benefits is gonna have you bringing home less than 20/hr with great benefits. Just a friendly reminder. McClane in KC advertises benefits starting from day one, I’m not sure if that’s company wide, or specific to that location, however.

 

If your driving locally, you will need to expect them to work you a 70 hour week of driving. If your driving beyond the 150 mile rule? You can expect to be driving a 11 hour day. Having worked for a company doing the 150 mile rule, your going to be dog tired if your not a youngster.

 

I'm planning on it, I drove for ups so I'm used to using every minute of my clock and even more sometimes. All of those jobs are set up similar to ups, you start in the morning and you get done when you get done. Since leaving to work in a Fab shop I have found that im not a 40hrs a week kind of guy, I guess it's because I'm used to working much longer days.