Hello from a wanabe in Los Angeles... heading to GATS in Dallas next week

Hi everyone!

I'm Steve... living in Los Angeles area... and finally at a place in my life where I can become a truck driver. It's a childhood dream that was re-awakened when I drove solo from NYC to L.A. in May of 2011. And I've taken many long road trips since, many with other members of the Bullitt Mustang car club I belong to.

Next week, I'll be in Dallas for The Great American Trucking Show. Even though three buddies from my Mustang club are truck drivers (one near Nashville recently started with Prime, Inc), none of them stay our for weeks at a time like I'd like to. (They're all married. I'm divorced with no kids.) I'm hoping I can talk to some truckers in Dallas about the career I'm interested in... some recruiters too! And I'm really looking forward to seeing the whole industry up close for the first time.

I've identified two truck driving schools I might get my CDL from ( Alliance School of Trucking in Chatsworth, CA and AIT Truck Driver Training, Las Vegas campus ).

I'm open to all advice... about making the most out of The GATS... the schools I've found (or others you think are better)... or anything else.

And I'm hoping to make some good friends here too.

Hope to see some of you in Dallas.

Steve

PS I kinda have a little trucking experience too. I drove a 36 foot moving van from the Philly suburbs to the heart of Queens (NYC) in 2007. Of course it was an automatic (my Mustang's a stick), but I did have to drive it across mid-town Manhattan around lunch time. Had a great time! And I was kinda part of the industry years ago. I had a summer job while I was in college with Transceiver East based in NYC. We issued temporary state permits to drivers all over the place. I got to speak to drivers, state DOT permit people, and truck stop employees... all real nice people helping keep America moving!

 

Thanks! I bow to those of you who got here before me.

Will do my best to add something to the festivities!!!

Steve