Hello from Idaho

Hello All.

I'm not a truck driver as of yet, but I have been reading information from various sources including this blog. I don't have any questions because I've read several answers to the questions that I've had and I didn't like some of the answers because they were scathing albeit true-ish.

Just like any corporation or business including the military, I know that some folks like the job that they do, most do not. So I feel that OTR trucking is going to have many pitfalls/few blessings. It is what it is like it or leave it.

These are of few of the issues that I have learned thus far:

1) Three weeks of school training is not enough.

2) Leasing a truck is nothing short of a scam with a near 85% failure rate. However, I doubt that I will ever meet any of the successful 15%.

3) No trucking academy can guarantee you a job when you graduate, but if they aren't at least going to help you find a job after you graduate then they are far too expensive.

4) Whichever company that you choose to work with, if you're not going to commit at least a year, don't even take the first step of starting down the road to a career as a truck driver.

After all of that, here's a little about me. I retired from the military in '07. I began delivering mail part time right before I started receiving my military retirement. (Thus my handle.) The most annual income that I have ever received from the postal service is $15,000. Then a long time friend called me and told me what he did for a living. He drives for a subcontractor of the USPS, has been for a few years and loves it. So I asked him how do I start. Aside from blogging I'm following my plan that is: 1) go to school, 2) start with a company and stay a year, and 3) apply with a subcontractor for the USPS.
Anyway, wish me luck.

SpeedyDelivery out.

 

Well thank you too much for the welcome alex94 and Smurf-316!

I have a couple issues that I would like to complete before I go to trucker school.

First is that my state is deploying overseas in the next few months and I have been invited to participate in one of the vacated positions stateside. That job should last a year.

Second, I have a speeding ticket that is 1 1/2 years old that I want to age to 3 years before I apply. That way I will be very close to being a perfect candidate. The only other issue I have that cannot be fixed is a DUI that I received in 1985. It probably won't matter much to most employers as long as I am up front and honest with them (no matter what the recruiters say).

If my math is correct I should be tarnished golden in 2011.

 

alex94,

From what I've read in truck driving books as well as other blogs is yes the dui shouldn't matter as it is over 10 years old, however, what recruiters have done in the past is tell students and company applicants is to NOT put it down even though the application said IF EVER. Thus, making the applicant look like a liar and use that as the SOLE REASON for not hiring that person. The recruiter takes the money, sets the wannabe up for failure, and continues to flush more and more honest folks through that fraudulent system. Because I know this activity to be truly taking place I feel that it is my responsibility to warn everyone.

Speedy Delivery out.