Help for a friend

each branch is different i know, but I was navy, I also hit high year tenure, they lowered the limits for the lower ranks because they were trying to get people out. it was 13 yrs for E-4, lowered it down to 8. once you hit 8 hrs, and you were an E-4, you had to get out. you didn't get booted at 8 yrs, but you couldnt re-up. at that point you cant just change your rate (or MOS as most other branches call it), not that it would have mattered since the navy was doing it based on rank and not your rate. tho even if it was based on your MOS, they dont just let you pick a new one and bam you're good to go, that takes a bunch of paperwork and requests, picking something that isnt overmanned, doing the coursework/books, getting everything approved, etc.... and would have been something you would have been working on and completed before you hit the deadline to get forced out. the military in general doesn't like training someone for something else once they've spent the money training you to do one thing. even when you go to another branch, they usually want to stick you with what you were doing before. not always the case but its the first thing they try to put ya with

 

You should cut your strings with this guy now and let him go his way. He will learn and either he learns from what others are telling him or he learns the hard way and the terminal will end up trashing him. It's got to be all on him.

I too came out of the service and went right to work driving. However, I had a civilian part time job hauling general freight every Fri, Sat, and Sun. when I was in the NAVY. I did that for 3 years then I was station at a R&D base and drove OTR with a rented tractor and Navy 60ton lowboy. There I put plenty of miles on my record. When I came out it was very hard to use any military experience as driving experience. Most companies looked at it as on-base driving and would not honor the service driving. I had a very hard time showing them my miles were OTR. (good thing I kept all those old log books) Once I did that doors opened up to me. I also believe that being an Equipment Operator with the NAVY Seabee's help too.

This guy might learn a subject the hard way and if he try's to throw his military weight around he'll learn real fast. There are some drivers out there that strongly believe that military drivers should not be driving. There's sometimes a lot of animosity around and if he doesn't keep his mouth shut he may end up with some real problems. There are some companies out there that like the military and look at them fast to get them working. He should try some of those.


You've done your part and showed him what he needs to do. If there's some kind of failure then it's on him.. Good Luck.

 

My biggest regret in life was leaving the Marine Corps. If I had stayed in I would be retired by now.

With that said, if your friend is dead set on getting out of the military and not driving OTR. I would suggest going to Diesel Mechanics school.

All the dealerships around my area pay their mechanics about $45K to start, they have better benefits than most driving jobs, and your home everyday with weekends off. Some of the shops are even unionized. Also the Mack and Volvo dealerships in my area pick up and drop off the trucks when they are working on them, if the truck is able to be driven.

My best friend from high school owns the local Volvo dealership and is often complaining that his mechanics are the highest paid employees. I always have to remind him that the shop is still his most profitable department in his company.

 

All the military branches are downsizing; he has no choice in the matter, he has to get out. At one time the Navy was so large, they would take all the vets from other services. They took many ex-Army officers & put them in the Navy as enlisted, this is fact. It's not that way now, the Navy is shrinking.

I would tell the guy the rules have changed in trucking, so he will have to go to a CDL school either private or company sponsored & there are no short cuts these days.

 

Maybe he could also look at a dispatcher position.

 

I've got the Army's biggest Super Trucker in my CDL class atm... Ask's the recruiters the same questions, every time, same answer. Army experience isn't OTR experience. I've gotten the impression they just don't have the same kinds of rules and regulations. Also, if you only drove Army, you don't know how to shift, lol.

If he's gung ho on this, let him waste his GI bill money on CDL school. Many companies will like that he has driving experience, tho they won't count it as actual OTR experience, because then their pay packages might entitle him to a higher rate, lol. Maybe he'll understand the increased personal liability involved with civilian driving. Or he'll go mess up a truck and get canned. Not your problem, right?

 

I knew a lot of Seabees and envied them . I was in the Marines and we spent some nights in bunkers guarding Seabee bases in Viet Nam . Few people know the Seabees get basic training at USMC boot camp in training battalions with the Marine recruits . They deserve a lot of respect .

 

How are accidents in military vehicles documented? Is there any way for employers to find out? Either way, he'll likely have a DMV road test, then a road test with his employer, after passing CDL school.

I'd say that you could sleep safely at night knowing that he'll either get his stuff together as a civilian, or he'll get kicked out of the truck when the trainer fears for his life at his first company or two and be unhirable.