I am about to give up!

Like I said earlier...... It is rough out there in the job market, all jobs are getting tuff to come by. I for one would appreciate it if you could lose at least a little of the hostility toward the new wannabe drivers. Most ( definately NOT all ) of the fresh blood realize what they are getting themselves into, especially if they have done SOME reading and research.

Now... lets address some of these points.

You've sold your truck and trailer....... So.. I take it you have gone back to school to train for a new industry job? Please enlighten us as to the job your going to get, or got. Maybe some of us could do that too.

OR.... Did you take a local job.... driving ..... because you DO have experience and can get that local job that us stupid noobs cant get for LACK of experience.

Next .... 3000 have gone out of business..... Well, I realize that is really really conservative considering that alot of independant or O/O have too! Yet... in my industry, construction ( I have 2 corporations ) ..... that # is dwarfed .... JUST IN MY COUNTY !!!!!! I've gone from running my shop 14 hrs a day, 7 days a week, to 25-30 hrs A MONTH !!! This county has gone from 1000+ permits a mont a year ago to 13 this last month.

Next ... You sold your truck and trailer... sweet Good for you. I truely hope you at least broke even, preferably came out a bit ahead.

I however, have $300,000 worth of equipment that wont sell..... for 40% of value..... it's all less than 3 yrs old and in pristine condition because I have a good maintenance schedule....... Yet nobody wants to buy big construction related tools due to the decline in the market and unrest in the recovery time of said. No..... it gets worse......... I can't even sell it for 25% of value.

So..... to recap ......... I've got a shop to STORE all my equipment.. (cost's money, loss ), negligent income ( loss ), house payment I cant make ( loss ), need to BUY two 45' trailers ( 1 van 1 flat ) to load up all my equipment to store at my property that I might lose.

Now , I know you don't want me to join into the Trucking industry because it is a loser. But, please lose the attitude about telling all of us noobs that in such a loud voice. Most of us can see what we are getting into and we don't appreciate being called stupid. We, I will go out on a limb here, can make our own decisions, good bad or indifferant.

Hence, can't we all just get along ?


DPAM reaches over to shake the hand of a pissedoffdriver

 

Well the way i see it you have two options. You can go deliver a load or stay and chat..............And with all the great frieght right now i see you have made the right choice to stay. Now wasn't that easy.

 

I have been reading your posts , almost to like a stalker, lol. But i must say, i am impressed with your attitude. To me you really do seem to get it and not talking anything we all have said personally or offensive because none of us mean it that way at all. I can't speak for everybody, but i am pretty sure some of the exp. drivers feel the same way when we are telling you about trucking. It's not that we don't want you to do it, i just hate to see people get into trucking and basically what i like to call committing a slow and painful suicide. And i do wish you the best of luck and hope it all turns around for you soon.

 

Good post, very well said.

 

DP , First i gotta say something on 1POD behalf, For what i have seen or read of his posts, i see no hostility there at all. We were just old school ranting and have fun and letting off a little frustration. Neither one of us are trying to rub anybody the wrong way , we are just trying to share some knowledge and hopefully help out.

You say most new drivers know what they are getting into. I just find that hard to believe. To me the attitude of new drivers is more like me doing something like : I walk up to an elevator that says broken and out of service. I think to myself well it worked last week and it will work some day again. I'll just get on it and wait. Now hopefully the elevator doesn't crash and burn and i can survive on it long enough til they get it working. By comparisson it is the same thing and just doesn't make sense.

And nobody here called any newb stupid. If anything exp drivers are stupid for not seeing this years ago and making sure this situation didn't happen this bad.

Think of trucking as a steak dinner with all the fixins. First you get that drink (your CDL), then you get to go to the salad bar(OTR). Alot of people try to skip this process but we all need greens (exp)in our diet. Then after you get all them greens (exp) down. This hot waitress(local employer) brings you a beautiful steak and potato(local job) and you are finally happy(have a life) and eat your meal(make money). Now don't go around thinking that plate next to you(another job) is better than yours or you'll be back to eating spam(swift,werner,england).

You are right about being able to make your own descions. That is what seperates adults from kids. We never called you stupid so please stop saying that. It is getting played out.

Hence yes we can all get along.

*extendeding hand out to shake............*

 

stopppppppp, flattery will get you no where!!! LMAO

 

I have read all the replies to your problem. You are going to have to follow the advice hiring a lawyer to get this expunged. If you are single, move out of Florida. Produce is the moving freight now. There are several smaller companies (Heath) that might have an opening in late Feb or March. I called them for my son, but they wanted someone with reefer experience, but I stayed on the phone with the in-house recruiter, nice man..this may be a possiblity for you. I know there has got to be someone out there that can talk their insurance carrier into taking you on. Market yourself. If USA Truck was not hurting now, I am sure they would have taken you on. My son works for Shelton (based in Florida), they are truly hurting.

 

Never ever give up, never till you've taken your last breath. Then it does not mater anymore... You'll make it... I've just signed in to this forum, and have been out of trucking for some time and have millions of miles behind me as well as commercial pilot... when I put in a generic app,on the week end I got 22 replies, out of that only three comp were serious, and it took almost 10 days, to narrow it down to one and a come on down.. So that said, even a seasoned driver can have a hard time.. You have tried a lot of companies.. but these are some tough times and a lot of changes are taking place in business.. and the domino effect is touching all of us... but it will change...just remember, when things are bad it won't last forever.. but also when things are good, that won't last forever either.. It's a roll-a-coaster, no one ever got hurt riding one, just when you jump out...

 

yes it will. it got you to respond to my post. lol. flattery only works if it is honest.

 

I've got ten years experience. They just sent my pay info over my quallcomm. $462 for the week. This week if things stay on thir current path, (they just dispatched me on someone dropped on the terminal for later on this afternoon a whopping 42 miles away) after they take out my health insurance and 401k, I'll end up owing them money for the privilege of sitting in their "condo" all week while I'm clamped to the dock loading and unloading their crummy 200 mile grocery warehouse runs up here in the northeast. I'd be better off wrapping burritos at the neighborhood Taco Bell back home.