It started 12 years ago

My first Driving Job was for a Farmer that had at the time 3000 Acres and maybe 600 Head of Cattle he was a Big Farmer in the Area. Well my Job was Simple Get the Crap he Needed to Supply the Farm and Haul the Grain and Stay in IL I got my CDL at 18. For 3 Years I drove a 71 IH 4070 Transtar all over the State of IL that had a 290 Cummins 4X4 Tranny and a Rubber Block Suspension. I hauled about everything you could Think of that the Farmer Used as I had the X endorsement from Anhydraus to Liquid Cattle Crap. Best part was when Harvest Started I was the guy that had to drive the 62 Emeryville as I was the only one that KNEW how to get that 318 Detroit to Run Right. Never will forget that night Rain coming in I was at the Combine we where harvesting Beans Combine was FULL Weigh Wagons Both had Full Loads on. I took 100K lbs of Beans to the Elevator that night in ONE Load. Could NOT HEAR for 3 Days afterwards. Elevator knew I was coming in Heavy as I had flames 4 feet high coming out of the Stack.

After I turned 21 I went to work for a Small outfit and had to relearn HOW TO BACK UP. I miss those days but man I love my Family more.

 

Oh this was when I had my office job...

7-6, 25 a hour, home every night, rarely worked overtime. But one Friday I had enough of the the demands, next Monday I put in 50% and left. Tuesday my desk had no one at it.

HAd enough of,
SIGN THIS
FILE THAT
SORT THIS
E-MAIL THAT
BLAHBLAHBLAH.

To much demand.

 

I'll never understand that about this job 9 years and you still put your self down as a newby? 9 years of doing anything is long to know what your doing I think.

 

1983, just finished TDI school, not many were hiring rookies, I even tried getting on with the old Midwestern Distribution, out of Kansas. They didn't like that I had been fired from a job about 6 years before. Got a contact number for a guy in Chicago who leased drivers to TransAmerican, out of Grand Rapids, MI. Hounded him for about 6 weeks straight, finally got a job with T/A.
Had a 79 White Road Commander C/O, 350 Cummins, 10 speed, no A/C, or power steering. Just about every trailer I pulled had bad tires on it. Always getting flats fixed. Got lost in Jersey. Twice. Got lost in Kentucky.
After about a month or so, finally had enough, when they told me I'd have to spend the weekend in the Jersey Truck Center, in Jersey City. Asking other drivers on the CB for directions, they all told me NOT to stay there, that was the worst truck stop in America! Called dispatch, made up a story about a family emergency, and took the Hound back to Indiana.
Worked a factory job, worked in a warehouse for a few years, then got a local gig with Central Transport in 1986, I was one of four they hired who could pass the drug screen! Been driving ever since.

 

Two years ago i got my class 1, i had a class 3 since 1989, but i was was doing delivery mostly with an econoline for the last 20 years,
when the company i was with for the last 17 years went bankrupt, i decided to go get my class 1 (here in Canada class 1 is what you need to drive
semi trailers) at that time i was delivering auto parts at night with a straightbody, i paid from my pocket for: 16 hours driving lessons with an instructor in order to get my class 1.
A week or so after i got my class 1, at the end of my route in the morning they were short of a class 1 driver to bring back two rentals trailers a few miles away, i raised my hand and that's how it started for me. That morning i was very exited and very scared at the same time, after that i was given a route with a pop (30 feet trailer) wich i did for almost a year, working nightshift was not good for me.
After that i applied for a job with another company, passed a drug test and a road test, and they hired me for doing local delivery with 53 foot trailers monday to friday daytime, wich i did for a year and now, i was asked to delivers containers regional, from the port to less than 250 miles away. I am home for supper everyday and i think i am a lucky man, it's true that you make your own luck, but i thank the universe for what i have, and i try not to forget that i am still a newbie at driving trailers.
Drive safely.
ph

 

Mine is just the usual story.

I was working as the Executive Director of a group of banks located overseas. Africa, Asia, Europe. I was making a little over 1.3 million tax free with benefits. My son had turned 18 and had joined the National Guard. Judge ruled National Guard is Not military service so I should not have stopped paying child support. I was sent to prison. When I got out I had to be on parole. The rules of parole said I had to have a job. I had no skills that I could use with a Felony. So I decided to go to truck driving school. The school was located in Kansas and I was on parole in Missouri. It was a parole violation to cross the stateline but hay it wasn't my fault they trusted me. 4 weeks in truck driving school and I figured I would be hired right off the bat. I mean you should see the folks in my class. No. Not one offer. Gully was the closest but I have a beard. The felony was too fresh. So craigslist. I got a test drive with Fed Ex. Contractor was nice enough. Drove around a two mile circuit and he said sure, he would hire me. But Fed Ex said no felonies. I told them, I appeal. The appeal turned out in my favor and I was hired, or I thought I was hired. The terminal manager said no felonies. I appeal but did not have time to weight. Craigslist had a listing for a driver. I responded and then pulled down the ad as it looked too good for anyone other then myself. I went in for the interview and they asked me who I drove for last. Well, I had two miles experience with Fed Ex so I told them Fed Ex. If you drove for Fed Ex then you will be good enough for us. 45 cents a mile. Great company. Ran over everything for miles around but I figure out how to drive. The man who hired me was fired four days after I got on. Not because of me but because of other things. When the company did catch on my references they sent a fax out. Strange the fax number they had was mine. They got back a glowing report.
They were lucky to have me.

You make me a felon, I act like a felon. Just because a nutty judge says take away a persons constitutional rights doesn't mean I have to let them. And if they won't let you start at the bottom and work your way up, start at the top.

 

I guess the farm tractor and model A beach buggy at 9 years old doesn't count
So in 1972 drove an Autocar 10 wheel dump with a quad box
then in 1975 was driving a 10 wheel box truck hauling fish Cape Hatteras to Boston
told the owner we need bigger truck if you want to haul all this fish
Next day he bought a truck. We walked into DMV with 100 lbs of lobsters and I walked out with a license
then an OTR driver took me around the parking lot a few times and said have fun
bought my own truck after that an old POS orange and white cabover INT with a 220 detriot 10 speed
a few trucks and years later i was back to sea to see what i could see and what did i see i saw the sea

 

Log truck in North Florida. A 1973 Mack Sidewinder.
"Get stuck in the woods more than once, your fired!".

 

I can't help trying to rewrite the heading here to : It all started when I was 12--But that wouldn't be really accurate either--LOL--Like pete says--about farm tractors--cept the farm tractor was a B-Model--and I got to pull it out of the barn(notice I said got to?)hook up the flatbed--go around to the other side of farm--load hay--strap it--go back to house and pick up grandad--then ride into town!
Was probably 15 or so till I said out loud at a family gathering--how grandpa LET ME do this--when my Mom finished laughin--she said Yup--and you let him sleep another hour and linger over coffee!! LMAO