New driver wanting advice

Labatt Food Service is now hiring for Student Driver at the Albuquerque location.

The Student Driver position is a paid training that teaches you the ins and outs of being a Route Driver for Labatt Food Service. This includes unloading 600-1,200 cases per day by hand at designated stops, learning how to drive a tractor-trailer 10-speed with a splitter, and interacting with customers. The routes are local and you will be able to be home with your family every night. Monday-Friday. No experience necessary. Must have a valid NM Class A CDL or NM Class A permit.

Labatt offers great benefits, including paid holidays and vacation, competitive weekly pay, and comprehensive insurance. Drivers are eligible for a sign-on bonus.

Candidates are welcome to fill out an application online or in-house. For an in-house application, please visit us at the Albuquerque Labatt Office located at 221 Airport Dr. NW, Albuquerque, NM 87121, Monday-Friday from 9:00 am - 3:00 pm. Must bring a valid NM Class A CDL or Class A Permit and proof of eligibility to work in the United States.

Applicable candidates must pass pre-employment background check, drug test, and physical.
To apply now, please click the Apply Online link.
Here is the link to our online application: Login

 

Well that's great but someday you're going to get old you want to retire you better have it in place

 

I did too. But sometimes the body rots out earlier than expected with age. And boom. You cannot drive a 18 wheeler anymore end. dot. period.

When I attended school back in the 80's a instructor took a moment to tell us that we can expect around 56 years of age before and if something should happen which includes disability, permanent injury, loss of freedom, death and so on. I lasted into my 40's I do not expect to see 60 and beyond. (Which is really good considering the excessive issues with elderly around here.) I turned in my CDL after about 32 years to go back to a much easier to retain car license in a situation where I am a medical patient going through alot of procedures and medicines as needed to fix what is fixable and to let go the rest.

It's not by choice on my end. It's not living. But you learn and adapt because you must.

 

Western Dairy Transport - Albuquerque, NM

Drivers-Class A CDL:

Our EMPLOYEES are our MOST VALUABLE asset.

We have local, regional, and over-the-road opportunities. (varies by

location). EXCELLENT Benefit package!! Good Home-Time!

Aggressive 401k! Paid Vacation. Good MVR, 23yoa, Tank Endorsement required!

 

I am now retired from driving a truck I found a gig it's going to pay well and I don't have to put up with all the crap anymore

 

That goes without saying.

 

Ive been hammering intelliapp for the past 2 months trying to find a local job and i haven't had any unwanted contact from any company I didn't apply to. Maybe your contact info was sourced elsewhere?.

 

I have refused to apply via intelliapp/Tenstreet, so they should not have my info. You are correct that they are not alone in sharing. If a recruiter sends me too much mega I have them close my account with them.

There is a local company whose ad states that if you apply to them via Tenstreet you will automatically be applied to lots of other companies, like that's a good thing.

Good hunting, sometimes it ain't easy.

 

I don't think you can put all of the blame on truck driving. OTR guys have it the worst, staying out for weeks or months on end, sleeping in trucks eating truck stop foods. BUT, if drivers in general would take the initiative and eat a healthy diet and exercise they'd avoid a lot of the health problems they encounter later in life.

It never fails, I go into a busy truck stop in the morning, which has a mcdonalds and a subway inside. The mcdonalds has 20 people in line, the subway has zero, maybe 1-2. I get my salad with egg whites and chicken, no croutons or crackers. Water or diet soda, no sugary crap. I dont eat snack foods. No candy, no chips, no crackers none. Cheese, and chicken snacks only.

I work out a few times a week. I could do better but something is better than nothing. Trust me, I'm not perfect, I occasionally cheat on the diet, I occasionally miss a workout, but I do as much as I can..You cant stop aging, and yes sitting in the drivers seat 10-11 hours a day for years on end is rough on your body, but you can mitigate some of the effects of aging and the effects of this profession.

I'm not saying this directly to you, as I dont know your health and history and it's none of my business, I'm just saying that in general drivers could.keep their health up longer if they made an effort..

 

Josh, I am in trucking mgmt in Arkansas and have been in management for 20+ years. Most of it for a home most nights company. I've seen a lot of guys that were in your position and looking for the road map to driving. I've had a lot of guys that call me and say they are fresh out of school but they don't want to be left out on the road for weeks or months at a time.

My issue is always the same and you will hear this echoed. My insurance provider simply will not allow me to hire a guy with less than three experience. Plus, with what we do, top heavy loads and running a lot of back roads and even dirt roads going in and out of poultry farms, I don't want to hire a guy and put him in a situation that might get him or someone else hurt. When guys call, looking for a local job and I tell them I can't hire with less than three years, a lot of times they will ask, "how do I get that experience?" I tell them, you basically have to do your time with the OTR companies that may abuse you and then come see me once you get the three years experience.

Other than that, the best advice I can give is be safe. Take more precaution than you think you need. Listen, Listen, Listen! If an old guy is trying to tell you that you need to handle something differently, he's probably not trying to belittle you. Most likely, he sees you making mistakes and he really wants to help you. Slow down! Take a few extra seconds and a few extra steps to make sure you have everything in proper order and you're not about to tear something up. Being safe at the warehouse, factory, truck stop, etc. is just as important as being safe on the interstate. A former boss used to tell my drivers, "if you don't know where that trailer is, get out and find it." That's a really profound statement. Always know where your trailer is. In other words, if you're backing into a dock, make sure your path is clear. If you're driving through the truck stop or going down the interstate, always be sure your trailer is not going to hit another vehicle, stationary item or get in a ditch.

Always be SAFE!