Newbie needs some help A.S.A.P.!!!!!

Discussion in 'Questions From New Drivers' started by Dizzles, Jan 10, 2011.

  1. Big Don

    Big Don "Old Fart"

    17,996
    35,640
    Sep 8, 2007
    Utah's DIXIE!
    0
    Dizzles, I wish you all the good luck in the world. You are not going to like what I'm about to say here, but after reading this thread, I believe it needs to be said, so fasten your seat belt and hang on.

    OK, my friend, you spent your time and money going to trucker school. You then allowed yourself to get side tracked by a woman. Now, you are a family man, but you still have the "itch to be trucking." BUT, you don't want to do what you MAY HAVE to do to get into the business.

    Stop and look at this picture and see what is wrong with it. I'll say no more along these lines, I just want you to see for yourself, how you are shooting yourself in the foot.

    Now, on a positive note: There are companies that hire locally. What you might do, is look to aggregate companies, or constructions companies. There is an outside chance that they would hire you with your current situation. And those jobs are usually home every night, unless you are working a construction project that is out of the area.

    The hours are long, the pay isn't great and it probably won't "count" as far as experience with a regular big truck company. But it is driving, it is home daily.

    You have already been pointed toward the beverage companies, and LTLs. But what you really need to do, is get your resume up to date, and then get out there IN PERSON to every company that has a truck. Get some face time with the folks who do the hiring, and try to convince them that you are serious about this.
     
    The Challenger, Injun and Saddle Tramp Thank this.
  2. Truckers Report Jobs

    Trucking Jobs in 30 seconds

    Every month 400 people find a job with the help of TruckersReport.

  3. Dizzles

    Dizzles Light Load Member

    68
    11
    Jan 8, 2011
    Marietta, GA
    0
    Yea Maverick doesn't like people who made a mistake as a minor lol!!
     
  4. Dizzles

    Dizzles Light Load Member

    68
    11
    Jan 8, 2011
    Marietta, GA
    0
    Thanks for the advise, I appreciate it alot!!!
     
  5. claredog1

    claredog1 Light Load Member

    236
    67
    Apr 11, 2008
    Goose Creek, sc
    0
    I use to live in norcross, just outside atl. I had worked for schnieder and left so I could be home more among other things. This was back in 2000 I went to work for blue circle materials, I believe they have since been bought out by lafarge, but that is a very good company as well. That would be driving a mixer truck or hauling raw materials to the different plants with a tractor trailer. I drove a mixer truck out of duluth, the pay was more than I was making at schnieder about $700 a week. But we did work long hours around 60 to 70 a week, the work is easy though just back up to site hook up some shouts and pour it out. Some times you may even wait a while to off load but u are paid by the hour and when I was there 40 hours pay was guarenteed. My first 2 weeks I didn't even come in cause of snow and got paid for them. It was a nice break after being over the road. Like I said this was in 2000 and the company is now lafarge but look them up, pay is probably more now since that was 10 years ago andreally good benefits.
     
  6. claredog1

    claredog1 Light Load Member

    236
    67
    Apr 11, 2008
    Goose Creek, sc
    0
    Btw that's local home nights and off most weekends. You may have to work some nights but you would be off thru the day and may have some early morning starts, but you will be home and see your family every day.
     
  7. Dizzles

    Dizzles Light Load Member

    68
    11
    Jan 8, 2011
    Marietta, GA
    0
    Thanks Clare Dog, I did look them up and there not hiring any drivers according to there website under there search for job category. Thanks again for the heads up, that would of been a good job to jump on!!!!
     
  8. Cynical Driver

    Cynical Driver <strong>"Eternal Cynic"</strong>

    237
    36
    Aug 27, 2006
    Wisconsin
    0
    Seriously, do some checking around before you say something and then claim it's fact. There are ways to get home every weekend, even as a new driver. Roehl has several options; the best home-time of which is out for 14 days, home for 7. You do sacrifice some money with the home-time, but for someone with a newborn baby, it just may be worth it to only miss 2/3 of the growing stages, rather than 95&#37;.

    Keep this in mind: NEVER stop checking. In this industry, someone could quit that outfit tomorrow, and unless you check on Thursday, you'd never know it. Even when you do find a place to start off, keep an eye out. Vigilant people win the race, not fast people.
     
  9. chompi

    chompi Road Train Member

    5,653
    3,485
    Jun 21, 2008
    Deland, FL
    0
    Hey Cynical, SERIOUSLY get some experience before calling me out! Your ears are barely wet newbie! You must know way more about the industry then me right! I've been driving for 15 years and have owned my own trucks for 10. I am also retired and you are still learning the business. Now SERIOUSLY go home!
     
  10. zaptear

    zaptear Medium Load Member

    502
    171
    Nov 30, 2010
    vermont
    0
    i work for pepsi. on avg i make 1100 a week. but i work 12-14hrs a day 5 days a week. but it is mon-fri weekends off. but you will bust your ### for every doller you make
     
  11. Rerun8963

    Rerun8963 Road Train Member

    3,917
    2,012
    Mar 30, 2006
    ova-hereee
    0
    many OTR companies will TRY and get someone home for the weekend...and as we all know, a "trucker's weekend" is any 2 consecutive days off.... one should also live with-in the travel lanes of the company as well....getting home once or twice during the week may NOT be that easy a job to get. as jobs are tight now, many drivers are not job hopping as they used to. the o/p has a new kid, and wants to be home what seems like daily....good luck to him, those jobs are not as available as many think they are.

    also, he very well may have to go for some re-training, and if he hires on with an OTR company, he may very well be away for some time before his first home time is due. then let's not forget, the freight is always going to be MORE important to the company.

    i question why he got the license years ago, but never made use of it till now....???

    did he think things back then weren't good enough and now he thinks it is...???
     
  • Truckers Report Jobs

    Trucking Jobs in 30 seconds

    Every month 400 people find a job with the help of TruckersReport.