Older (60) Retired Military (Marines) Getting Into Trucking

Thanks Kdz Bop

That sounds awesome. I hadn't considered Werner. But I'll be looking into it. Not particularly looking to drive teams. Hard enough finding someone to live with and stay married to.

A partner of mine at work use try I drive teams with his brother for Schneider. But old Ron is on about his fourth DUI.

In Alabama your fifth gets you a stay in the state penitentiary.

But? I could see the advantage of perhaps teaming up with a veteran and more seasoned driver after you completed your initial training. Thinking your done and have completed your INITIAL TRAINING DOESNT MAKE YOU A TRUCK DRIVER.

It simply means you've acquired the basics and fundamentals to operate a, truck.

For example graduation from Marine Corps boot camp doesn't necessarily make you a Marine. In sorts it does in that you demonstrated you posses the BASIC knowledge and skills to be a Marine.

Half of the 36,000 Marine recruits that go through Marine Corps are sent home for one reason or another within one year of signing the contract.

The No. # 1 reason?

Failure to adapt to military life.

Sound familiar?

Me? Myself? It took me a good two years of sucking it up, and dealing with it, the day to day.

After try that? Piece of cake.

I was younger then, (18 ~ 20) I figure a good solid year at least, if not more before I've adapted fully to the lifestyle.

If less? Great!

I don't expect to be making a killing starting out. The lowest I've seen is $17k. MEAN Average somewhere between $30 to $40k? Leaning more toward the $30k. I'm low balling it at $28,500 gross.

I intend to be very frugal, and cautious.
Hypervigilent and hyper attentive. But not so much it impeds my performance.

I'm sure I'll set some world record for GOALing

 

When it cones to civilian companies?

I trust none of them!


Regardless of the industry

ITS ALL ABOUT $$$$$

 

I'm in Mississippi at the moment. Then back to Alabama x 2 weeks and then back to Mississippi for two weeks, possibly three.

I intend to work, sleep, study while the wife is over here in Mississippi and back in Alabama.

And soon as I can get my ducks in a line, I'm going to make my move. Not too worried about a lot of the issues that a lot of people getting into the business contend with

There's always Murphy's law as well as the Law of Unintended Consequences.

I'm DEFINITELY not allowing myself the luxury of thinking that just because I did X, Y, and Z in life (I. e. ~ 20 years in the Marine Corps) doesn't equate into going into trucking as a, walk in the park

Truth be told? I may be a ###### good Marine, Manufacturing Production ~ Assembly Supervisor, yada~yada,.......

The fact of the matter is I'm going to be a complete incompetent as a truck driver. And will be for quite some time.

I've a lot to learn, a steap learning curve to overcome quick, fast and in a hurry like.

I'm confident I can Master it given time.

I've been wanting, needing, and looking for an "Out" for quite some time.

 

Thanks ChinaTown. I'm going to do that very thing first of next week.

I'll feel Millis is the right fit. But, I know I need multiple back up plains.

Per my military experience and experience in Life in general I know,......

"Anything that can go wrong? WILL GO WRONG!"

"LIFE IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU MAKE OTHER PLANS! "

 

In my experience? In manufacturing in the Deep South, especially your smaller family owned businesses? There's making a profit, and there's unbridled greed.

I worked at one plant that manufacturef architecturL columns and milwork.

They employed

~ Prison Work Release
~ Welfare to Work (Mostly women who had been in Government assistance all their lives, but whose children are now growan and they themselves are pasd the child bearing age)
~School to work, (Think of someone who has been in school longer than 12 years and STILL cannot earn a diploma, but a certificate of attendance)

The owner told me, "We, don't want to pay much more than $6.50 an hour. (Back when minimum wage was $5.15 an hour), we wouldn't even pay that we're it not for Wiley Sanders, (Wiley owns MUCH MORE than JUST Wiley Sanders Truck Lines. There's TWO plastic recycling plants on Troy, AL. A plastic paint can manufacturing plant in Troy, and about 8 to 10 other plastic recycling plants scattered throughout the USA. He also own the No. #2 battery lead recycling plant in the nation and had 98% of the southeastern battery market from Maryland through Missouri and Texas. A lot of what his trucks haul is batteries and plastic in, and the recycled plastic and lead out. )

Anyway he told me "We don't want to pay much more than $6.50 an hour, we wouldn't even pay that if it weren't for Wiley Sanders, just enough to buy you an old car to get you back and forth to work, rent you an old shack or used trailer, buy yourself some clothes and groceries from the dollar store, maybe Walmart if your good with your money. "

Another plant that manufacturers plastic food grade containers. You start out there at minimum wage, and in so long as you work there. Be it a day or fifteen years or the rest of your life? You will NEVER, EVER receive a pay raise.

Other plants I've worked at and know of? Once you've "capped" out per your poistion and pay grade, (usually not much more than around $10 per hour) you'll never receive another pay raise ~ not even a cost of living) in so long as you work there.

The plant I currently work for is forgein owned. A Korean automotive metal parts stamping and assembly plant.

Korean maintenance men, (Not management, MAINTENANCE MEN) earn close to or in excess of $100k a year and live in exclusive, gated communities forty ~ fifty miles from the plant in two story excuatuce homes worth $450 to $500k, (in Alabama? That kind of cash gets to you a two story, 5000 to 6000 square foot house and a large lot in town, twenty or thirty acres in rural areas. With an in grown pool and hot tubs, and a three or four car garage.)

American counterparts don't make that kind of $$$.

There's making a profit, and there's being greedy to the expense of the people that's making you profitable?

Are there trucking companies that do tbe same? You betcha!

We've all heard of "The customer comes first! "

Wrong! Take care of your employees and they'll be falking all over themselves to take care if customers. (Excluding the maladjusted, sub performers etc. But thats where a goid screening - hiring process comes in, and a little simething called good management and leadership.

Bottom line?

Good work isn't cheap!

Cheap work isn't good!

You get what you pay for!

That's why you have some truck drivers EARNING the six figures income they do living in neighborhoods than most can't afford to live.

 

I don't indulge in "Pie In The Sky" fantasies. I try and keep myself well grounded on the ground.

It's been my experience that if it's too good to be true? Take a closer look, a much closer look.

A lot of people get to where they're at in part because of being in the right place at the right time and knowing the right people or having the right people in their network and knowing the right people.

My sin in law married into a family that has for decades earned a living on tow boats on the Mississippi River and it's tributaries.

He started out as deck hand, worked his way up to tankerman, then pilot, then relief captain, and now captain. He now earns as much or more in two months than many do in a year.

My Son started out as a gopher ~ grounds man for an electrical line contractor that backs up power companies after hurricanes and such.

Everything he knows about electricity, high voltage, transformers? He learned OJT.

Through contacts? He got a job as a nuclear power plant operator. He told them he didn't know anything about running a nuclear power plant!

Don't worry. Your experienced and know about high voltage, well send you to school and teach you the rest.

The wife and I have an opportunity here in Mississippi to live in a three bedroom, two bath brick home rent free, just pay utilities.

I've an opportunity to work for a logging outfit here in Mississippi earning $1000 a, week net once I get 3 years experience under my belt (insurance).

That's my attraction to truck driving. Pass the DOT physical and keep your DAC as clean as possible?

You can find a job!

Be willing and / or capable of doing what others can't or won't?

You can find a job!

Be willing to be more a part of someone's elses solution to their problems, answer to their questions?

You can find a job.

And an upside potential to earn more than just a subsistence living

 

Going to call the Millis Transfer recruiters this week. Also check into tbe ones out of Evergreen, Alabama and Cuba Alabama.

Things get too hairy? There's a DefCon IV (4) button I can push? (DefCon IV is in reference to the term the Strategic Air Command uses for all out, complete nuclear war. Full on retataitory strike.
M. A. D. ~ Mutual Assured Destruction.
You don't win, but neither does the other guy)

I could, at least in theory contact one of the predatory bottom dwellers of the financial markets such as J. D. Wentworth and go with what is termed as "discount of tbe present value of an annuity" (my military retirement) in which they put $10K into my account tomorrow, but in turn take so much of my military retirement each month X five years.

In short? I would take in $10,000 less taxes, and what would basically be a term lifr insurance policy, ( should I kick the bucket before the end of the five years?). I might net $7 to 8K out of the deal?

They would on tbe other hand lock in a n easy $25k at the end of the 5 year term!

It would be an increadebly stupendous stupid thing for me to do.

The upside to is that it IS a catalyst from where I'm currently at? And where I want and need to be.

As tempting as it is? It's really something you'd want to do after you've left you've left the Doctors office and having been told your stage four, go home and write out your will, and try to enjoy the few months you have left.