Picking bugs off of you

The only other person I can think of that referred to them selves in the third person was a character form the old television series Seinfeld, Jimmy. I can understand where you are coming from. What comes to mind is what a poster said was you get all types of humanity in trucking and seen that in going to trucking school.

I guess you should have trusted your instincts and quite reading in the beginning. The Mrs. and myself really feel bad about the twenty minutes you lost and are going to see what we can do to help you get it back, decided to ask in our prayers, so may-be the next close call or at the end of your life, it’s up to God, but hope he gives it back. My guess you’ll be back and please except my sincere thanks for wishing me good luck Highrisk and hope all your travels are safe.

 

Jjack,

I know first hand what happened in the construction industry. Every ones situations in life different and everyone effected by the decline in economy is feeling it including my self. I would think by your post you should qualify on the requirements. I do know that here in Michigan the funding was by counties and I lucked out that there was no waiting list in my county.

　
On May 8, 2009 President Obama announced that individuals receiving unemployment compensation will receive special consideration for financial aid to pay for training or education for displaced workers. In Michigan it was introduced as the No Worker Left Behind program in August of 2007. I’m not sure what it is in your area in Pa., so I would check with your unemployment agency and be ready to check your pride and deal with the process. Once you get into it, it’s not as difficult as it seems. I have read here in this forum that other people used it under a term WIA in other states.


My advice to you is if trucking is something your seriously considering don’t waste a day. Start by spending some time using your internet search and look for post or blogs that others have used to see if it is available in Pa. I would then call or go down to the unemployment agency and get a date for the orientation for using the program that is part of the process here in Michigan, this could take a week or weeks to get a date for orientation. After the orientation you need to attend a work shop class, could be another week. Now I dealt with a couple of people who were like the one lady you talked about but once I had a case worker it was a lot better. I was able to cut down the length of time it took because the fact it was trucking school some of the classes that are required aren’t necessary and the unemployment agency will not tell you that, be persistent, you can catch more bee’s with honey than vinegar when dealing with unemployment. Also don’t apply for the pell grants until you have the case worker as if the determination comes back you qualify, you might not be able to use the WIA. I would also look into schools right away or apply to the big box companies on line as called on this forum and get pre-hire letters to cut down on the length of time as that is part of the process here in Michigan. You can also look at truck company paid schooling if you have too as last resort.


The economy along with any decent jobs are rough for a great many people and being around the same age and realizing our jobs are not coming back soon if ever. I am assuming your unemployed and collecting unemployment so I wouldn’t waste a day. I know every ones says good luck but it’s more than that it’s faith, determination and acceptance of your situation to change it and it’s not easy. I know I ramble but was honestly trying to help ya ..cliché Good Luck

 

　
Well it’s been a long time since I posted, But haven’t forgotten this forum. But I decided to post an update for any who might have followed my little novel.
Well against all advice on here about the big box companies, Yes I went with one and for the smart ones you properly know which one.

My worst nightmare came thru on my trainer but I stuck it out. I will admit I did ask for a new one on my second week after lets say a stressful final. But you cool off and always feel better after getting to pee after 11 hours of non stop driving, good thing they never called back to ask me if I really wanted a new trainer. I just wonder why when we were team driving and I turn the wheel over with a 4 or 6 hour window I always had to drive to final with 26 or 30 minutes late when it got back to me to run it in. I will admit he did know how to make up minutes.
I know he made fun of my fruit salad lunches and not eating in the truck stops, on occasions I did eat some buffets. In five weeks I had five showers, I refused to take showers at terminals they were disgusting for the most part.

I just wonder if I would have trusted my instincts the very first moment I meet him and turned around.
He was about 11 hours late picking me up at the terminal and when he finally called he said to meet him out by the dumpster. Well he was cleaning a place for me to sit. He was over weight long stringy hair and missing most of his teeth, I could hardly understand a word he said, partly his draw and the other his pronunciations of the English language, yes he was white and American. But he couldn’t find his money papers and thought he might have thrown them in the dumpster. Well since I was an able person I climb into the dumpster and looked threw the trash, boy I was glad to hear “ why donch ta ent limb on ack up ere in the eat” “ere my appers”. Well the first night I sleep on a foot of trash atop my sleeping bag.
I mean he did know how to drive a truck and after getting used to him I kind of got to like him and understand him.

Even when he was barrowing money from me I just keep tract of it until I couldn’t give no more.
I just couldn’t see how the lease or owner op however you look at it was broke all the time. So I started asking questions as why he was so broke he had to barrow my money. Comes out he made 168k last year and ended up 20k in the hole with this big box company. So I keep an eye on our runs and did the math and told him he should be making money even with his fuel cost. I told him every penny he earned besides his lease pymt went to the truck stops. I seen all his advances and what he was spending it on,,,I guess old habits are hard to break, and he did pay me back.

I was his 13th student and he didn’t really want to mentor/train,, never taught me a darn thing on backing always in a hurry,, never taught me how to downshift his 13 speed,( it was his last student that taught me in ten minutes while he was drunk passed out in the back in the middle of the night, we had stop to give his last student a ride to pick up his truck) only wanted me to float and not double clutch. Not really a problem on floating gears as I kind of do both now.

He was always complaining about how sick he was of driving on the go all the time. I finely had enough of his complaining and I said right after we deliver this stolen trailer we’re going to your house and dropping off your #### and turning the truck in. Comes to find out he is homeless and lives out of his truck.. Hummmm. Ah,, ah,, he had 16 more months lease pymts and then an blood pay off,,,yes I said blood, ,and yes we had a stolen trailer. He was burned out and lost his passion and didn’t care about himself or his truck. His teeth that he had left we’re giving him pain and I gave him my pain meds that I had incase I needed them..and he stop the talking about turning his truck in after that and even clean up his truck a bit, I think he was just in pain with his teeth.

I could go on and on about this part of the saga but I will tell you he was the first to jump out and help a fellow driver with tandems or anything he could thru the radio too. I did learn something in the end
I didn’t want to end up like him, burnt out and oweing the comapny. Yes he failed to prepare me for the best interest of the general public and my new employer. But the one that is really to blame in my honest opinion is my employer, their the ones that hire inexperienced new drivers with out any emphasis on qualifying the mentor.

Well this was months ago now, I went on to become a company driver. I am doing alright as far as the driving but I don’t like the company much . They are masters at Deceit, Intimidations and Manipulations. I haven’t been doing this long enough to quite figure out their games yet. I try to stay away from terminals and don’t take incoming calls form them any more, if it isn’t on their little box it doesn’t across either way, beep.. I learned my lesson. I still have a long way to go but its only been 10 weeks on my own. Is it what I thought it was going to be, Yes and no as the grass is always greener on the other side,, the side I want to be on.


On my second home time since out on my own and haven’t had the time to keep up on the post and the grass needed mowing, family to visit and time to sleep in our own bed was far more important. These are the things that new drivers are going to have to adjust too, it’s not just a job it’s a life style and it’s going to be what you make of it, I’m still adjusting and pondering if it’s worth it all, every one (other drivers says it get easier) says to least give it a year. For the most part this is true as it is easier than when I first went out on my own. It will be a cold cold day before I become enslaved to the company lease program. I did learn more than I thought from my mentor. I stop at truck stops but don’t spend a dime at them other than scales and maybe fuses … I don’t take advances, cook and eat in the truck and get out and walk every day. It’s miles that equal money and a faster truck would help, some day I am going to pass something,, the day is coming so do my time and I’m out of there, every day is a new learning experience and there is a lot to learn that you don’t learn in CDL school, all I can say thank all you drivers who have given advice and help to me while on my own and to the ones who played the pass me if you can game, I’m not stupid doesn’t bother me I can’t go any faster and is entertaining.. As you always get board in a few miles and I usually pass you when your in the rest area or a truck stop anyway.

So for you new guys getting into trucking hope you like it and stick it out…it’s not a ride to the park that’s for sure, say goodbye to home and living out of a dirty box of someone’s else grap, getting your new home clean and realize how little you can live on, all while learning just how much you don’t know. Some days are going to suck big time and then there are the days it’s a breeze, trust me it can change in a heart beat..