To all wanna-be's and soon-to-be's!

Hey...that's my line! I was wondering what happened to you, glad you got the game figured out...I remember when you first were getting started...BTW did you eat the cheese we sent you from the happy CA cows?

 

Cant wait to see em, I plan on going to school for my CDL in the next few weeks, If I pass my physical and all (why have a six pack when you can have a keg?). Once I start, I will document my journey and share my experiences also.

 

Hey! I never said I had the game figured out, I am at a much deeper knowledge deficit now that I am in my own truck than before. My attitude and approach have changed. Now, I choose who I goto for advice and knowledge. I spent this weekend in Greenville, Ms at a small rundown cafe/truckstop. I was lucky to be stranded with an o/o of a shiny pete who shared a plethora of good maintenance and operation information with me. He is my age but has been driving about 38 years. He was open and honest and shared freely those things that have always worked for him. Based on his personality and the sheen on his rig, I believe he was credible.

I was lucky. I found a cherry one owner with 400k on her for $30k. My car cost more than my truck. I financed her for 30 months. I just found the radio remote and the seat heaters this weekend. I also got the key fobs working for the door locks. The only real problem I have is a minor air leak that I need to have fixed when I get back to CA.

The videos are a comin. I have already been shooting. First task is to recall my dispatcher remarks. The dispatcher I have is fabulous. The difference is a small company that is team oriented. OK, so the fact that I can take my toys and go home if I'm not happy might have a little to do with it.

Happy cows! My mother-in-law always wonders, when we drive by a dairy if the cow that won the contest is amongst the heard! My youngest son is our chef and has mastered the use of a Three Sisters hard cheese with a pasta dish he created.

Big change to the video production... the sound will be done by Motive Recordings. Although this fourth video may not show a lot of audio magic as time permits and production schedules are developed the audio will begin to sound more professional and trick.

Thanks for everyones support. Don't hesitate to email me at msublette1@att.net with your requests and comments. I make no promises but do my best to answer all emails. Lostsoul and the Spoiled Pooch production team is always listening.

 

hey im gonna be going to a school in MN soon too and im planning on going to DCTC in rosemount is this school better or worse then the one your going to?? i did some research and it seams to be the best in MN

 

I went to a community college in Tampa, got hired right out of school (had to change my address to GA technically even though I still live in Tampa), have been OTR for almost a year and after my year...on to greener pastures.

 

Agreed.

Sidenote: The funny thing about unemployment as it relates to trucking is that larger companies can use DAC to justify not paying you unemployment insurance -- which means that you'd prolly be better off if unemployment insurance didn't exist.

Worth peating and repeating. Is it possible to get a trucking job that brings you home every weekend, or even every day? Sure. It's also possible you'll win the lottery.

Too many newbies' expectations are way too high, my own included, at the outset. Too-high expectations make a difficult job harder to do.

I'm sorry to hear that. A friend of mine (met him in orientation) had a similar experience. My dumb butt stayed there for two years, and it wasn't an awful experience altogether; in fact, I think it's very good training to be stuck with the electronic logs.

But it's best to have no illusions about the big dogs.

Good luck to you.

Heh, the sad part is, I would have traded my five-week, $4,000 school for a two-week course if it had had more trucks.

As it was, I spent 40 hours a week for four weeks standing around in a yard watching eighty people try to share two trucks. Only reason I got drive time at all was that most of the students left as soon as they possibly could, and I stayed late.

Oddly enough, I was also one of the only people who paid for the course. Almost everyone else was there on a state employment-training program.

 

I bet that hand might have been a taxpayer too, better the money goes to training rather than some bs other country, or some professional welfare drawer. More power to him.

 

I hope all you guys that are just starting out in school realize that the school is there for basically one reason. To get your CDL. There won't be that much training on how to drive a truck. Your knowledge will be limited to what's in the DMV book for CMV. So whatever you pay the lowest will be the best.

Your real training begins with your first job. So this is where you'll either get screwed or make out. If you're lucky and get a good driver trainer that's been out there for awhile and has a good ability to teach then you're ahead of the game. But if you get a driver trainer that doesn't know one end from another on the truck and is doing the training for the extra money then you are the one that is going to suffer. You'll find it extremely hard to learn because basically it will be up to you to find out on your own.

Keep this in mind when you find you first job and beware of the idiot trainers that can hurt you more than help you. If you have a choice of who you go with, pick the one that knows. Ask some questions and if he's or she's worth anything they will not mind the questions. It's your career and not theirs. If you do not have any say on who you go with then you'll need to be aware of the bad points and keep track of what is being told to you. Always keep a notebook. Write the good along with the bad.

 

Sigh.....

What part of the last sentence in my post that you quoted do you fail to comprehend?

I don't mind the expense if it get's a person a job that they stay with long enough to repay the tax payer loan he got.

But I also know that most nube truckers don't last the 1st year.