What did YOU do before driving a land barge?

serial killer

 

Cook at a resort hotel for two years
Delivered drywall,lumber,roofing supplies and appliances for Lowe's for 3 yrs
Delivered bottled water and coffee for ten years
Snack food for one year
Health Insurance Agent one year
Back to delivering lumber for a year

Got my class A Aug 07. OTR driver for Transport America since 9/07

 

Let me say first of all, that my mother asked me when I was 4, what did I want to be when I grew up? My family has a long military history and my father was in the communications game with GTE, so my mother was quite surprised when my answer was simply, I want to be a truck driver. Well, at 12 I started working for the farmer who leased my families land doing odd jobs like stacking hay bales and such. Then when I was 14 I got a job as an attendant at the laundry mat in town, you'll meet alot of interesting people in there on a saturday night! I then worked as a dishwasher for the rest of my high school days at a local steakhouse. Once I was 18, I went to work for a guy driving single axle dumps at a little stone and mulch yard just up the road from me. I did this on and off for three years while also trying my hand at landscaping. At 21, I went to work for a garage and became an ase certified tech. This shop serviced cars and BIG trucks. The one afternoon I had to bring in the owners brothers truck. It was the first time that I had ever moved a big truck. I was instantly hooked. I loved the feel of all of the power and the size of that machine! I found a job in the paper for a regional expedite position that didn't require a cdl(26 foot straight trucks). I applied and was hired within a few days. I spent a year or two delivering "piggy-back craddles" to truck manufacturers all over the east. My favorite was the Volvo plant in Dublin Va. I decided to get out of that job when they wanted to start requiring that we stay out for a minimum of 1 week at a time and they would "find" us freight to haul. I had just gotten married and had become a father to my three young step-kids and didn't want to be away that long so I came home. I then got my cdl and went to work for a straight truck dump company hauling exclusively to homesites. Well we know how that went. I was required to sit in the yard whether there was any work or not from 6 am untill 5 pm and then the truck owner would scream at his drivers for not hauling loads, like it was our fault. I hung in there but the winter was brutal. I bought a van and tried doing expedite by my self, but couldn't compete so I sold the van and went flatbedding. That wound up putting a strain on the marriage, so I found a guy at church who was running semi dumps for the premier concrete company in northern Ohio, so I've been there ever since. There's the life story, enjoy!!

 

I might be wrong here, but it sounds to me like you've been REALLY blessed, 18WheelDumpTrucker.
Am I wrong?

Very interesting story.
Thanx for sharing it with us.
And even BIGGER Thanx for being a super-dad.
That sure gains my respect.
Yes it does.

 

I don't know about being a super dad, but I try as best I can. I have been very blessed. I have an extremely strong wife, she has to be, she married ME!! She's extremely supportive and is an awesome mother. Of course, now comes the stress. The kids are Tony 14, Emily 13, and Alexis soon to be 12. All going to be teens at the same time!! What have I gotten myself into!!!

 

That's all we ask.

Ahh-HA!
I just happen to know a solution to your situation ........
YuP!
Have that "strong" wife of your's start postin' here, too. You'll both be amazed at the positive results THAT will deliver.

Consider this an invitation for her to join the fun.

 

1.cut grass
2.washed dishes,resturant
3.delivered auto parts
4.bowling alley,nights,60 hours,plus high school
5.machine shop,welding shop
6.auto repair
7.truck stop,fueling and tire repair
8.bartender
9.trucker,liked it better than the above,never looked back

 

1. Spent a summer in the Youth Conservation Corps building campsites and hiking trails for the BLM and BOR.

2. Worked for Stokely Van Camps for a short time in high school in the corn cannery.

3. Worked in a gas station junior and senior year pumpin' gas, fixin' tires, and some light mechanical work.

4. Worked in the peach orchards for awhile packing the fruit for shipment.

5. Spent 10 years in the Air Force in the Security Police, guarding nukes, aircraft, and weapons storage areas. 4 years special duty to Korea as a Stinger gunner/team chief.

6. Worked for a year in a grocery warehouse loading and driving straight trucks.

7. Worked in a computer chip plant for 13 years inspecting product for manufacturing defects.

8. Now I drive for a local company making 2-3 trips per week to Portland, OR, and back, hauling bread, pies, sometimes bottled water, and flour for Safeway bakeries in a 53' van and either a Freightliner or International tractor.

 

I dont know if I can remember that far back...plus thats alot of info, but I'll give it a shot.

1. Pumped gas at the 'Big T' truck stop at 14 (lied about my age).
2. Worked 2 weeks as a phone solicitor.
3. Worked at Shoprite as stocker/cart collector.
4. Worked for mobile powerwashing company, truck detailer.
5. Delivered auto parts.
6. Plastic plant - Machine operator, forklift operator
7. Machine operator for company making parts for auto tranny's.
8. Machine operator making composite intakes for Ford & GM.
9. Drove RC Cola truck, tandem and tri-axle dumps.
10. Drove OTR for Swift & Maverick.
11. Leased truck from ATS Specialized.
12. CNC machine operator.
13. Shipping dept in book warehouse.
14. Machine operator for company making parts for auto tranny's.
15. Heading back out onto the big road June 16th.

 

My Grandfather owned a logging company out of Corvallis Oregon, I had my first chain saw before I had my first two whelled bike. I don't remember when I started setting chockers, I guess must have been jounior High, chased landing . and even topped a few trees and spent time falling timber. Joined the service and spent six yrs, got out and moved to Alaska. spent 11 yrs there at that time I started driving 10 yd end dumps , semi end dumps,water wagons,flat beds and anything else with wheels on it. Came back to Oregon and drove log trucks for several yrs till I started driving line . been on the road ever since.