What would you do?

This is the place. To start with stop blaming other for your short comings. SO you can't drive a 13 speed. You can learn but who cares.

SWIFT is one of the best places to go for training anyway, I send friends and relatives to SWIFT and it has worried out well for most of them.

Here you go some advice to help you in this industry.

1. Grow up accept responsibility for where you are, what your doing or not doing.

2. Stop whining, it is not going to help. If you don't like it, change it.

3. Everyday is a new day, don't drag yesterdays problems and attitudes into tomorrow.

4. Learn to take it with a smile, never let them see you sweat.

There is a lot worse situations. GO over to SWIFT or Schneider get your experience and move on down the road.

 

I'm a little younger, 46, but in the same position as you and found the complete opposite here...I don't expect to make a mint to start and realize I have to work hard and EXCEL but tens of thousands before us have done it so I believe I can to...I am also not going into this with rose colored glasses, I have read enough to know things, some beyond my control, will happen and possibly set me back...It's not just a pay for school, go to orientation and expect all to go exactly as I would like, it's possible but not guaranteed...And if t first I don't succeed, I'll try again...

We all have different experiences, I have spoken with tons of recruiters over the last few days and I don't think any one of them lied to me, if anything, I thought they were very upfront and didn't waste my time...I'm willing to start at the bottom, build my experience with my license to learn and do what I can to make the most out of it...I wish you the best of luck and hope that after getting this off your chest you'll jump back in the fray and keep at it...

 

well........finally someone agrees with what i have been TRYING TO SAY so many times........!!!!!

every time i try to "discourage" a wannabe, someone here (or on another board) will jump in and ask me why i am so NEGATIVE towards a trucking career.........

and as i have stated a "few times", i am a truck driver instructor.........!!

i only have 20+ years and 1.75 million safe miles, so this doesn't allow me to be so vocal about the industry i suppose.

but sadly, you have stated many things that ARE TRUE, like age discrimination for one. yes, and "older" person WOULD BE more reliable than a younger one, as older people very often have responsibilities like a MORTGAGE....!! you don't work, you are homeless. the younger single no strings attached wannabe's just don't see that. so one would "think" the companies would want older people, that actually WANT TO WORK.

also, a career change works best (in my opinion) when done years earlier, like mid 30's for instance. when a person is our age, the companies KNOW we just ain't gonna be pushed around or stay too long. we are thinking RETIREMENT........~~~~!!!!!!!

trucking will continue to be a BS job, one in which i need to add, that I NEED in order to get a weekly paycheck. do i tell my students they will get a job right out of school........??

NO, i do not. i tell them, "go knock on some doors, go walk in, go online, do what YOU NEED to do to get a job, and hang in there"

some of what you had done anyways yourself.

many of us talk about the lies, yet so many still wannabe truckers........

you now KNOW, there IS NO SHORTAGE of truckers. why the US Guberment says so, or recommends one become a trucker i don't know, except to think more "cash cows" will be there for the pickin's later.........

i feel for you my friend, it was tough for sure. and till the day i die, i will continue to carefully recommend trucking as a career to some people, and go full throttle encouraging others, and turn away as many as i can......at other times..............

i hope you find something else. for me, this is it, i am near retirement (as you are), so i ain't about to start looking again for something else.

i can recommend to you though, maybe a "yardman's job" or dock work. each pay good, and you never get to see the road except driving to and from work.

also, if you have a college degree, you can probably apply for a dispatchers job as well, or OS&D.

good luck, and if you only knew how happy i am you "blew off some steam"................

 

You joined months ago, with all this information at hand, and still went to a CDL mill?

 

You've got a great attitude but why would you settle with the lowest right off the bat? Don't you even want to try for the better companies? To me If I were doing it all over again I'd want to cover all the bases so I could make a good sound decision when it's time to go to work.

You have to get out there and search out some jobs. That means knowing what type of driving you want and what type of company you want. Get a list of companies in your area and go see them. That's the first thing I'd do. I'd do that because there's a lot of companies that do not advertise for drivers and you might walk into a great job because they are looking right when you're there. Then you still have some old time thinkers like me and believe if you can not come out and see me then you don't want the job very much. I could need 10 drivers but I told every driver that called me we were not hiring.

I wouldn't let anything get in my way if I found a company I really liked. Even if they were not hiring I'd still ask what I could do to help me get hired on with that company. A lot of times companies know other companies that are hiring and may send you over there. That will show that company you'll really serious about the job and they just might remember hiring time.

The whole point here is to try for the best first. Exhaust all your avenues this way before moving a notch down and applying on line. And last comes the recruiters and the bottom feeders. There's nothing wrong in working for these companies for most people but for me I'd like to know I tried everything I could to get a job and did not SETTLE.

 

Well let me add that you guys make it sound easy to get on with the GOD companies. It's not! I looked up all of the applications I have filled out today and counted 46 for good companies. Now for the good part I applied with Joe Brown and they are at least looking at my records and trying to hire me. all I have found on this company has been good and seems to be a great place to work. Now all I need is a little help from above and I'll be back out there with ya all.

 

I really have to strongly agree with Rerun, well put man! Just wanted to add to that, trucking companies can afford to weed you guys out because there are so many of you resorting to trucking, I guess to due to the economy. I don't mean "you guys" to anyone particular so don't take it as that means you. Trucking by no means is easy, it is very, very tough and very few make a success of it. There are some companies that I think are plain making up crap when it comes to recruiting. I have actually dabbled a little in the recruiting area lately and have found out some new driver sorting techniques. But anyway trucking just in general can afford to pick who they want now and replace the current "ding dongs" that are out there driving. It's almost as the CSA 2010 was enacted to help them do this (conspiracy theory?) So if you are not aiming for the bottom feeders you need to be at the top of your game! Just like any other job. An experienced money making trucker is a HARDCORE individual! Not only is the person a business hustler but it is someone that also possess the skill to survive on the road! Kind of like a traveling salesman that doesn't get the luxury of a hotel and works 24/7! If you are not the type of individual that is all these things, a go-getter and mechanically inclined then your chances of survival just depleted immensely! When trucking does get to wear on you or you have an extremely bad day you have to have the mental capability of just dealing with it because there is no escape unlike leaving the office for the day.
As for the person who started this thread, all these guys above have some good advice but realistically you have chosen a hell of a career to embark on! You either "got it" or don't! There really is no in between. My advice would be not to be so hard on yourself and sit down and reason with yourself about whether or not this is really for you. Remember that not everyone can be an airline pilot or an engineer or an artist or be a surgeon with a steady hand even though they have the smarts for it! There is also a fine line between what I just said and "giving up"! So discuss with yourself and don't consider you a quitter just because truck driving isn't for you. You are only a quitter if you stop TRYING at making something of yourself! Good luck not sure it that is what you wanted out of this post.

 

i'm always trying chompi