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Location: Moose Jaw, in between the Moose's butt and nose.
5,152 posts, read 8,525,155 times
Reputation: 2038
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I way too often, thanks to just enough brain farts to get me into trouble, at way too many jobs this year, think about doing something stupid, but I am too afraid to do so,which is a good thing, but why am I going thru what I've gone thru this year, just to get into a field and learn a valuable skill that I actually, overall, like?
I tried trucking in 2009, went to a CDL school. It took me almost 10 weeks though, once I finished school, to find employment. That was enough time for some things I learned in school to wear off and I (even though I passed the same test to get into their training) was washed out by a major company after 3 weeks of training after failing the final road test. The economy, though, was real bad back then and companies were pickier.
I worked outside the industry from 2010-13. The state Vocational Rehabilitation Dept. paid for a refresher course for me (I have serious ADD). 4 weeks this past Winter. Backing was the only thing I really struggled with, but even that wasn't a total loss, I could back straight and offline without any real issues. Since my UI Benefits ran out though, I tried to drive for this Mom and Pop outfit while finishing my last week in school. I was with them for about 3 weeks, but, when I did my 2nd day alone, my truck broke down. Since it was a Mom and Pop company, they didn't bother replacing it or even putting me in a rental. Then, unbelievably, my Mom was stricken with a ultra aggressive form of Cancer and she passed away 2 months later (this past April). Since that was out of state, I had no chance to work at that time (even if it was in state, I'm sure, I couldn't have worked since family comes first). So, that turned out to be almost 3 months between the time, I stopped working at the one Mom and Pop where the truck broke down and finally finishing the school and getting a chance to drive with another company (Major Regional). Almost like 2009, where that's enough time off for what little skill you have to possibly wear off.
Well, that didn't work out after only 3 weeks. Some dispatcher went rigid on me in training and said that (even though I had no accidents or incidents) that "your backing is poor" and "you were late once". Even if I was late once, what company fires someone after being late one time? Again, I still was able to back, the basic backs, into docks, but what got me into trouble, was my 2 weeks, with 2 trainers, where the backs were mostly difficult angle backs, instead of straight backs into loading docks. I had that changed, though, to a voluntary quit, since, HR, agreed with me, that was an overreach for the safety manager to do that, without talking to HR first. 4 weeks, later, I tried with a huge national company, my backing was a big (or big enough) issue to get me into trouble there, even though, I did pass their road test, which included angle backing, to move into the 2nd week. However, I didn't like one practice they did on the account (thought it was clearly unsafe), while I may have jumped the gun a bit on that one, I quit, since the signs didn't look good, but again, the procedure on the account, about unloading, was very unsafe.
I took the rest of the summer off, with the hopes I could find someone to help me with backing, before I tried one more time. Even if it was just for a Class B (Box Truck) position. A Company that's big on the West Coast, called me to interview for that. However, the Terminal Manager told me to accept a Class A since "it pays more". This would come back to bite me later. I was okay with Class B, since, even though that may have hurt me in the long run for OTR driving, at least I would have got experience, being in a commercial vehicle, so I could, drive for the garbage trucks, Fed Ex, UPS and even this company, if nothing else.
My trainer was a something that sounds with glass, but I still passed the road test, under him, that involved a back or two. These people, though, had the nerve to tell me, after only 1.5 weeks, on my own, that my "production" (for local city driving) was too low. I say, had the nerve, since, you would think for someone who was as inexperienced as I was, that the only concern for the company would have been safety, even if I was as slow as a turtle, but not making errors, like taking the wrong pup or going to the wrong address, all the time. Since, then, I admit, I cut a few corners, like not actually checking to locking pin with a flashlight, since I felt more under the gun to make more deliveries. Well today, sadly, I high hooked a trailer. While the only damage was to the back of the cab (cosmetic, tractor still drives), which was a big dent, this company, has a no preventable accidents during probation policy. I'm standing by, for an official verdict, but, sadly, it, even per the union rep, doesn't look good. Probationary employees, with this company, officially, have no rights whatsoever. Even though, my only clear weakness was my backing (production is open to interpretation and subjective, not objective), they don't seem to care.
What really, really hurts about this one, is that the difference between driving as a Class B driver, with Reddaway (no high hooks, or kingpins not locking to worry about, backing, etc) vs. driving as a Class A driver, was.......only 40-45 dollars a month. That's a couple of rounds of twilight golf per month that I gladly would have given up, so I could drive a Box Truck. Talk about bad luck that won't stop. The TM never told me this. I learned this thru the Union Rep today. That's almost irresponsible on the TM's part. I didn't ask anything about the difference in pay, since, I heard, at the time, they had more of a desperate need for Class A drivers, and they still do. In addition, I thought, a response, like, "what happens if Class A doesn't work out, can I still drive as a Class B driver?" would have come across as lacking confidence, in the interview.
I don't know if this is something trying to tell me to give up my dream to have a skill that most other people don't have, but I am really hurting. I'm not exactly that young and time is running out to have a good paying career. Please, I don't understand why all the signs are pointing to "you want fries with that?" or other low paying, unskilled or small skilled jobs.
Have you started your trucking career like this and did you not give up and now are seeing a reward with a good solid career?
Thanks for reading the long story.
Last edited by beenhereandthere; 10-17-2014 at 12:42 AM..
I think you will find that ADD is not compatible with a CDL license, one has to be able to focus and multi task as well as perform quickly and safely. Also backing up is a large percentage of the job so if you are unable to back up proficiently 99% of the time it is an issue.
Many companies will and have fired people for being late one time, we (company owners) make a promise to our customers that our service is the best, hence the reason they hire us. There are few exceptions when it comes to making a delivery to a customer that is late.
As a company owner it is in our best interest to cut loose anyone who is unable to perform all required duties proficiently within a short period of training time.
It is unfortunate and it does not sound fair however, we cannot afford to lose long term customers to give someone more time than others to learn and maintain the training they have been given.
Location: Moose Jaw, in between the Moose's butt and nose.
5,152 posts, read 8,525,155 times
Reputation: 2038
Trying to manage it though, I'm sure they're plenty of drivers who have ADD. I actually hyper focus when I'm doing the actual driving. Also, I was late one time, on the shift itself, not the actual delivery, which was still on time.
I'm not sure you are really cut out to be a truck driver. If you persist, you have to understand that on-time deliveries are critical. So you absolutely can not be late or slow to the point that you are off schedule. No one wants to sit around waiting for you, not the guys who are waiting for you to pick up and not the guys who are waiting for you to deliver. Their boss does not want to pay them to sit around waiting, either. You have to maintain your schedule.
If you want to be a truck driver, everyone has to start out with the low paid companies with the poorly maintained trucks. You must do that for a full year. Once you have a year's experience, you qualify for a job with one of the better companies.
The companies that pay well and maintain their trucks well only hire experienced drivers with clean driving records. So you must get that first year's experience elsewhere.
There are companies that take untrained people and train them to drive (as part of your payment package). You learn on the road. You sign a one year contract to drive for them and they don't pay much. But you appear to need more training and you bite the bullet, take the low pay, and get your experience that qualifies you for a better job.
Yes, I do know truck drivers who started out on their first day with atop notch company, but they had friends or relatives already working for that company, had perfect driving records, and graduated top in their class in their top tier driving school.
Which brings up another point. Quality of driving schools varies a lot and I suspect you went to one of the less quality ones. They should never have graduated you until you could back a rig like a champ. You didn't get your money's worth.
PS: have you had a complete eye exam lately? Not the do-you-need-glasses type, but the full work-up?
My son is a professional driver and he can back a huge rig into a space with only an inch clearance on either side. I've seen him many times place a rig in a space where I was sure it would never fit.
Me on the other hand, with an entire lifetime of backing trailers, I need a huge space with 10 feet of clearance on each side. I'm not incompetent, but I have very poor depth perception and some astigmatism. I can not judge easily how much space I need, or how far away I am from an object.
If you are having problems getting a rig back into a tight space, I suggest that you make sure it is not a problem with your depth perception. If that is not it, then you haven't lost anything. If that is part of the problem, there is training you can do to learn how to compensate.
Edit: when I posted the link, it comes up a headline something like #1 cdl forum. I am not that much of loser, the posted link did that.
So a woman who owns a trucking company does not have enough knowledge about the actual business of having a CDL, owning trucks, hiring drivers and all the requirements necessary to be safe and successful?
I think you will find that ADD is not compatible with a CDL license, one has to be able to focus and multi task as well as perform quickly and safely. Also backing up is a large percentage of the job so if you are unable to back up proficiently 99% of the time it is an issue.
Many companies will and have fired people for being late one time, we (company owners) make a promise to our customers that our service is the best, hence the reason they hire us. There are few exceptions when it comes to making a delivery to a customer that is late.
As a company owner it is in our best interest to cut loose anyone who is unable to perform all required duties proficiently within a short period of training time.
It is unfortunate and it does not sound fair however, we cannot afford to lose long term customers to give someone more time than others to learn and maintain the training they have been given.
What are you talking about? I, as well as many others that I know, did (and do) quite well as a truck driver with ADD. In case you've never noticed, people with ADD are able to hyper-focus on anything that interests them, and multi-tasking comes naturally to us.
So a woman who owns a trucking company does not have enough knowledge about the actual business of having a CDL, owning trucks, hiring drivers and all the requirements necessary to be safe and successful?
Stop with the drama. I never implied that at all. All I meant was that the OP would get more responses on the site I linked, because it's a website dedicated to trucking, unlike here where its people from all different occupations.
[quote=oregonwoodsmoke;36915703]PS: have you had a complete eye exam lately? Not the do-you-need-glasses type, but the full work-up?
My son is a professional driver and he can back a huge rig into a space with only an inch clearance on either side. I've seen him many times place a rig in a space where I was sure it would never fit.
Me on the other hand, with an entire lifetime of backing trailers, I need a huge space with 10 feet of clearance on each side. I'm not incompetent, but I have very poor depth perception and some astigmatism. I can not judge easily how much space I need, or how far away I am from an object.
If you are having problems getting a rig back into a tight space, I suggest that you make sure it is not a problem with your depth perception. If that is not it, then you haven't lost anything. If that is part of the problem, there is training you can do to learn how to compensate.[/QUOTE
My brother had his own steel hauling business His truck was a Western Star, he hauled doubles and Sid kick trailers, he could back up to any dark even with his doubles. Being a truck driver involves being on time, and being able to back a trailer even if there are trailers on both sides and you have to back up between them. He could back up a 53foot trailer into a dock like he was backing up a car. He was very good. You better look for a different career if you can't back up a trailer in a couple of min. Thr trucking business is go go go all the time, time is money in the trucking industry. When a otr driver sits they make no money. So you would starve by taking to long to back up a trailer.
Last edited by Vannort54; 10-17-2014 at 10:55 PM..
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