Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Great advice cremebrulee! I checked out Carlisle while I worked down there. I found one house in Perry County that was on 8 acres with a stream. I wanted to move and the price was right; but my other half did not like the modular house - she likes custom built or charm or she simply had cold feet. But that location would have been a drive to work so I did not fight her on the issue.
I hate these signs we see on the side of our highways for new or used cars: Come on down, no credit, no problem. We encourage people to overspend and that goes for everything; including homes. I liked the old days where you had to come up with a substantial down payment - you had to work and save to buy. You also had to show the banks how you would pay for your 'wish list'. I think it is good for humans to work hard for a goal.
I agree whole heartidly
but then, we're "old" school, lol
Our experience was a little different. Yes, if I did it again, I would have the job. But this was our experience
We wanted to leave long Island, stress and kids were coming up on high school. We lived in a not so good area and the kids went to parochial school. Luckily we had a business and a few homes to sell so financially we were ok for a while. We had a choice of Pittsburgh or France, but I bailed on France because being the only French speaker in the family, I just didn't want that pressure.
So we decided on Pittsburgh for the schools. We sold our business to a national chain and they kept telling us we could get jobs with their branches here in Pittsburgh. We toured schools in the area and let the kids choose. The reason was that they were the people going to the schools so they had to be happy. Then we found a house that we could afford and moved after we sold everything. It was exciting for a fresh new start. Oh yes, we also had a vacation home in Lake Ariel that we kept and rented for a while.
Well six years later, Pittsburgh didn't work out for us as adults. The kids thrived and had a blast. But it is very hard to get good decent jobs when you do not know anyone in Pittsburgh. It is really by word of mouth. I found a job thru an agency and stayed there for 2 years, found another job closer to home and stayed until I was downsized after over 2 years. Then I was out of work for 10 months, went back to school, got my CDL license, and then at that stage we had decided to leave Pittsburgh when our youngest finishes high school in June, so I went back to office work for a few months.
My hubby wasn't so lucky. He was out of work for 18 months, found a job with his old company but commuted to Youngstown for 10 months, that branch closed down. He went back to school, got his CDL license, got a union job but was bottom of the ladder so was on call. He worked for 6 months, was quiet in the winter, went back to his old company back on Long Island and lived with another guy. Lease was up 3 months later, so the other guy decided to leave the island and hubby didn't want to sign a lease. He contacted his old co in Pittsburgh to see if they had any jobs in WIlkes Barre and they did. So he has been with them for 18 months now, its union and luckily last winter he had a bid, this winter not so lucky so he is off work again. Hopefully its just a short break ; if not, he will have to start looking again. He has been living in the Lake Ariel house for 18 months while I live in Pittsburgh. Lets just say this kid of living is very old now.
So now our house in Pittsburgh is for sale and our exit is soon. Its been an adventure ; both good and bad. My logic is that we got one chance with the kids education and we were not going to blow it. They ended up picking a fantastic school (number 1 in the area), and have had so many great experiences that they would never have had on Long Island. The teenage years have not been too bad and it was good that we were around to guide them.
June 2018 cant come fast enough. Hopefully we will be team drivers and our next phase will begin. Sorry its long, but I just wanted to give a different perspective.
Sorry I cannot rep you again!
You did what it is all about - giving your kids a great start! Good job!
Also good luck with your ambition to drive sleeper team. The first year was the worst year for me. It takes time to get acclimated to your new environment. Plus you have new rules since I was on the road. Good luck!
Our experience was a little different. Yes, if I did it again, I would have the job. But this was our experience
We wanted to leave long Island, stress and kids were coming up on high school. We lived in a not so good area and the kids went to parochial school. Luckily we had a business and a few homes to sell so financially we were ok for a while. We had a choice of Pittsburgh or France, but I bailed on France because being the only French speaker in the family, I just didn't want that pressure.
So we decided on Pittsburgh for the schools. We sold our business to a national chain and they kept telling us we could get jobs with their branches here in Pittsburgh. We toured schools in the area and let the kids choose. The reason was that they were the people going to the schools so they had to be happy. Then we found a house that we could afford and moved after we sold everything. It was exciting for a fresh new start. Oh yes, we also had a vacation home in Lake Ariel that we kept and rented for a while.
Well six years later, Pittsburgh didn't work out for us as adults. The kids thrived and had a blast. But it is very hard to get good decent jobs when you do not know anyone in Pittsburgh. It is really by word of mouth. I found a job thru an agency and stayed there for 2 years, found another job closer to home and stayed until I was downsized after over 2 years. Then I was out of work for 10 months, went back to school, got my CDL license, and then at that stage we had decided to leave Pittsburgh when our youngest finishes high school in June, so I went back to office work for a few months.
My hubby wasn't so lucky. He was out of work for 18 months, found a job with his old company but commuted to Youngstown for 10 months, that branch closed down. He went back to school, got his CDL license, got a union job but was bottom of the ladder so was on call. He worked for 6 months, was quiet in the winter, went back to his old company back on Long Island and lived with another guy. Lease was up 3 months later, so the other guy decided to leave the island and hubby didn't want to sign a lease. He contacted his old co in Pittsburgh to see if they had any jobs in WIlkes Barre and they did. So he has been with them for 18 months now, its union and luckily last winter he had a bid, this winter not so lucky so he is off work again. Hopefully its just a short break ; if not, he will have to start looking again. He has been living in the Lake Ariel house for 18 months while I live in Pittsburgh. Lets just say this kid of living is very old now.
So now our house in Pittsburgh is for sale and our exit is soon. Its been an adventure ; both good and bad. My logic is that we got one chance with the kids education and we were not going to blow it. They ended up picking a fantastic school (number 1 in the area), and have had so many great experiences that they would never have had on Long Island. The teenage years have not been too bad and it was good that we were around to guide them.
June 2018 cant come fast enough. Hopefully we will be team drivers and our next phase will begin. Sorry its long, but I just wanted to give a different perspective.
I also think you did the right thing. Kudos
If you both want cdl jobs there's a lot of signs along the roads up here for cdl drivers wanted. (Tioga County). Not sure of the pay and/or job descriptions, just that they seem desperate. Just between Wellsboro and Mansfield (about 12 miles) there's 2 such signs. Mansfield-Blossburg,(10 miles) 2 more.
Tioga County itself is not for city-loving people so maybe this are wouldn't interest you. Just thought I'd mention it.
You did what it is all about - giving your kids a great start! Good job!
Also good luck with your ambition to drive sleeper team. The first year was the worst year for me. It takes time to get acclimated to your new environment. Plus you have new rules since I was on the road. Good luck!
Thanks. Its been rough for us, but its ok. There have been so many changes of direction in the past few years so what's another one??The most important thing is that the kids are healthy and happy, we are still married. Finances will recover in time as we are willing to work as hard as it takes. Is it perfect ; heck no.
Lots of life lessons and the knowledge that when plan A doesn't work ; move to plan B. But always have a plan B.
If you both want cdl jobs there's a lot of signs along the roads up here for cdl drivers wanted. (Tioga County). Not sure of the pay and/or job descriptions, just that they seem desperate. Just between Wellsboro and Mansfield (about 12 miles) there's 2 such signs. Mansfield-Blossburg,(10 miles) 2 more.
Tioga County itself is not for city-loving people so maybe this are wouldn't interest you. Just thought I'd mention it.
Thanks. We will try to base ourselves out of Wayne Co for now ; looking at the trucking companies in Scranton/Pittston for now. I will keep Tioga Co in my mind also, He has 3 years experience, I have none ; just got my CDL in August. We both have all the endorsements and valid medical so hopefully it will be ok.
Thanks. We will try to base ourselves out of Wayne Co for now ; looking at the trucking companies in Scranton/Pittston for now. I will keep Tioga Co in my mind also, He has 3 years experience, I have none ; just got my CDL in August. We both have all the endorsements and valid medical so hopefully it will be ok.
If you both want cdl jobs there's a lot of signs along the roads up here for cdl drivers wanted. (Tioga County). Not sure of the pay and/or job descriptions, just that they seem desperate. Just between Wellsboro and Mansfield (about 12 miles) there's 2 such signs. Mansfield-Blossburg,(10 miles) 2 more.
Tioga County itself is not for city-loving people so maybe this are wouldn't interest you. Just thought I'd mention it.
Most of those jobs will be in the fracking industry. I do not think there are too many sleeper teams working in that industry - but I could be wrong. One should never presume. However there could be general freight haulers in the area that are competing with the fracking industry?
I don't think directly, fisheye, but yea probably a lot of oil rigging equipment. Not a lot of fracking going on any more.
and of course replacements are needed for the cdl-ers who stayed with the oil companies and left the area.
Like you, not positive. It would be worth looking into, especially with little or no experience.
Trucking is a hard life and the 2010 rule changes did not make it easier. You have a lot of responsibility. There is a lot of danger on the road. I waved to a friend driving in the opposite direction five minutes before he was split in half by another truck's tire. It was a freak accident. Another truck behind me had just had a tire put on at the truck stop and they never tightened the lug nuts. The tire came off, went flying and hit my friend's windshield. Another time I had a partner that pulled us a good twenty feet off the Interstate and started to get out the truck. One 2X4X8 went sailing off a lumber truck and missed his head by six inches. I fell out of a cab trying to get down on slippery steps and was just lucky enough to roll with the fall - it could have been serious.
I do not mean to scare cremebrulee because I did make a good living for many years. I am not trying to be a sexist; accidents like this can happen to anybody. It is hard to anticipate something you never saw before; like the 300 pound truck tire coming at you at close to 130 mph (two rigs closing in on each other at 65 mph) or a flying 2X4X8 coming at your head at 65 mph. Many modular homes are transported down I-95 through our Southern states. On more than one occasion I have watched wheels come off and roll/fly across the Interstate. Nobody slows down because they do not realize the danger they are in. These wheels are not the same size as commercial truck wheels that killed my friend; but they are still lethal weapons.
I have known truckers that have driven accident free for thirty and forty years. That is approximately three to four million miles at about one hundred thousand miles/year. Some of them have told me that it is simply luck; although I believe that it is a combination of a lot of skill and luck does not hurt!
I had wished that my wife was with me driving as I saw so much of our Country. There is plenty of beautiful scenery. Of course there were many times I was glad that she was home and safe.
Trucking is a hard life and the 2010 rule changes did not make it easier. You have a lot of responsibility. There is a lot of danger on the road. I waved to a friend driving in the opposite direction five minutes before he was split in half by another truck's tire. It was a freak accident. Another truck behind me had just had a tire put on at the truck stop and they never tightened the lug nuts. The tire came off, went flying and hit my friend's windshield. Another time I had a partner that pulled us a good twenty feet off the Interstate and started to get out the truck. One 2X4X8 went sailing off a lumber truck and missed his head by six inches. I fell out of a cab trying to get down on slippery steps and was just lucky enough to roll with the fall - it could have been serious.
I do not mean to scare cremebrulee because I did make a good living for many years. I am not trying to be a sexist; accidents like this can happen to anybody. It is hard to anticipate something you never saw before; like the 300 pound truck tire coming at you at close to 130 mph (two rigs closing in on each other at 65 mph) or a flying 2X4X8 coming at your head at 65 mph. Many modular homes are transported down I-95 through our Southern states. On more than one occasion I have watched wheels come off and roll/fly across the Interstate. Nobody slows down because they do not realize the danger they are in. These wheels are not the same size as commercial truck wheels that killed my friend; but they are still lethal weapons.
I have known truckers that have driven accident free for thirty and forty years. That is approximately three to four million miles at about one hundred thousand miles/year. Some of them have told me that it is simply luck; although I believe that it is a combination of a lot of skill and luck does not hurt!
I had wished that my wife was with me driving as I saw so much of our Country. There is plenty of beautiful scenery. Of course there were many times I was glad that she was home and safe.
I totally agree. It is a hard life. Twice in one week recently my hubby had a breakdown ; one the primary line for air snapped so he had a secondary line. That started making noise. So he pulled over asap. He was stuck on the side of the road for a few hours. Luckily he is home daily so doesn't drive too far but still, accidents can happen down the local road.
So many people cut off these big rigs. Most people never stop to realize that these trucks take a while to stop ; its not just a case of slamming on the brakes.
With the kids both at college, and to recover financially, hopefully we can do this even for 4-5 years. It will be a hard grind, some that most people would never even think about.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
