Comments By Gabe M.

Some of the best adventures are the surprises that greet us when we least suspect them but are adventurous and seeking. I recently ended up in a hotel that was in a really crummy area. Much crummier than I expected when I booked the room. I woke up early the next morning to walk the dog. Ended up cutting through a large dystopian parking lot, cracked, weedy, full of trash and the like. Over a little burm, totally unexpected, was a small clear creek flowing around a Japanese styled park with many different types and shades of Japanese Maple. Terrific pictures you shared!

V/r Gabe

I know I'm new to trucking but it surprises me the number of drivers who don't explore the area around the truck stops.

Below are several pictures of a park that is a five minute walk from our truckstop.

Guess how many other drivers are here with me?

We are 10 miles from Dealy Plaza. I would go but I don't want to spend $20 for an Uber each way. If I were solo and earning money I would go.

Just my thoughts.

Terrific! Thanks for the response Anne. I love my Fur Baby. You are right, things get going quickly. Seems like soon, I'll really be cooking with Crisco! I will do my best to post updates and any interesting/helpful stories that might be humorous or helpful to the next guy or gal on Trucking Truth. Here's hoping you enjoy a happy and/or Blessed Sunday.

V/r Gabe

Sounds really exciting, Gabe!

Things happen QUICK, once you get the ball rolling, eh?

Wishing you the best, and will be following in your journey.

IMHO, Wilson is a great company to go with; especially for taking a furbaby!

Best to ya, keep us posted!

~ Anne ~

I used the helpful app on this site, and fired off the general info. blurb to different companies, and a Recruiter called me ASAP. Seemed like much of the info. that she had to offer more or less matched up with some other companies. I liked the fact that it seems like it is a condensed school/classroom environment that translates to road learning quickly. I think this would be good for me. I tend to be more of the "book smart" sort, versus hands on, so the more hands on, the better.

The phone connection wasn't the greatest. At one point the Recruiter seemed to get a little irritated. Maybe because I asked her if I could put her on speaker for a few minutes. My Wife is kind of an info. file and was madly signaling me in the background that she wanted to be in the mix. Cest la Vie. One thing I forgot to ask, and it seems like maybe there is conflicting info. a couple different places, is if I can have my Dog ride along after training. My better half said that the Wilson site says that two dogs may ride or a family member after a certain age. I've seen plenty of Wilson trucks running up and down the I-5 corridor during the last several years.

Maybe its Gods plan, higher power, universe, etc. that the place I now work has and is (in my humble opinion) going over the top with and about COVID guidance. It seems to have become the focal point. Its govt. so I'm not too surprised, but I have to say it is dispiriting to have gotten vaccinated, along with most Staff and Students who work here, with not only no change for the better, but actually heading the other direction. Stickers, tape, and signs everywhere...In triplicate even. Inside, outside, everywhere, all the time. I guess today, the talk was off plexiglass shields in work areas and other semi-wazoo notions.

I'm definitely looking forward to learning, a new adventure, and hopefully some good trucker camaraderie as can be seen on this cool forum! I'm thinking a six week window or so, to get this show on the road. I'm going to make sure and try to arrive at school with an attitude of gratitude and a place of beginners mind so I can absorb all that I can/need too, to be an asset on the road. Once again, I thank the many Truckers and Trucker Family Members that graciously share their knowledge. I will continue to use this site without a doubt. Hopefully become successful, and who knows? Maybe even meet some of you guys/gals, out there on the road.

V/r Gabe

Terrific Moe, Way to go! Can't go wrong with an automatic pay raise. Hopefully I will be following in your footsteps soon.

Gabe/another Beaver Stater.

And I got an automatic daily pay increase to boot! So far so good and backing has gotten way better. Hooe yall are good, bubi- Moe

Thanks for the welcome information/insight! That is good to know. I started the process today of getting information from some different carriers. I used the tool on the site to send the condensed info. blurb out to Recruiters/H.R. I felt that the from the two quick responses that I got back, I would go with the one that called. The information that she offered seemed similar, competitive, worthwhile, for somebody like myself whom is looking to break into the Trucking world. I've seen long ago, and heard fairly recently that Gary is a rough place and down on it's luck. I had a buddy in the Army who was from near Gary. That said, I worked with plenty of guys in the service from the Midwest, including Indiana, that had quality work ethics for sure. Thanks for weighing in good Sir.

V/r Gabe

Terminal location in relation to home of record does not really matter, except in FL (south of I-4), Alaska, and Hawaii.

Not necessarily true. I live in a ...... not great area. The nearest truck stops are the 4 in Gary Indiana and I'm not allowed to park there (for good reason). The nearest free safe spot would be 50 plus miles away, or I could pay 200 a month for storage for 5 or 6 days a month while on hometime. Im sure my situation is unique but having a terminal close is important to me because it's cheaper to drive to a terminal than pay a rental fee.

Bwahhhh hah hah! Yessir. Let's call it a day indeed. Thanks for the reply Pack Rat.

V/r Gabe

Yeah, the Air Farce has one. Using their Indoor Voice, "Let's Call It A Day!" I'm half kidding! The USAF always gave us a ride when we needed one, and I always heard their bases had outstanding golf courses.

Terminal location in relation to home of record does not really matter, except in FL (south of I-4), Alaska, and Hawaii.

Freight is moving everywhere. The closest I've had a terminal has been more than 200 miles. I always get home, and always have a dispatch when I leave.

Greetings one and all,

I really enjoy and have really enjoyed this blog. What a wealth of information! Fascinating answers to questions that run the gamut? Yessir! Humor intertwined with knowledge? On the daily. Thanks to those who spend so much time benefitting the newbie, would be, wannabe, and old salt alike. It would be dishonest to start firing off questions as I've not read countless answers over the preceding several years. Old School and Errol as well as countless others have written many truly in depth responses to myriad questions. Broke the questions down Shotgun Style and six ways, or is it seven, from Sunday, to say the least.

I retired from the Army in 2010. I've noticed there are quite a few fellow military retirees on the Forum. Hooah, Ooh-Rah, Hooyah, and....Does the Air Force have one of these? Air Force Hooah! Papa Pig has written some good stuff for sure.

Here is my question: I currently live in Southern Oregon. My family will be doing our best to be heading Texas way ASAP after I graduate trucking school with one of those carriers that offer training. Will it be easier to get a lot of work/runs in an area that holds a lot more population, and I would (assume/presume) Terminals(TX)? Also, I know from my consistent reading of this blog that the big companies all probably have relative plusses or minuses, but that success or failure mainly resides in Trucker work ethic/effort/knowledge/cooperation. We plan to relocate to the Temple/Waco area? Are there certain carriers that would be a better geographic fit than others, regarding work?

If this question has been asked and answered before to anybody's knowledge, please kindly point me in the right direction. Don't want anybody having to re-invent the wheel on my account.

V/r Gabe

A terrific life lesson woven within a great story! Thanks much.

Hey ya’ll. I had an interesting thing occur last night I thought I would share. It has a valid point in it for new drivers.

I am on a load that was several days late when they gave it to me. I called the rec’r and let them know I had their load and would see them in the morning at 0900, the stated appt time.

The supervisor was very helpful. He asked if I could make it to him tonight? I told him it was possible but I would be out of hours. He said that was fine, if I arrived tonight he told me how to scale in and to park in the unloading bay. They would unload me first thing in the morning. I said that was great and thanked him.

I arrived and another company has dedicated loads in here. They deliver in the same spot. One of their drivers approached me and asked why I was parked in his spot. I told him I parked where the plant wanted me. He told me that had to be a mistake and it was his spot, that I needed to move.

Well me being me I asked him how it was he had more say so than the plant manger, but that was ok we would just call him and straighten this whole thing out quickly. He turned red and when I got my phone out he said never mind and went back to his truck.

This morning plant manager came in early and started unloading me and thanked me for following his directions, was making his job easier this morning.

Moral to the story, never take another drivers word as gospel. Many try and be helpful, but some are just idiots looking out for themselves. Always always think for yourself.

Glad all are okay. Yes, the Terwilliger Curves are definitely not to be trifled with. The heavier traffic volume over the years and especially over the last two decades exacerbates this issue. I live in Roseburg now, so don't navigate them often, but I sure used to, often with a load of gas pipe or water heaters.

Https://www.oregonlive.com/commuting/2021/06/i-5-northbound-closed-at-terwilliger-for-semi-truck-crash.html

Terwilliger curves are a nasty set of curves in between portland and Salem, best advice i can give you after having been a resident here for 20 years is avoid em if you can, go extra slow if you cannot.

At this time all drivers are okay.

Moe

Man ohhhhhh....Man! This has to rate inside the top ten posts I have ever read, but more probably five, and most probably three! Damn this is good advice! You make several good and valid points and drive each of them home with eight penny nails. Your advice bears reading by any job seeker within any field of employment. Even if and when demand is super strong. It takes some talent to be able to realize and reckon with historical mistakes and relate them to a reader in a self deprecating and engaging manner. But doing so, in my opinion is engaging and powerful! This was a pleasure to read good Sir.

Hey Mackerel, I know exactly how you feel. I got rejected multiple times when I was trying to get started. I'm not sure if you are familiar with my start, but I'll share it with you...

I labored hard over that decision of where I wanted to start my trucking career. I look back now and laugh at how I came up with the reasons I chose my first trucking company. They were shallow and ill-informed. I was a victim of the negative influences of those stupid trucking company reviews.

I had made up my mind to pull flatbed freight. My top choice for the company I wanted to work for was TMC. They are a fine company, and I mean no slight against them by telling you my experience with them. I chose them because of the beautiful Peterbilt trucks they have. Who wouldn’t want to drive one of those wonderful black trucks with all that shiny chrome? I also chose them because they insisted that you keep your truck nice and clean. They even had a charge account at the Blue Beacon truck wash company so that you could go get your truck washed each week. I liked that idea of always being seen in a nice clean truck! As you can see I was more concerned with image than I was with productivity. I thought I would look really cool in one of those nice shiny black trucks!

It’s almost as embarrassing to admit how shallow my preferences were, as it is to admit they rejected me. I got sent home from TMC orientation twice! That’s right - twice! Two different times they invited me up there to Des Moines, Iowa and I got sent home both times. Then on my third attempt at landing my first trucking job I got sent home from the orientation I attended at PGT. They were my third try at landing a flatbed trucking job, and I failed again! So, here’s another thing to think about when considering this question of what is the best place to start a trucking career. We said it earlier. The best place to start is the place who will hire you and give you a shot at this rewarding career. If there is someone out there who is willing to let you prove you can handle this job, then get in there and show them what you are made of. That’s how it works in this industry. Somebody gives you a chance, and you strap yourself onto the bull and ride it out. You don’t act arrogantly as though you are above this “starter company.” You show some gratitude and some fortitude and you get in there and make something happen.

Guess where I landed after those first three times of getting thrown off the bull? I made a call to Western Express and they agreed to bring me in for orientation for a flatbed driving job. Of all the companies out there who had terrible reviews on the internet, they had to be the worst case scenario. I was scared. I was literally getting sick to my stomach at times. I didn’t know what else to do. I had been thoroughly rejected at those other places, and I needed a job badly. I also needed a boost of confidence. I needed the comfort of knowing I was being productive and providing for my family. But I could not get past all the trash talk I had read online about how terrible it was to work for those guys.

I had tried to choose my first company so carefully. I did that because of all the fear inducing trash talk I had exposed myself to about trucking companies. Here I was thinking I was making some great choices, yet I had never considered the fact that they have to reciprocate. They have to choose me. Getting a job is not a one way decision. Just because I think Brand X is a great place to work does not mean they are going to hire me.

Western Express did something that none of the other companies I looked into were willing to do. They chose me. They actually hired me! Here I was a total greenhorn with no knowledge or ability, and they took a big chance on me. They gave me a shot at proving I could handle the rigors of a job that a lot of people fail at. That is the best company to start your trucking career at. If someone reaches out to you to give you a chance, you take it and be thankful for it. Show your gratitude by busting your tail while being safe, productive, and easy to work with.

It turned out that all my fears were misguided foolishness. The internet had fooled me. The key to making my first trucking job successful had nothing to do with the name on the truck. I ended up with my first successful trucking endeavor while working at a company that was despised on the internet. I have never looked back and I have had a lot of success since those early first days. You will too if you focus on being safe, productive, and easy to work with. Carry on brother - you've got a bright future ahead of you. Make it happen!