Profile For Stevo Reno

I too am a Cali native, I had bigger gaps of unrecorded employment. Worked a lot for cash, or on my own gigs. All I got was 2 recommendation letters from 2 people, who knew what I did during this times, and was not being trained for terrorism. That's what they wanna know since 9/11 changed everything. 1 was from my lifetime friend of 58 years, and 1 from an old boss I've known 25 years on his companies letterhead, ALL was good to go with my 1st mega company I started out with.

+2 For the MONEY ! LOL After 40+ years turnin' wrenches, from big rigs to auto's I never hit $40k in a year. Spent tons $$ on my tools thru the years and normal life expenses.....There's a shortage in the mechanic field now days, because of the pay rates paid. I'd just fell into the trade as my US Navy entry ASVab tests, showed I had a very high mechanical aptitude @ 17 (comes naturally) Never was schooled, was only for my Cummins Engine Cert. I learnt by doing the work, not out of books or classes.

I too got my GED in 2008, so I could get a job with the school district from a "friend", soon as I got it, "Ohhh they're not hiring" B.S. ! So, getting closer to my 60's, and a plan to retire at 62 and leave the U.S....My first full year with my starter company, I got so close to 40k.....Left em at 22 months, took 5 months off with what I'd saved. As my money was getting lower, decided I needed to go back on the road. Found my 2nd local company thru my last co driver, who was driving for them.

Hired a day after my 62nd bday (Dec 2 2021) for 2 days orientation, then assigned a spankin' brand new 2022 FL'er woot woot! Anyways, drove until March 2022 and retired. I had saved over $20k in cash, those 3 months for my Asian start in life, had earned almost $30k those 4 months in total......So yes I got into trucking solely for the money, and with my early days as a diesel mechanic (Cummins Certified) and moving trucks and trailers around.

My ONLY regret, was not having gotten into truck driving years earlier!!

Yes 1 Life, I started in the September of 2019, so I got the winter experience right off the bat after training....There definitely was a few hairy times of snow storms, ice roads. Only had to put on chains, when we (team drive) got stuck atop the mountain pass in Bishop Calif.

Bringing back old memories there ! 3 networks in black n white tv days...CBS NBC & ABC? ............I Remember 1963, I was almost 4, we were at Great Gramps farm house,in Cross Timbers, Missouri/KC. Thunder buckets under every bed, the pale pink floral wall paper on them high 12 foot walls.... Grams cookin' in/on the big 4 burner iron stove, pump in kitchen for water, and outhouse. Spittin' out shotgun pellets, from the squirrels dad n gramps went out to shoot for dinner

The Ed Sullivan show, saw Beatles debut, then the JFK fiasco. Watch Bonanza and the other oldies Town had a square, just like Andy's Mayberry. Gramps had a 1955 red & white chevy in the barn, apple trees along the front property line at the dirt road. I got in trouble climbimg the tree biting apples m tossin' em on the ground............Man 61 years ago,still ya never forget hahaha

Exactly Davey !! LOL Reminds me of the 90's when Dodge Rams came out and became popular. They marketed them to lots of women too as did Ford......Had a couple different female customers bring their trucks in for "squeeks and rattles" , etc.....

DUHHHHH it's STILL a truck, not a luxury car. I even wrote on 1 service invoice once "You didn't buy a Lincoln Towncar" bosses wife came out n told me I can't write that ! HA I told her I can write whatever I wanna, it's a FACT lol

Congrats, now the real journey begins lol Very Good Luck to you both !!

And a little side note;

Study with ONLY 1 thing, don't listen to people around you saying "Oh try this app yada yada" My classmate in 2019 did that and failed 4 times. We'd planned to team, I was already out with a trainer almost done.

His problem was listening to different people at the terminal, and trying like 4-5 other apps(wouldn't listen to me to come HERE) I stayed up a couple nights til 4 am "trying" to help him get it.....5th try he finally passed and went out to train.

No one can mention the G.O.A.L thing too much ! It saved my butt more than twice out there when I drove. I remember 1 particularly well,it was late at night after I drove my full 11 hours. I was "trying" to back into the ONLY hole I found. This was in Az. I forget which fuel stop. Problem was, I was trying to cut the trailer, into the slot, with a fenced area in front of me, and a tight fit on my blind side too!

Something was making me not feel right. So I popped the brakes, G.O.A.L, and sure enough, the corner of my trailer was inches away from hitting the sleeper of the guys cab! I about crapped myself hahaha.... And gave a big sigh of relief, and gave up on that spot, drove a bit down and found a big dirt lot, with plenty of spots, just before my clock ran out. I'll never forget that close encounter, glad I listened to my gut instinct too.

DOT needs to get it into action like ICE, and "Git R Dun" faster hahaha Maybe the DMV offices across the country need to do the same right where it starts, with ALL licenses, CDL and automotive, trash the study books in all foreign languages as well, and have ONLY in English! Ya KNOW there's even more Non English understanding drivers in cars, who are menaces on the roads.

Funny, is thru life going to renew my licenses, I remember seeing mostly Asian study booklets. Korean, Cantonese, Malaysian, Chinese, and of course, Spanish. Don't remember ever seeing any in French, Polish, Russian, etc hmmmm

Bottom line, if you're driving a big rig anywhere, it's experience and should be taken as that. Shouldn't matter if local or OTR. You still had to obtain your CDL A, with all that process involves. No company can read a drivers mind to know if he transitions from a local to OTR driver he can't or won't adapt / like it. You sure can jump the opposite direction and go local without the pre-judgement.