Comments By Dave H.

Good for you! New bling is nice, but there is NOTHING wrong with the old either. It was new once as well. I like the way it turned out for you. All my cars are hoopties. But they are MY hoopties. I've been considering going the LTL route seeing as I'm starting out, and I'm trying to fight the urge to go regional or OTR. I think it would be fun, though I'd miss my family. I also know I'd get tired of it eventually; I'd just like to get it done and over with while I can. I like the idea of LTL and would love to get a linehaul job at a local terminal, but all the jobs are P&D and my right shoulder doesn't tolerate work like it used to. Anyway, glad it's all working out for you. Post a pic, I'd love to see your truck!

I have no expectations for my first truck, as long as it runs, has a 10 speed and A/C. I can work with that. I'll find out soon enough!

You're in Baxley? I'm going through the paces with two companies right now; I follow up in the morning. Both companies I've been talking to are in Savannah and are fairly small (one is VERY small) and you might not have an issue with them. I just got my CDL too. You just need to be able to pull tanks and have your hazmat.

Definitely keep trying to get that taken care of. I should have more info tomorrow on how the whole process works, so I might be able to help you out as far as getting your foot in the door locally so you can work past this whole deal. Just push for a retest and no matter what you do, keep it clean. Have a talk with the GF and tell her to give you a heads up before lighting up.

I know in the Army we were told we wouldn't pop hot for second hand marijuana smoke unless we were smoking it directly, that they could tell the difference; though we still had some false positives anyway. You can't be too careful!

I'm looking for some guidance from some more senior drivers here. So basically, I'm starting out. I've got all my endorsements and a TWIC card and I'm ready to work. I've been talking with two different companies who both are willing to hire me. Both are different enough that I'm having a hard time making sense of things. I'll just refer to them as Company A and Company B.

Company A: pay: 30% of linehaul plus accessorial pay. Was told based on that I would see about $700-$1000/wk. SE regional Tank containers smaller company with 27 power units. CSA scores are pushing the national avg. 2500 miles/week are common newer Volvo's with 10 spd occasionally home during week, weekends off

Company B pay: $0.42.5 cpm loaded, $0.32 cpm unloaded plus accessorial pay. SE regional with occasional loads to IL smoothbore tankers not as small at over 350 power units. very low CSA scores. 2500+ miles/wk late model Volvo's with automatics home on avg 2-3 days/wk plus weekends

I considered LTL, but the Army did a great job of wearing me out in the last few years. Besides, the wife and I are talking about having a baby, so we decided that as much as being away would suck, I may as well get that regional/OTR out of the way now while I can.

I'm clueless as to which I should choose. One was in the middle of moving when I went by earlier today, so I have to admit, an empty office did kind of take me by surprise. Both seem to be rather close at the end of things, but is there one you'd choose over another, and if so, why?

I know there are companies that are 'vet friendly', and the VA will pay for CDL training at most (not all) schools. I got off of active duty 10/14, and I was already using my MGIB and Pell at another school. In GA, for recently separated active duty who left honorably, you have the option to use the Hope grant. I did and it paid for my CDL program. All I paid was testing fees.

If you are getting ready to separate or are a reservist, there is Army TA available that will cover the cost, fairly painlessly. I know the other services have their own equivalents.

I also know that there is a Veterans rehabilitation program out there, as two guys in my class used it. How it works, I do not know, but I do know there were also getting paid on top of them covering tuition.

Army Infantry. Spent some time as a sniper in a scout platoon. Did a plethora of other random jobs as well since I'm a jack of all trades kind of guy. Then I got my pink slip as they made budget cuts. I intended to stay for the full 20 but only got to 12. Now I just go the one weekend a month thing. Here I am!

Was a mechanic right out of high school. Got lucky in that I got started without any schooling and made decent money for my age, and I like working on cars and working with my hands. I LOVE trying something new most people wont try (like painting body panels) because I like to push myself a little bit to excel in the things I enjoy. But I couldn't do it on my own terms, specifically too many instances where people wanted me to cut corners...something I never liked, especially if my name was on my work. Too much emphasis on 'right now' and not 'right'.

You know, I don't know much of anything about trucking yet except really how to move the truck from point A to point B. But I do know a thing or two about human nature; I've seen many people come and go through the years, from all backgrounds and all walks of life. But really, DAMN, you nailed it Brett. The way I see it is this; people are in imperfect species. Trucking is an imperfect profession. Hell they all are. There WILL be problems no matter where you go because you cant get away from us imperfect people. I told many people who were getting out of the Army the same thing, because many convinced themselves the grass was greener on the other side of the fence. Most of those people, 6 months later, say they wish they never left and it wasn't any different overall. It's human nature to not be perfectly content with your position in life. I'm entering this career as a newbie again. I expect some degree of preferential treatment to miss me and bless others first. I expect BS loads, I expect a dispatcher to test me to see who I am and what I'm made of, shippers and receivers that don't care, and I'm expecting sloppy seconds for equipment to start out. No red carpet here. If it happens, so be it; I have an idea of what to expect but at the same time I'm not building up expectations. But with what I've already been through in life, I can say that I'm not just an adult, but I'm a GROWN MAN. It sucks. Deal with it, suck it up, and your time will come. Or I can come in whining, expecting more than I should, ****ing and moaning, etc. I've seen it happen many times; those people usually get under other people's skin, and those who can find a way to phase them out so they don't need to deal with them. Also human nature. Survival of the fittest. My life's experiences, while as bad as some of them are, also taught me a thing or two you just wont learn in a book. I'm sure many of you can relate. I've been through far worse; you need to have a 'can do' attitude, and others need to see you are valuable, that they can't get you down. At the end of the day, I get to drive for a living, on someone else's dime! Come in, accept the culture for what it is, and adapt. Or go home. It seems to me that expectations here are too high, output is too low, or the truth is somewhere in the middle. Instead of complaining, be happy you have this opportunity to grow, so if you really don't like the company, you can move on. Be happy you have that OTR time, that you've experienced teaming, and that you at least have a way to make a decent living doing something most people look at from a 4 wheeler just thinking about. If trucking were a golden nugget, the industry wouldn't be so short on drivers. It takes a certain kind of person to do the job. Either you can, or you can't. As little as I do know, I know trucking wont change just for me. It doesn't work that way.

...BTW, CDL school isn't intended to 'prepare you' for anything other than getting your CDL. Obviously you did, so they did their job. Company training is what is intended to prepare you for company operations, but there is no replacement for experience.

I would use a paint marker. If you put it on the corner of the lugnuts, it'll chip off if someone tried to put an impact gun on it. When I build an engine, I always run paint down on the 'side' of a bolt, on an edge, down to the head so if it moved I would know. Don't see why you couldn't put a mark on the lugnut like that to the wheel so you'd know if it was messed with, if that makes sense.

Gotta use brake cleaner first though if it's oily or greasy.

Just curious. I just finished my CDL program; I test next week. Anxious but excited! Looking forward to starting and got some promising prehires locally out of Savannah, just need that license in hand!

I'm just looking into the future. I'm a jack of all trades, also worked for awhile as a mechanic and did plenty of different jobs in the Army too. Tons of skills but not many certifications. I'm ASE certified and when my job and life allows, I also want to go to school to tighten up my welding skills and get certified. I enjoy it that much; I'm like a serious welding hobbyist, among other things.

So the question came up. I have seen a lot of trades jobs that prefer or require at least a CDL B if not a CDL A. Some are really shooting low (like $12/hr) but there does seem to be a few fairly good opportunities out there for someone who is a CDL holder who also is a skilled tradesman, though they seem to be few and far between. One example is a CDL holder/welder working on the rails for CSX. What is your guys take on that?

I'll be doing the welding course, if for nothing else, for personal enjoyment, so if I'm crazy, no harm, no foul. Wouldn't be the first time I've been called crazy...

I saw that. For some reason I'm kind of reluctant to go with Schneider. We had a recruiter come by but I can't shake the feeling that somehow I'm not going to get what I bargained for. I have a couple leads I'm going to check, but I'm keeping that in the back of my mind.

I got your PM. I appreciate the direction on that.