Posted: 7 years, 9 months ago
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What's a good company to start out with?
I'm sure a lot of what you said is true, and what I said is definitely an oversimplification. But why is it so hard to believe that some companies, regardless of their industry, are just plain horrible places to work? We, in America, always blame the worker but never management. As if those higher up and the ladder are angels and the rest of us are scumbags. But both sets of people are equally human and susceptible to human flaws like nepotism, bullying, greed, sociopathy, and just plain being an *******. And when they form a corporate culture around such things, word gets out.
I wish I lived in the America you live in, Old School, where responsibility on the job is rewarded and managers aren't a bunch of sociopaths. The one I see is where jobs are always temporary/seasonal, management constantly tells workers they can't do anything right, and high turnover is created intentionally to keep wages low and benefits minimal (among other things).
And you haven't even addressed all the claims that this or that company will threaten to fire you if you don't take part in their lease-purchase program. I guess all the people who said that online all know each other and all lied. I know it's illegal, but that never stopped corporate America.
You're right that a company owes you zero proof that they're a good place to work, and its the new guy who has to prove himself. But in so many jobs out there, regardless of industry, one can bust their ass all day and still get told they aren't doing well enough. At the end of the day, work is about making a profit of those at the top, and whatever happens to the little guy is of no consequence.
You've had good work experiences, I believe you and your feelings are valid. But so many people have had just the opposite experience and they're valid too. It's a big world, and it's cold. Very cold.
Posted: 7 years, 9 months ago
View Topic:
What's a good company to start out with?
You're probably going to make the same money no matter where you go in your first year. Schneider and TMC have some of the best training programs for new CDL holders, or so I've heard. That can go a long way.
That's not true. I've seen companies pay from 21 to 27 cpm ( I think CR England is 27cpm)... while other companies are paying much more. Prime pays 39 to 44 cpm to rookies.
I've said it a dozen times. I love prime. We have a ton of vets... they are family oriented with great terminals good bonuses and lots of perks. Love my dispatcher. . He's awesome
Some of those companies give raises throughout your first year, other companies that supposedly pay well don't have as many miles available, hence so many people's complaints. According to my research, which I admit is flawed, most rookies will make between $30K-$35K. A lucky few, or those who work flatbed, will make $40K.
Posted: 7 years, 9 months ago
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Hireright Bankruptcy & Class Action Lawsuit
Yeah, it is a racket, but do you think these HR dirtbags behind HireRight, or any major company out there in the world, would give a damn about you and your rights if it weren't for these lawsuits? HR and management get away with murder every day in this country, so go get yours. It's not like there will be a revolution or anything in our lifetime, so getting every little bit from "the man," whether it's HR, lawyers, management, politicians, etc, is the best you can do. Do it.
Yeah, I said it. I went there. I posted it. The opinion of everyone on the forum was asked, and that is mine.
Posted: 7 years, 9 months ago
View Topic:
Exemployer telling lies to kept me from getting a job
If you have proof of what you say, then you can take this employer to court. A lot of companies want to see W2s as proof that you worked there, so they won't even call them. If you have another co-worker you can list as a references, plus a W2, it will help a lot.
Posted: 7 years, 9 months ago
View Topic:
What's a good company to start out with?
You're probably going to make the same money no matter where you go in your first year. Schneider and TMC have some of the best training programs for new CDL holders, or so I've heard. That can go a long way.
Posted: 7 years, 9 months ago
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I had a company that gave me a pre-hire, but I've been in school so long they sort of backed out without telling me. I just found out when my friend with a smartphone checked Driver Pulse for me. I don't know why they backed out, I have to call them soon and ask. It's probably because I've been in school so long they think I'm fibbing them, or they just ran out of open driver positions. I can't blame them either way.
After you finish school, my instructors tell me I have 40 to 60 days to get a job. That ought to be plenty of time if you don't make stupid decisions, the industry doesn't go under, you don't get hurt, etc.
Posted: 7 years, 9 months ago
View Topic:
What does and doesn't go on DAC
Blue, I tried my best - I gave it to you straight.
If you had any concept of the twists, and turns, and struggles my life has been through you would be ashamed of how sorry you feel for yourself. I feel no pity for you, I know what it takes to succeed. I always shoot straight my friend.
And here it is straight from the mouth of someone who knows - self pity will crush you into a never ending cycle of despair and defeat.
You can do with that what you want, but I'll just tell you what I did with self pity after it tried to get the best of me - I crushed it like an enemy! for me, it is a vanquished foe. For you it has become a crutch to lean on, and an unstable one at that.
I just don't get it, I'll never understand the mentality "positive" people have. Regardless, it won't effect my work. You may not believe it, but it won't.
Self-pity, life in general, optimism, pessimism, are all irrelevant to this topic of this thread. I apologize for the role I played in getting us off topic. The original topic being will the thing in question appear on my DAC if the hypothetical worst case scenario did, indeed, happen. Old School has pretty much answered with no, it won't.
But my mind won't be calm until I either see something substantial stating that it won't, or the company calls me back and indicates that said bad scenario didn't happen. This forum cannot provide me with the last one, and the former probably doesn't exist. I have to wait until Monday or later. Just me and my anxiety, driving me crazy. It has been like this my whole life, so forgive me if my posts aggravate you. There is nothing I can do.
Posted: 7 years, 9 months ago
View Topic:
What does and doesn't go on DAC
Actually, I grew up during the recession when people couldn't find work, lost their homes, and skilled/educated people ended up working for minimum wage, and we still haven't recovered. I grew up at a time when kids would get arrested at school for things that would have resulted in a simple detention 20 years ago. I live in the de-industrialized, non-union, wage-declining, America where people must pay for health insurance they can't afford or be fined.
I've been out of work for a very long time, and it isn't because I'm not trying. It's because life kicks you in the balls. No reason needed. If life was fair and success always went to those who did the best, then there wouldn't be any problems in life. OSHA and the NLRB could shut their doors, the unions could disband, politician wouldn't be a dirty word, there would be no diseases, bad things wouldn't happen to good people, the Catholic Church wouldn't need to offer confession, and so many lawyers could move to another type of law.
The world is cold and everyone and everything is looking to hurt you. It's a jungle out there.
I don't expect trucking, if I am ever fortunate enough to have such a career, to be all sunshine and unicorns. As a matter of fact, I expect it to be really tough and often scary. At best I expect it to be somewhere between "just OK" and outright worst case scenario. And I'm fine with that. I'm fine with that because it's all part of a larger plan I have for my life. But it's hard when you're down and people keep telling you you're a bad person for being down, when people tell you life will be all sunshine and unicorns if you just try. And you know it isn't that simple.
Posted: 7 years, 9 months ago
View Topic:
What does and doesn't go on DAC
Like everyone here has said chill out. Your attitude has everything to do with your success or failure in life. Go after your dreams or sit back and watch them pass you by. I wish you great success in your trucking career. If you read the posts on this forum and blogs on this site, you will see over and over again how a positive attitude helps get out of the worst situations.
As far as your linked in goes, either delete your account, change it or be honest about it. Honesty goes a long way.
In my life experience, attitude has little to do with it, especially when other people have the power to decide whether or not you get to work there. Life isn't like a little league game. Little League is fair, life is cruel, cold, and hostile, and very unjust, which is why I lie when applying for office-type jobs like on LinkedIn. We have to accept that when dealing with other people, a lot of things are out of our control. I could have a great attitude, only to find that nobody will hire me because of some BS on the DAC, or some BS in general. That is my concern. It would be quite the story if I were to get nailed badly for being honest, but stranger things have happened. It's a cold world.
I just made my LinkedIn private. Nobody can see it now. Hopefully said company hasn't already seen it.
Posted: 7 years, 9 months ago
View Topic:
Offset Backing is Killing Me
I was like you when I first started in school. Then a particular instructor showed me how he does it, and I finally understood the offset. Now I'm the offset champ. The only problem is I'm not good at much else.
I made you some pictures in Paint, click here. Know that Photobucket has scrambled them out of order for some reason, but I numbered them so just use the numbers. Assume you are offsetting from box A to box B.
1. Pull up out of box A and get close to the center line, but not too close. Tandems ten inches or so off the line will do. STOP.
2. Turn your wheel one full turn left to make the trailer go right (towards box B). Hold this until your trailer blocks out the middle cone in the top and bottom mirrors. At this time, your tandems ought to touch, or be close to, the dotted line. It doesn't matter whether you have a line or not, just imagine one. Know that the middle cone up front would be right at the end of that line. Oh, and STOP.
3. Turn towards the direction the trailer is pointing to straighten it out. Your vehicle should now be in a straight line. STOP. Begin looking out of your driver side mirror (look out of your passenger side mirror if backing from B to A).
4. Come back until the tandems in the mirror you're using touch the line or get close to it (i.e., get kind of even with the middle cone). STOP. Then make two full turns away (to the passenger side in this case). This will jack the trailer over the line. STOP once this happens.
5. Turn all the way to the driver's side (in this case) to get your vehicle straight again. STOP. Then straight back into box B. You may need to pull up to adjust yourself better for this straight back.
And that is my instructor's method.
Picture 6 is where the cones are in our yard, and how I imagine them in this example. The big black circles/dots represent the cones.
Hopefully nobody beat me to this, I've been working on this post for 40 minutes or so.