Comments By Wilde

Got to go on my first flatbed run today!

so i went out with another driver today to get some flatbed training. we picked up this little load in waco and i drove back to wichita falls with it. so heres my first ever flatbed load. yeah i know its tiny, but you know what? it still paid the same as if it was a full trailer. im so freakin stoked... cant wait to get up in the morning and see whats next.

Finally getting time to post an update:

i started with a local company on august 8th. its fairly small, around thirty trucks i believe and they do a little bit of everything. they dont typically train people but agreed to put me with another driver for a week or two before going solo. the route they started training me on is driving from here to dallas/ft worth to three different hubs with pick ups all along the way. supposedly its the most stressful position they have and i guess its what you call a p&d run. it is very fast paced and i was pretty overwhelmed at first but after only my third day today i feel like im learning it pretty quick. pulling a 53' trailer through dallas traffic and backing up to docks all day long has certainly been a learning experience. probably not the safest way to start out but if i can handle that, then whatever they put me on next should only get better. they were needing help with flatbed when i interviewed and im hoping to wind up there. ill let you guys know how it turns out. i really appreciate they advice and encouragement, thanks to all.

m wilde

Hey guys, this thread is awesome, definitely my all-time favorite. i started on page one two days ago and im reading every word of it. im halfway through but just wanted to thank pat for starting it and thanks to everyone else for all the contributions... great source of knowledge for what im about to be doing real soon.

Quick update.

the offer to drive for $800 a week salary fell through. he said my history was fine, no problems and he would have loved to hire me. however the insurance company decided to total the truck because the frame was bent and hes going to wait until after recovery from surgery (12-14 mo.) before buying a new one.

the guy wanting me to drive as 1099 but who's company then turned me down texted me again yesterday. now he says he has a new flatbed account hauling construction equiptment. same pay, same terms. i had to ask if this would not be through the same company that turned me down. he said no. ...seriously? i had a bad feeling before, now there's no way i'll touch that!

still plenty of options left and probably going to accept invite to western express. the recruiter i talked to 3 weeks ago left me a voice mail the other day asking if im still interested. im waiting to see what happens with some other possibilities but if the invite is still open when i call WE back then i will accept.

not sure if anyone is following this, but i do plan on posting more as it plays out.

wilde

Thanks everyone for your replies.

first, old school, Yeah i know my options are very limited but since i will be sticking it out for a year at least, i wanna feel like i made the best decision i could. if i end up at WE's orientation i'll heed your words and be on my best behavior, you can believe that. I figured you'd be hesitant to answer that question about pay but you gave me your honest opinion and thats exactly what i was looking for.

cornelius, you sound like you really know what your talking about. as g-town stated later on, thats a lot of detail to take in but i think i follow most of it and since im a technical kind of guy i must say thank you for sharing it. if im understanding you correctly, and what your saying is true, it sounds like getting me on their insurance wont be the problem, if i have one. so that reinforces what OS said about me presenting myself as professionally as possible the whole time im in orientation and training especially. btw, not sure what happened between you and the moderator but i hope you will stick around. if the things you said are factual then i believe they are ultimately very welcome here.

b dawg, i will look into roadtex. im looking for solo not team but ill check them out and share what they have to say in my next post. thanks

some things to update everyone on, i mentioned in an earlier post about an offer to haul frac sand in new mexico for an owner operator on a cash basis. i talked to him yesterday and he said his company did not want to risk me having issues with not getting back in time for parole. it was supposed to be 3 weeks out and off for 1 week, very ideal i would think for getting my travel permits for parole as they are good for 30 days but could be renewed a little earlier. but i certainly understand their concern and decision for not wanting the risk. (i think its worth noting he said nothing about a problem with insurance)

i also had another call in response to my ad on craigslist. the owner of a two truck company in oklahoma said he is looking for a driver to take over driving his truck. he was injured pretty bad a month ago when another truck hit the back of his trailer and is unable to drive it himself now. he is very understanding of my history, lack of experience and is willing to ride with me and train me for a few months until hes comfortable i can handle it on my own. he is offering $800 a week salary and says he will guarantee that even if the truck is down for repairs. the more i think about it, that steady $800 is not a bad deal at all for someone in my situation. most importantly i would be getting otr flatbed experience. he took my info and a recent mvr i have and is supposed to get back to me in a few days. now as for insurance, this guy said he didnt see that as a problem.

i hope im not boring you guys with too many details but i want to give everyone the whole story. I will post again soon. thanks to everyone for the replies and opinions, they are greatly appreciated!

stay safe, m. wilde

Rob, this is great news for me as well. thanks bud.

turtle, awesome pic man. way to go!

What I see here (and don't see apparently due to vulgar language) is a classic example of why I like this forum. The unabashed, straight to the point advice that makes sense. I feel he was told exactly what would help his career the most. Too bad he couldn't look past his emotions to see the point.

Thanks All for the replies.

Old School, I was hoping you would have time to throw some advice my way as I've read about your history with W.E. I also feel like you don't sugar coat things so if you read where I had 11 felonies total and still think I have a shot with them, it will carry some weight with my decision. I'm going to see what else comes up this week before I commit to anything and I'll post anything I think is noteworthy. I'd appreciate your rough estimate on (min, max) weekly pay I could expect the first six months at W.E. if you don't mind. Don't get me wrong, I know the experience alone that I would gain if I could make it through a year with them could be priceless... but im just curious what I might expect.

Thanks again everyone

Rob, Susan, Thanks for your input. It eases my mind a little and encourages me some as well.

Yes the company in Nashville is Western Express. It was back around July 4th that I applied and talked to their recruiter. As soon as he asked when I could come to Nashville for orientation I let him know it would be closer to the end of the month before I would actually be ready. He said to get back to him as soon as I'm ready to go. If I remember correctly, he had my application to review for about 24 hrs before that last conversation, so I assume he did have time to do the initial BG check or whatever they do prior to an invite.

From your advice and what I've found in older threads on this topic, the best thing I can do is be completely up front on my app and voice my greatest concerns during the phone conversation. Then if I get the invite, just go for it and discuss what comes up after that as calmly and professionally as I can.

Its just that my past seems so bad when I actually start describing it in detail. I went to prison for drugs in 2004 and again this last time in 2011 and both times I had multiple drug charges that were ran concurrently in a plea agreement. It makes for 11 felonies total.

I am determined to make this career happen even though I know it will be even tougher for me starting out. Again, I appreciate everyone's opinions, whether I like them or not, I welcome them all.

I have a lot of respect and appreciation for the truth and purpose of this forum so if I'm able, I plan to post constant, truthful updates on the ups and downs of my journey as it plays out. I'm sure I will face many obstacles and likely make plenty of mistakes along the way but I will not be giving up. I would like to think maybe someone in a similar situation as mine could benefit from reading about it.

Thanks

I've been serious about job searching and turning in applications for about 3 weeks now and I've had several offers from people who say they're okay with my criminal history, even parole, so long as my application & mvr get approved. (from what I've gathered reading on this forum that pretty much means if their insurance will accept me)

So far only one company, small and here in Texas has actually reviewed my app and ran my mvr and said "yes we will hire you when can you start?" The big company in Nashville seemed more like the recruiter was just saying my app checked out okay just to get me to come to orientation.

I will be available to start Aug 1st. I have some family business we are dealing with this month. Also, my boss had a really hard time finding a cdl driver to actually show up to replace me so I'm staying well past my 2 week (2 month really) notice to help him out.

I know I have to take whatever chance I'm given at this point but is there any way to make sure I'm approved for a company's insurance before actually going to orientation? I realize nothing is for sure in this world but I would greatly appreciate any advice on the best way to minimize driving all the way to orientation and being turned down.

Thanks in advance as I would appreciate anyone's opinion on my situation.