Profile For Paul K.

Paul K.'s Info

  • Location:
    Phoenix, AZ

  • Driving Status:
    Preparing For School

  • Social Link:

  • Joined Us:
    5 years, 2 months ago

Paul K.'s Bio

Hi y'all! I'm glad I found Trucking Truth! It has answered a lot of my questions about a career in trucking, and is currently steering me in the direction I need to go for training.

About me, I'll start of with my wonderful family. I've been married for 13 years to my awesome wife, Melissa. She has supported my through thick and thin, and she continues to do so with my new career venture into trucking. I have two step-sons, Ezra and Nigel, and I have a daughter from a previous marriage, Alexia. These three are doing well, and out on their own in the big bad world. Melissa and I had two children of our own, Bianca and Sebastian. Sebastian wants to be a trucker too someday, and is already chomping at the bit for the day he can ride along with dad...that will be exciting!

As far as my work history goes, I was a roofer over the summers while I was in high school. My dad was a sheet metal foreman for Donald B. Smith Roofing in Hanover, PA. He got me hired so I would stay out of trouble. I can't say I enjoyed it, but it was an experience that molded my hard work ethic till this day. After I got out of high school, I bounced around for a few years, as most do while trying to find their way. I tried college, but I wasn't much for school. I got good grades, but I didn't like being cooped up in classrooms most of the day. I had maybe two or three jobs after I left school, and then one day I decided to join the military. I enlisted in the Air Force, and would spend the next ten years of my life as an Aircraft Armament Specialist. This job consisted of maintaining weapons systems, and loading bombs/missiles onto fighter jets. I worked on the F-15C and F-15E models, as well as the F-16. I liked the F-15 more because it was bigger and easier to work on. The F-16 was small, so it wasn't easy for a bigger guy like myself to be navigating around while performing maintenance and performing functional checks in the cockpit. After my military career was over, I ended working in the aerospace career field. Some time was spent as a mechanic, but more time was spent as an inspector. I enjoyed being a mechanic more, but being an inspector paid more. Currently, I am a Tool Designer for an FAA Repair Station. Being a tool designer is challenging and pays very well, but I sit behind a desk all day, every day. I thought I wouldn't mind this aspect of the job, but it's becoming very intolerable. I'm now resenting sitting behind a desk all day, working on a computer, and dealing with the enormous egos that populate the aerospace world. I started to day dream about being outdoors, seeing something different everyday, and for the most part working on my own, which has led me to wanting to become a trucker.

So now, I'm researching various CDL training schools and/or companies that provide their own CDL training with a guaranteed job to follow. Looking forward to getting into my new career, and hitting the open road. It will be hard for the first years or so, being away from my family quite a bit. But as I mentioned before, my wife is very supportive. My son Sebastian on the other hand, he keeps asking me what am I waiting for...haha!

Thank you for your time, and hoping to get to know some of you via Trucking Truth!

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Posted:  5 years, 1 month ago

View Topic:

Crosswinds!!!

For me, I would just pull into a truck stop, back up, and put a macro 22 in and keep my life safe. But my goodness, what a truck in your profile picture! Thats a truck I would love to drive.

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Just watching some videos of some tractor/trailers being blown over by strong crosswinds. How many of you have experienced this? What is your course of action as you're traveling through these high wind areas?

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I have to give props to my son for the profile pic! That would be a dream truck, but I like older, meaner looking trucks like your profile pic. It would be nice to own an oldie someday. Just out of curiosity, what is Macro 22?

Posted:  5 years, 1 month ago

View Topic:

Crosswinds!!!

Thanks for the chart Matt! I copied and pasted that bad boy into my notes for future reference. Have a good night...stay safe!

Posted:  5 years, 1 month ago

View Topic:

Crosswinds!!!

Just watching some videos of some tractor/trailers being blown over by strong crosswinds. How many of you have experienced this? What is your course of action as you're traveling through these high wind areas?

Posted:  5 years, 2 months ago

View Topic:

Paid CDL Training Programs

I'm looking to get into trucking, and could use some information regarding Paid CDL Training Programs. Of the list noted right here on Trucking Truth, I have narrowed my list down to five: Jim Palmer, Prime, Roehl, C.R. England and Maverick. With the exception of Maverick, I chose these schools because they are within the western United States. I chose Maverick because of the higher end starting pay for rookie drivers. If anyone has had any first hand experience with these training programs, could you lend me some guidance?

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