Comments By Mark C.

I'll await my turn. You???

That's fantastic Ann - You must be proud.

Well, where we live a masters in internet marketing really wasn't much help, my wife's experience in the office got her the financial director gig so I stayed home and did freelance while homeschooling (before it was cool) the kids. Once middle school was done, the two younger opted to go to HS.

But, as kids become adults (or so they tell me) they only get more expensive, so since they don't need me to supervise, i'm free to take some of the load off the wife. Guess you could say it's my turn, though she's still working, to pick up more of the load.

I'm gonna miss being here making her lunches and morning tea, but once my contract is paid I'll look for local or dedicated that brings me back regular.

when my youngest ages out of the house, haha!

That actually happens?? When??

Actually, my youngest will be the first out, heading for the Air Force. I'll have to build an apartment for the youtube star downstairs though.

(continued...)

This isn’t me hating on paid school. I think it’s great and creates opportunity for a lot of people who otherwise could never become a driver. It’s about understanding what’s best for the individual and their individual circumstances. And its about pushing back on some really bad stereotyping of me. If you want to know where I’m coming from, just ask. If you want to use me as a straw man to increase your own authority, then I’m going to push back.

I’m all grown up and don’t require a cheering section, but be careful with that tough love, it easily becomes a discouraging word. Tough love doesn’t drive people into a corner, it gives them a clean path to choose right. And that path is never groveling to your side in shame, or it’s just tough without love.

If I sound insulted, I reckon I am a bit, but more disappointed. I joined this community for honest insight into the trucking world, I expect opinions and even disagreements. I don’t think disagreements should be cause for ad hominem attacks. Old School, you’re a respected member here and I expect for very good reason. I think you may have fallen victim to your own press though. If maligning dissenters is the rule of the day, this forum will never be more than a choir all singing the same tune, incapable of introspection.

So to the Girl & her Dog, just remember it’s you who must live with your choice. You know your circumstances, how much time you have, and what your options are. It’s not about which is the “right” choice, rather which is right for you.

Old School, I’m a little disappointed.

I don’t mind “tough love”, I’m a father to three young adults and dole it out often enough. But I do make it a point to understand what I’m talking about.

I’m not unhappy with my choice to work for PAM. I would do it again with a privately acquired cdl. It was in my power to do it privately but I chose the paid option, and that’s the only part I would change. Again, I watched several people wash out at school, and that doesn’t mean they don’t have to pay. They are now on the hook for twice as much as the private school, with no cdl. How is that better off than Zach?

It’s about making the right choice for your circumstances. Things like how much training do you need? Or do you need to stay working while going to school? This forum influenced my choice to go the paid cdl path, but I got information from many sources and take full responsibility for the it.

Being a “free agent” may not increase the pool of available employers, but it doesn’t shrink it either. There are also better schools than the one I went to which offered me an average less than 1:10 ratio of seat time to hours in the yard. There’s a state tech college near me that offers a 320 hour course for half the price of the sponsored school, and it’s a superior learning experience (since it couldn’t be otherwise) and my first choice company would have hired me from there. Community colleges even have student aid.

I didn’t have that kind of time, personal choices based on personal circumstances.

It’s a common mistake when we’ve lived long enough, and encountered enough people, to pigeonhole them into categories. You took one line from a comment and extrapolated my career potential. In case it isn’t clear at this point, this isn’t the first thing I’ve been new at. If you want to know why I’m changing career at 53, just ask, but don’t assume I can’t know anything about starting a challenging career. The biggest lesson I’ve learned is that I’m responsible for my career, not some recruiter or dispatcher. I have to make it work by working with people, not looking for excuses. But that doesn’t mean forum members should be afraid to vent a little, or share difficult times. If every challenge is met with another dose of “tough love”, the love part gets lost.

“posting like newbies”.. I’m not afraid of posting problems or complaints, but if you’ve read my posts you’ll also see I post confidence in solutions with patience and endurance. I came into this eyes open, though you can’t seem to believe anyone can know anything at the start.

Do I feel the pinch? I have a mortgage, two car payments, three grown kids who still depend on me, and an amazing wife whose shoulders have born too much already. So YES, I feel the pinch every day. How about you? Will the stress of trucking break me, or will the action of creating solutions to my other stresses actually relieve some? I’ve run businesses, I’ve been successful and struggled. I’m as prepared for the unknown as one can be.

As for “skin in the game”, well there’s also something called “sunk cost”. Any manager will tell you that it’s better to abandon an investment than continue in a bad one. Not saying Zach or anyone else is a bad investment, I’m challenging the notion that a company paying for school does anything for job security. Your story is anecdotal, and it’s from an earlier time. The big companies of today are even bigger, and the corporate mentality, I’ll wager, has only increased over that time. The contract for that “paid cdl school” says that if you don’t pass your test, never mind meet your contracted employment duration, you are liable for the entire cost. Kids with zero experience with a clutch or trailer were expected to learn enough to pass their test in just 3 weeks or get stuck with a $7k bill. Seems to me they got that skin covered either way. Not everyone is cut out for that kind of stress, and its foolish to think otherwise.

(continued....)

I know I go against the grain here but if I'd to do over, I'd have gone private. Most starter companies will reimburse for the cost and the time offered to pull back is too short to get a real feel for the school. Going private would have cost half as much also, should I not finish my full year for some reason.

I watched several people fail and the only thought in my head was that they would be billed that $7K for the school and not even have their cdl. If you can't get the $$ up front, sponsored school makes sense, but if you can swing it (and look for grants) you're a free agent going private.

I should see my PAM mentor mon or tue next week, then it's PAM for a year whether I like them or not, else I have to buy out the tuition at full (inflated) price.

In the end, you make the choice that puts peace in your soul then stop looking over fences. Grass is always greener from a distance.

Thanks ya'll. I sprung for a sleeping bag liner. I generally sleep warm and a small travel blanket would be all i need as long as the cab doesn't get below the 60's. Mostly just trying to make sharing a bunk as easy as possible. I don't want to share my bedding so don't expect anyone else to either. Teaming should mean the truck is mostly running so I expect some climate control most of the time.

Been looking at a couple jackets at Rural King. A Carhartt and another that's fluorescent yellow. Don't care much about fashion, but the Carhartt has a hood and the other is a bomber, which I generally like, and plenty visible. Son has my car, I'll find out later which feels better.

I'm not a gamer so my only entertainment needs will be my Surface tablet and my phone's hot spot. small enough.

plan on picking up grub along the way until you've got your own truck

Hopefully my trainer is a little more understanding. "Grub along the way" is both unhealthy and expensive in most cases (and jerky is $$$ too). I reckon this is an individual thing so I'll wait to speak with the trainer before worrying about it.

I will look into getting a new multi-tool though. Haven't needed one in years.

Something Old,

Hey, that's me!

Something New,

That'd be the new plan to retirement

Something Borrowed,

Time.... we're all on borrowed time, no?

Something Blue

A vision of blue skies will be with me. Somewhere ahead there will always be blue skies.

So all that and extra underwear... Thanks.

Flip flops ...

got some water shoes from key West....

It'll be Feb and possibly into March while I'm teamed up with a mentor and I've nothing to wear. Oh, that should have been the title...

I know it'll be cold in most places, I used to live up there. Alas, FL stores don't carry much for cold weather even in the fall, so I'm looking at ordering in. Keeping those Amazon trucks rolling!

Seriously, I know I'm invading another man's home so-to-speak and don't want to overpack. can't know how much room I'll have for my own stuff or even what that should be. I have uninsulated work boots, a couple hoodies and some flannels for cold weather. I'm thinking I'd like some kind of bed roll since PAM trains as a team and I'll be sharing the bunk. Should I order in some insulated bibs and a nice forescent coat? Perhaps a foot locker? Ok, never mind the locker, but those battery powered socks are staying on the list. Florida blood here.

I just know I need to get this done quickly or it'll arrive after I leave.

So my questions are: What to get? What are the best bedroll ideas? Should I pack groceries (without ever seeing the inside of the truck)? I reckon that last can be done after talking to the mentor guy.

Ideas would help, and if you've trained please give me your "don't do it" list. I hate being on that list.