I Messed Up BAD

About a month ago I was going through a hard time in my personal life, and I made a big mistake with the company I was working for. I got frustrated and left the equipment at a truck stop and went home. I understand that it was a REALLY stupid move, and I would like to find a way to make it right. I don't even know if it has hit my DAC yet (Ordered a copy of it a week ago, but have not received it in the mail yet). Right now I am trying to get on with another small company who I worked with in the past. When I left there the guy said he would hire me back if I wanted to come back (It's a small outfit).

I am very passionate about truck driving; I just made a big mistake. I am willing to work my way from the bottom to get back into the trucking industry, and drive again. I have been doing this over 4 years now, and I have a really good track record except for this screw up. I am just hoping this isn't going to ruin my career as a truck driver. Any advice anybody can give me moving forward now that I may have an indisputable TRUCK ABONDONMENT on my DAC?

Hey Charles.

The only thing you can really do is own it the way you have with us and make the most of your next opportunity. Returning to a company you've worked for in the past might be a great way to get your foot back in the door. Be honest about it with anyone you speak with. Let them know what a big mistake it was and that you'll never consider it again.

You can also share your story to let others know you've been down that road and you've faced hard times but didn't handle them well. I think many people feel isolated when they're going through tough times. They feel like no one understands, no one cares. Use your story to inspire people and to remind them of the old saying, "It's not what happens to you that matters most, it's how you handle it."

After four years in this industry, you understand it was a bad decision, but you'll get another shot. You didn't get a DUI , commit a felony, or kill anyone. You didn't hit a bridge or roll a truck. We all make bad decisions sometimes. Good judgment comes from experience, and experience comes from bad judgment.

Own it, apologize to them for it, learn the lessons it has to teach and become better for it.

Hey Charles.

The only thing you can really do is own it the way you have with us and make the most of your next opportunity. Returning to a company you've worked for in the past might be a great way to get your foot back in the door. Be honest about it with anyone you speak with. Let them know what a big mistake it was and that you'll never consider it again.

You can also share your story to let others know you've been down that road and you've faced hard times but didn't handle them well. I think many people feel isolated when they're going through tough times. They feel like no one understands, no one cares. Use your story to inspire people and to remind them of the old saying, "It's not what happens to you that matters most, it's how you handle it."

After four years in this industry, you understand it was a bad decision, but you'll get another shot. You didn't get a DUI , commit a felony, or kill anyone. You didn't hit a bridge or roll a truck. We all make bad decisions sometimes. Good judgment comes from experience, and experience comes from bad judgment.

Own it, apologize to them for it, learn the lessons it has to teach and become better for it.

Thank you Brett for your reply. I called the old company and apologized as well as I offered to pay for whatever charges incurred during the process of recovering my truck. Luckily it was only 300 something dollars, and the woman was pretty nice about it.

Also, I heard back from the small company I used to work for, and the guy said he set up a meeting with operations to talk about re-hiring me (Good sign). That is supposed to happen next Wednesday. I will try to keep this updated.

Thanks again Brett. Also on a different note I read your book when I first started driving, and I think it really helped me mentally adjust to being an OTR truck driver. I am hoping to be a trainer one day, I plan on giving my students copies of your book. Love what your doing, and keep up the good work. Have a good day.

Thanks, Charles. I'm glad you enjoyed the book. It was a lot of fun to write.

I wish you the best of luck. Be sure to let us know how things turn out for you.

Update: I called my last company, apologized, and offered to pay for any cost incurred while recovering my truck. Everything seemed to go well with that. Fast forward to now.

I got approved at 3 different companies. I took a job with one of the companies, and I am at orientation right now. Unfortunately things have turned for the worst since I arrived.

The recruiter stated that I would be starting out at .41 CPM before their monthly performance bonus of .05 CPM. I get to orientation, turns out my CPM is actually .41 cents after you add their maximum monthly bonus, which among other conditions; requires me to run 11,500 miles to earn. So my actual base pay is .36 CPM.

On top of that I specifically requested a manual transmission truck. My recruiter said that getting me a manual truck wouldn't be a problem at all, but when I get to orientation and say something to them they tell me "It depends on availability. No guarantees".

I know that I can't be to picky right now given my current situation, but I don't appreciate essentially being lied to about things. This guy apparently just said whatever he thought I wanted to hear to get me to come to this company.

I have been approved at another company, and if I call them tomorrow I can probably start there on Wednesday. I'm 30 miles from where they hold orientation at that company, and I have my own transportation to get there (My personal car). I am afraid if I leave here though, my DAC may come back to haunt me. I am hoping that maybe they didn't put the Truck Abandonment on my DAC, and I know they hadn't yet as of last week because I was able to view the consumer reports pulled by the companies I applied to. Last I checked all it says is that I quit/resigned.

It would really help if I knew exactly what was on there. I ordered my DAC 2 weeks ago, but I know it's the same report that I have already seen, because I ordered it before the companies I applied to even pulled it. Not sure what to do here, I am at a loss. I don't want to work for a company who lies to me up front about big things like pay, but I am afraid to leave. THIS SUCKS

Is there a reason 11,500 miles a month would be hard? What area will you be running?

Mountain Call, all the stuff you bring up is actually pretty normal. It's been a while since I was a rookie, but I think starting at $.41 pre-bonus is too good to be true. And don't expect to roll 2,800 miles a week right out of the chute - patience my dear, until you really get the hang of it. And, don't you think a bonus should be a goal, for good performance, not just an addition to your paycheck?

For part two, manual shift, why? Steep mountain passes? Your company wouldn't use Auto shift if there was a problem on long downhills. You need to learn that the engine retarders ("Jakes") are your friend. In fact, they'll probably come on automatically. Just pay attention to your speed.

Finally if you're committed, as in going to orientation, stay committed. If you think misunderstandings about start pay and transmission tires are a reason to call "Unfortunately things have turned for the worst since I arrived", you need to thicken up the ol' skin.

Is there a reason 11,500 miles a month would be hard? What area will you be running?

No I can run the miles, but do you really think they are going to give me over 2800 miles a week to actually get that number? My cost of living in the City/State that I live in is pretty high. I need 2500 a week just to pay my bills. That's based on the .37 CPM rate without the bonus but still.

Mountain Call, all the stuff you bring up is actually pretty normal. It's been a while since I was a rookie, but I think starting at $.41 pre-bonus is too good to be true. And don't expect to roll 2,800 miles a week right out of the chute - patience my dear, until you really get the hang of it. And, don't you think a bonus should be a goal, for good performance, not just an addition to your paycheck?

For part two, manual shift, why? Steep mountain passes? Your company wouldn't use Auto shift if there was a problem on long downhills. You need to learn that the engine retarders ("Jakes") are your friend. In fact, they'll probably come on automatically. Just pay attention to your speed.

Finally if you're committed, as in going to orientation, stay committed. If you think misunderstandings about start pay and transmission tires are a reason to call "Unfortunately things have turned for the worst since I arrived", you need to thicken up the ol' skin.

Errol V thank you for the honest answer. I have been working trucking for over 4 years now, so I would not say that I am a rookie. I have also worked for a company where I made over 50K a year as a flatbed driver. Definitely not going to get that here, but I knew that going into it so no issue there.

I guess I have not experienced a recruiter lying to me about pay. I have worked for 2 other big companies in the past, and I have never had an issue with something as big as pay going into it. What we agreed on "pre-orientation" is always what I got, no exceptions. I spent over 2 hours on the phone with the recruiter asking him questions, I spent hours looking at reviews online, and I spoke with company drivers at truck stops who have been with the company. I thought I was making an informed decision, and I feel I have been manipulated.

Regarding the manual/automatic transmission I can get over that no big deal. Again it's just about the fact that he promised me I would get a manual (we agreed on that before I accepted the position), and he it appears he is not going to be able to keep his word. They expect me to work hard, and be honest when they ask me questions. Is it not the same the other way around? Is it really unreasonable for me to expect that from them? You tell me.

36 cpm with 4 years experience, ouch yeah that is low. You are in a spot with the potential of what your DAC may come up with. How is it you talked to so many drivers and did so many hours of research and didn’t find the irregularities?? Just curious on that point. Have you actually been hired on yet?

Are you sure about the other company down the street? What if you do switch and get in their orientation and find similiar issues out?? What then??

I’m just trying to get you to think a bit before you act here. You have to do what you think is right for you, not us. Just consider your decision from all sides before you make it.

I wish you luck