Old Man Leaves Six-Figure Salary To Begin Training As A Trucker- Psychiatric Evaluation Pending

You still out there, driver?

You still out there, driver?

Greetings George! Definitely time for a quick update! I believe I stated somewhere in my long-term goals, that I hoped to get a job driving a fuel tanker for a local company, and be home every night. I had applied at my "target" company and was told I needed 1-year OTR experience, as well as Hazmat and TWIC before I could be considered. That led to me joining Maverick, hauling steel out of Charleston, SC.

I guess the 1-year rule is rather flexible, as I was recently contacted by my chosen company and asked if I would consider joining their propane fuel division. I advised Maverick that I was taking a day off to attend a job interview with another company. I must say that Maverick treated me very well and I did feel some guilt pangs as I had only been with them for 4 months. However, this opportunity was my goal from the beginning, so I went to the job interview and the next day was offered the position.

I joined the company at the beginning of Nov. and have just recently finished my training. I have been on my own for a whole two weeks and I really have enjoyed learning this area of trucking. I'm starting in the "Bobtail" delivering to local homes and businesses in Central VA. I have the option of moving up to the tractor-trailer division if I want, but for now, I'm fine learning in the smaller trucks with smaller tanks.

Let me close this update by saying that Maverick was 100% class the entire way. They were honest from the recruitment, through the hiring and training process, and they didn't give me any grief when I said I was leaving for another opportunity. They said I would be welcome to come back anytime and I appreciate them giving me that option.

Merry Christmas to you George, and to all the excellent people here on TT! I really appreciated all the help and encouragement! Sincerely, Steve

That is awesome news! Super glad it worked out for you, and in such a timely manner, too!

You still out there, driver?

Greetings George! Definitely time for a quick update! I believe I stated somewhere in my long-term goals, that I hoped to get a job driving a fuel tanker for a local company, and be home every night. I had applied at my "target" company and was told I needed 1-year OTR experience, as well as Hazmat and TWIC before I could be considered. That led to me joining Maverick, hauling steel out of Charleston, SC.

I guess the 1-year rule is rather flexible, as I was recently contacted by my chosen company and asked if I would consider joining their propane fuel division. I advised Maverick that I was taking a day off to attend a job interview with another company. I must say that Maverick treated me very well and I did feel some guilt pangs as I had only been with them for 4 months. However, this opportunity was my goal from the beginning, so I went to the job interview and the next day was offered the position.

I joined the company at the beginning of Nov. and have just recently finished my training. I have been on my own for a whole two weeks and I really have enjoyed learning this area of trucking. I'm starting in the "Bobtail" delivering to local homes and businesses in Central VA. I have the option of moving up to the tractor-trailer division if I want, but for now, I'm fine learning in the smaller trucks with smaller tanks.

Let me close this update by saying that Maverick was 100% class the entire way. They were honest from the recruitment, through the hiring and training process, and they didn't give me any grief when I said I was leaving for another opportunity. They said I would be welcome to come back anytime and I appreciate them giving me that option.

Merry Christmas to you George, and to all the excellent people here on TT! I really appreciated all the help and encouragement! Sincerely, Steve

It's advised to stay with that company for a bare minimum of a year. BUT, if a driver is going to move on sooner, that's the way to do it. Your goal driving position came calling and you didn't hesitate to jump on it. Great job getting her done.

Thanks for the response! Glad you are doing well. Shoot me an email. I will look you up soon

You still out there, driver?

Overdue for an Update...but here it is!

Let's just start off by saying that trucking offers endless opportunities to expand your horizons. When I last checked in I was operating a propane delivery truck, serving business and residential customers in Central VA. While I enjoyed the challenges of this assignment and interacting with our customers, the money was just not sufficient to justify the time I was devoting to this job. I loved the people I was working with and had an excellent daily schedule (6:45 a.m.- 3:00 p.m.) but the pay was low when compared to the risks inherent in this job. I had lots of opportunities for overtime, especially in the winter, but after nearly a year in the propane delivery position, I requested a transfer to the tractor-trailer division where I would haul gasoline, diesel, or propane. My supervisor was very understanding, but the HR department was less than enthused with my desire to move up to the transport (tractor-trailer) division. Despite having a spotless safety record and excellent evaluations, months went by with no response to my request. I finally upped the ante and advised that unless there was a move towards a transfer, I would be forced to leave to pursue more profitable opportunities.

After four months I finally accepted that they had no interest in moving me to my desired assignment. Regrettably, in Nov. 23, I resigned from my position as a propane delivery driver. At my exit interview, they asked if I would consider staying on their emergency call-out list for drivers used by the Mission Critical Division. These drivers are called as needed when the company is required to transport fuel (typically dyed fuel oil for generators, gasoline for fuel utility workers' cars/trucks, or on-the-road diesel fuel for transports/bucket trucks) to support areas hit by natural disasters such as hurricanes or other widespread storms. During my tenure at this company, I worked for 6-weeks on these types of assignments, and the compensation when a driver is activated is VERY lucrative. In 2023 I worked for the Mission Critical Team for a total of 7 weeks, responding to a tornado in North Carolina, a severe wind storm in Shreveport, LA, and a power outage in Northern VA. In that amount of time, I exceeded the total compensation I received during the other 45 weeks of normal driving! Suffice it to say, when they asked if I would stay on the Mission Critical call-out list, I quickly said yes.

Currently, I'm not driving full-time, but have been called out about once per month to assist with Mission Critical assignments. I miss the day-to-day interaction with customers and the other drivers, but I don't miss pulling a heavy hose through rain, ice, and sometimes snow!

I'm sorry this update is so long in coming. There are segments of the trucking industry where pay is exceptional! I'm thankful to have found one of these segments. With the opportunity to drive part-time in this capacity, I'm far exceeding the full-time money I received for the very challenging (and dangerous) role of a propane delivery driver.

If anyone has any questions, feel free to contact me and I'll do my best to answer your questions. If you reside in Central VA and would like to apply as a Mission Critical Driver, please contact me and I'll give you all the information you need to move in that direction.

Thanks again to all the Trucking Truth members who have been so encouraging as I have progressed on my journey.