CDL Training- Celadon (Hopefully) February 2015 (Hopefully On That, Too!)

Hello! It's Pepper, y'all! Anyway,

What a goat rope it has been to try and find a company that wanted me as much as I wanted them! I really wanted to take my little dog on the road with me, but it looks like unless I am an owner/operator, that is not going to happen right now.

What have I been doing to get on the road then? I have been interviewing companies and they have been interviewing me. Because of the fact that I have some unverifiable gaps in my employment history within the last 36 months, I have had a very hard time finding a company that would be willing to take me on.

Hint: Only weork for companies that you are able to show proof of employment from. The proof needs to be in the form of some type of verification. I worked for a company that is no longer in business, and the owner (who I still know) was not deemed as an acceptable source of verification. Why? I don't know.

I have spent th better part of this week applying with companies, only to be declined because of that gap in verifiable employment. I don't smoke, (I vape e-cigs) I don't do drugs, I have passed a 10 year background screen for a different industry, but for some reason, this has become a stumbling block that I did not know existed.

If you would have told me even a year ago, when I was first looking into this that it would be harder to get a place in a company that offers training for your CDL than it was to get a 10 year verified security clearance, I would have laughed in your face. Here I am now to tell you that what I just wrote is true. I have now had two companies tell me that they could not use me.

Thankfully, one of the companies that I am looking at, Celadon has agreed to look over my application and get back to me. They are willing to send me down to Laredo, Texas for the approximately one month that I will be there, pay for my room and board, and the training itself in exchange for one year of service to the company. I am deeply in prayer that this will work out for me, as I am beginning to feel a little rejected about this. This experience has made me have a lot of respect for all of you who have come this far and succeeded. This experience has made me reevaluate what is important, and to make decisions about what I will and won't do to get a job. Of course, there are naysayers out there about any company, and I just want to get my CDL and get my trucking career started.

I have talked with the recruiter at Celadon, who has told me that she will get back to me Monday. She has said that if I do not hear back from her by lunch time on Monday to please call her so that I know what all I need to do.

Please continue to pray for me. I am really wanting this to happen so that I can be a success and make my family proud.

Good luck.... I'm at the Celadon school in Alabama right now and I'm loving it. Maybe you will get in and enjoy it also.

Hello,

you will enjoy the school as I enjoyed it. When I started at September 8, 2014, the training center was already great and I enjoyed it. However, since then the school has been keeping improving drastically. They have more instructors. All instructors are great. Each one have their own way of teaching. It is the teamwork that stands out according to my opinion. The work between the Quality Drivers manager, her sweet assistant, and the instructors is great. If you don't know their beginnings with their growing pains, then you might not appreciate their improvements since September. I loved their training and so on. The cooperation with the Orientation Facilitator and the Orientation itself is amazing according to my observance and experience.

Good luck Pepper! I've heard good things about Celadon. (Not so much about Laredo.)

Sound like you've got a brain and determination. You'll get through. Keep us posted!

Good luck Pepper! I've heard good things about Celadon. (Not so much about Laredo.)

Sound like you've got a brain and determination. You'll get through. Keep us posted!

I, too have been hearing good things about Celadon, and the same reports about Laredo. I was looking online the other day, and it looks like they have a vibrant city bus service, so that is pretty awesome, in addition, we will be taken to Wal-Mart once a week for our food and supplies that we will need. I will be taking some camping dishes and essentials to make the most of the time and money that I have to work with down there. I got laundry detergent, et cetera, and they are all going into large zip top bags to make sure that nothing spills into a sopping mess. I also got a great piece of advice from my dad, (Retired Army) who told me "You can wear jeans up to 4 times if you don't sweat in them or get them dirty, you can wear shirts 2-3 times, same rules apply, and socks and underclothes need to be changed daily. I will save a lot of time on laundry by only having one load of things at the end of the week.

Here is what I am packing so far:

Dishtowels

Dish soap

Can Opener

Canned and Boxed soups

Pot Holders

Utensils

Camping Cookware and dishes

7 changes of clothes that can be layered up or down

Pillow

Wool Blanket

Sneakers

Boots

Underclothes

Toiletries

I was relieved to know that the hotel that we will be staying at offers breakfast, so that will make the dollar go further. I will get a roll of quarters tomorrow from the bank, so that will give me money for laundry. I spoke to my cell phone company, I will be paying my phone bill a little in advance, because I surely don't want it to be disconnected! My landlord is fine with a money order coming in the mail, so there is another blessing, and finally, I have a to-do list, since I don't have a "honey" to do it for and with me.

Well, the CDL class on here has been a challenge, I have learned to really read the question as I kept getting stuck on one particular question. It was ME not understanding the question, but some time away and a re-read of the section and I now am doing better. Thanks, Brett for the site and everything that you are doing. I am really looking forward to getting the test behind me!

All for now,

Pepper