Profile For Car Washer Mac

I hear ya. Sometimes the drivers at work ask me how I can back into some of the spots that I do, and I tell them it's because I do this every day. I spend more time going in reverse than I do going forward. They just about do a back flip when I tell them my age. Maybe it's how I look, or how I act. I certainly don't feel my age. I want to make that my mission too: to prove that age is just a number.

Daniel, after reading your post, I really look up to you. I'm 19 right now and I'm waiting to turn 21 so I can go driving for UPS. Right now, I work part time washing package cars, and they pay me in peanuts. But somehow I make it work, and then some. I was able to get out of debt and establish some savings this year. I attribute my successes to being prepared and sometimes just dumb luck.

Sometimes I wonder if I'm doing the right thing, but most days I turn on that truck and I just know. It's just really motivating to hear that your story has a happy "end" or a happy chapter, that there is some reward after all of the struggle. And that someone so young CAN achieve so much.

And another thing I would add is not to worry about what people think about your career choice. My parents were completely against it and refused to support me financially if I chose to go down that road. So I worked my butt off at 3 jobs saving up money to be able to start out on my own. Once they saw that I wanted it bad enough to say, "Fine. I'll do it on my own," they let up a little bit.

If trucking is truly what you want to do, you should go for it. Ignore the critics and the people who judge you for choosing trucking as a career. Be successful and happy and let your LIFE speak for you.

Hey there, I'm in a very similar situation! I'll be 17 in September and have wanted to drive truck for a long time. Parents don't approve, but hey, it's where I know I'll be happy and I'm not going to be happy stuck in one place. I love driving! I plan to go OTR asap which would mean 21, but I've really been thinking hard about getting my CDL when I'm 18 and doing some local work (stone/dirt hauler, something just to get me in a truck). I've checked out a few places in my area online and so far no dice, but I still have a lot of "homework" to do. It's good that you're already in with UPS! I'm still technically jobless, lol, but I'm saving up when I can and already have a CDL fund. One question: have you ever hauled/pulled anything? I ride horses and have started pulling our horse trailer... Know it's not very close to a 53' but it's something... And I can work on mirrors and backing, backing is the most difficult but I'm getting it. You said you're already practicing the UPS driving method, just reminded me of what I'm doing :) but if you get a chance or know anyone with a trailer of some sort, get them to teach you how to pull it. It really opened my eyes up to the challenge of backing but if I can get this down with my trailer, I'll already know the basics.

Anyway, good luck and keep us posted!!

That's good you know what you want to do. It's good that you're saving up to pay cash for your CDL school. I would not recommend going into debt for that unless you absolutely have to. I took on debt in my name for a school loan so I'm going to be paying stupid tax on that for a while.

As for getting CDL before 21, that seems like it isn't really the best choice unless you find a job first. Here, we have the oilfields nearby so there is some opportunity for people under 21. Unfortunately, nobody wants to take the risk of hiring on a young driver anymore. Keep researching and I'm sure you'll find something.

I have never hauled or pulled anything. I have done mostly restaurant and legal/courier and delivery work. UPS is my first job in the trucking industry.

I would recommend downloading some type of trucking simulator on your computer to practice backing on. It doesn't even come close to real life, but it gives you an understanding of which way the trailer goes if you turn the wheels this way, etc.

What I mean by the UPS methods of driving is just getting into good driving habits. Always leaving yourself an out, getting the big picture, 8-12 second eye lead time, 4-6 seconds following distance for speeds under 30, 6-8 seconds for 30+. At intersections, always leaving a car length behind the person in front of you in case he stalls so you can get around him. When starting off at an intersection look left, right, left, then go. If you're behind a car, wait 3 seconds, then go, so you regain your following distance.

Thanks and good luck to you too!

Package guy lol I'll tell ya, my brother works for UPS 32+ years now. He got our buddy in 30 years ago too. Then feeders took up to 4 years to deliver package. Now I hear it can be up to 8 years ! BUT My bro did it til he got the commercial delivery route he had for like 15 years. Now he's been driving the big rigs the 2nd half his career there, as our friend has as well 30 years.... Wall is full of annual safe driver awards lol and gets a private parking space with named sign and all!

Point is, driving the big rigs, pays huge! $30+ an hour, 12 hour days, so that's $45 an hour, for 20 of 60 hours! Home every night and weekends off HUGE bene's lol I never could get "in" when I tried years ago, not even pushing a broom for $25 an hour!.......I know with all personal and sick days and vacation days, hiolidays, they both get nearly 10 weeks paid time off !

You've already got your foot in the door, might be well worth it to retire there! lol My dad's friend was the 7th original driver for UPS back in 1969

Yeah it depends on a lot of things but where I work it could be 3 months or 2 years to go driving. For me it will be at least another 2 years as I'm not 21. Nobody wants to retire because they are making great money and 2-3 months of the year is vacation anyways.

Thanks, Realist, I'm looking into a roommate situation.

Hey guys it's been a little while, but I thought I would check in and give an update. I've completed my first year with UPS as of June 9. So I got my $.70 raise, my vacations, and all the other benefits which is really nice. I decided that I'm going to stay at UPS and work my way up to feeders. I just can't argue with that pay. Maybe I'll go OTR when I retire.

As for right now, I'm working 3 jobs trying to save up as much as I can before I move out and I'm also working on paying my last little bit of school debt. I've accepted that I'm going to have to work more than one job for awhile until I start driving. I've asked around and it seems that it is normal for part timers at UPS to work more than one job.

I've also been practicing the UPS methods of driving (All Good Kids Like Milk) whenever I'm in my car, so that it becomes habit by the time I start driving school.

I may or may not go back to school for another semester in order to stay at home and save up more money depending upon whether or not my parents will pay cash for two classes.

The next few years are going to be tough, but whatever comes my way, I know I can handle it!

UPS

1. Unrealistic Production Standards

2. Unauthorized Parking Specialists

3. Useless Package Smashers

4. The mechanics call it Unlimited Parts Suppliers

Alright it sounds like I'll be okay. I'll see if I can take a defensive driving course to get it off of my record. And I definitely need to be more careful.

Well I screwed up today. I was driving my dads car home from Walmart and I was behind a pickup in a turnaround. He went like he was going to merge into traffic. So I went forward a little bit and checked to see if I was in the clear. I had plenty of room to merge into traffic so I pulled out... Except the pickup was still there. I hit the back of his truck and cracked a taillight and bent in his fender. The damage to my dads car was worse though. The headlight was cracked, the fender messed up and the plastic of the wheel arch was bent in towards the wheel.

I've always prided myself in being a careful driver and not having any accidents. Ever since I got a speeding ticket over 2 years ago I have been serious about driving safely. But I feel like I really screwed myself over here. I probably ruined my future career today, not to mention that I have to give all of my savings to pay for the damage. Is there any chance that I will get hired as a driver in two years when I turn 21 with a speeding ticket and an accident on my record?

I'll just be here, hitting my head against the wall...

You might want to check out the Paleolithic diet. Read The Primal Blueprint by Mark Sisson. When I was a senior in high school I started out on this diet. Drinking plenty of water, eating mostly fresh meats and vegetables, and some fruit and nuts. It felt bad, like a drug addict going through bad withdrawal because I stopped cold turkey. It was hell on my digestive system for about a week (I was used to eating spicy chicharrones dipped in nacho cheese sauce with Mountain Dew), but after that my body began to adjust to the healthier foods, and I began to enjoy eating them. Without doing any exercise (I worked as a law clerk), I lost 50 pounds in about ten months. Then I switched to a physical warehouse job, and lost about 40 more pounds just from working and eating healthy. I never once stepped foot in a gym or "worked out". I also weened back on to dairy, after I experimented and felt no negative effects of eating it, but now I am at the point where if I eat bad food or drink something with high fructose corn syrup I can feel it.

It's all about getting the mind off of the addiction to bad food and getting it addicted to good food. This diet might also work better than the blender thing on the road, as you can cook and freeze meals at home or buy meat and frozen veggies and fruit at Walmart and cook them on a small burner or something.