Profile For Gary A.

Sorry it took so long to reply guys..Been crazy busy in the "Field Service Technician" field. I read and re-read your posts, and have to say THANKS for the honest feedback. I remembered the reasons I decided not to pursue the career...I'm on the road 10-12 hours a day and am pretty worn out fighting traffic by the time I get home, but have a big old recliner, friendly old cat, 55 inch TV, hot supper and my king size bed waiting every night when I get home. I think I'd miss that too much. Maybe I'm just getting old... It does take a special person to be a trucker, and you guys will always have my undying admiration. Heck, I follow y'all most of the time because y'all are the only SANE ones on the road!!! Thanks again, stay safe and God Bless!!! (If ya ever have a printer jamming on ya, give me a holler! :)

It's been a while but here I am again on TT. I was close to becoming a trucker a few years ago, had my CDL learners permit and some training on backing, etc. but bailed at the end of my tech school training to go back to IT work. The thing is I'm SICK of IT, doesn't pay nearly what it used to, and it's saturated with kids working for 12.00/hr. I still feel that "what if?" every time I see a truck pass me. I'm currently a printer technician travelling around throwing parts at old dirty and greasy printers. Could be the WORST job I ever had. BUT I just turned 60, and I just gotta know if trucking is for me.!!!

I just don't want to work the next 10-12 years not enjoying what I'm doing. There's too much to see! I love driving around Atlanta and the suburbs just for the joy of driving. I'm single, no kids, it's just me. I'm on the road 10-12 hours a day ANYWAY, and, like I say, I see these big rigs cruising through Atlanta and I think to myself "yeah" THAT'S what I wanna do!!

I'm close to Millis trucking school in Cartersville Georgia and I'm thinking about starting the application process. I just GOTTA try this or I'll regret it, like I already regret not finishing CDL school when I had the chance. Thoughts on an old 60 year-old hitting the high road????

Thanks Heavy C! This post was really helpful for me. I'm currently in school, but am convinced more and more everyday that I do NOT want to be OTR. I want a local gig like you have. A recruiter came in today, and pretty much repeated the same thing we heard from OTHER recruiters, BUT THIS guy said" we're gonna take you out of your 900-1200 foot home and put you in a 6x8 foot box to live in". I think he was just "being real" and I read between the lines of what he was saying...That hit home for me.. One of our instructors is encouraging us to apply for feeder drivers at UPS. It's a daily gig that pays well. That's going to be my first effort. IF it comes down to it, I'll just have to keep applying like you did...But I'm 98% sure OTR/long haul is no longer an option...Too old and too tired for living in a box, while I have a home that I worked hard for sitting here empty..

Wow...FIRST day on the range, with straight backups and offset driver's side backup...We have 2 excellent instructors, very patient and encouraging. We all had a BLAST! The director of the program told us that our class was one of the BEST he's had in a LONG time! (he was actually able to leave early and leave it to the assistants!)-I did OK on the initial straight line backups, had a bit more trouble with the offset, but was able to get 'er in there with only 2 cones knocked down...Then I went, hopped in a truck, and started straight backing again..Silly trailer kept wanting to drift to the left, no matter how much I adjusted...I think my mind kept trying to treat it like a car and I just had to stop and THINK for a second, I could get the trailer straight, but then my tractor was right at the cones on the driver's side...I was getting frustrated and just shut it down for the day..The HEAT on the range was a bit more than I expected though...I'm sure I'll get it...I was pretty tired at the end of the day, but elated that I actually drove a BIG RIG!!! Stay tuned...more to follow!!!

We were discussing this in class. Our instructor actually had a copy of the investigator's report. The logs showed he was in compliance. He had only a little over thirty minutes before he would've violated the 14 hour rule, we figured he got on the turnpike in hopes of finding a place to PARK his rig-The RIGHT lane was closed, and we (conjecture of course) surmised that the driver came up on the backed up traffic too fast, and the driver of the Limo pulled into the LEFT lane to avoid the traffic, giving Mr. Wal-Mart NO time to stop. ANYWAY the report is available on-line:

NTSB Preliminary Report

I got my CDL AP (learner's permit) today! About a 98 on air brakes, about an 88 on the General Knowledge, 94 on combination vehicles, and 100 on tankers! It's getting more real! We start trip planning tomorrow!!!

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

Been a VERY intense week of study, study, study, practice test, practice test and practice test. I have a 4.0 average so far, scored my lowest on HazMat (88) today. BUT I'm beginning to think and feel like a PROFESSIONAL TRUCKER! I've learned a TON in the past week, and have gained a whole new outlook on a trucking career. VERY intense stuff, but I'm finding it VERY fun and interesting!!! CDL Test is THURSDAY and I WILL obtain a CDL learner's license!!! Then I can start grinding gears! We watched the UPS guys driving today (our school is training UPS OTR drivers) and it really doesn't look too bad...Knowing MY luck I'll throw a rod or clutch before I even CRANK that big diesel....

No doubt this is the FINEST training system on the Internet. The BIGGEST reward I am seeing is the confidence I have in my classes, and the ease of understanding the material, and doing well in the practice tests we have in class..NOW if there was only an on-line training system for double-clutching!!!! THANK YOU BRETT!!!

I have NO DOUBT that this is the next evolution of transportation, for passengers and freight. Think about it. Always on time, no "home time", fewer accidents due to human error, no need to pay for drivers, their insurance/benefits, reduced costs passed to shippers, thereby increasing profit margins, etc. Of course by the time they have the Infrastructure in place and begin testing this stuff, we will all be well into our retirements...