Introduction

Hey Bud, quit using Google Translator...

1: don't use your wife to translate things for you...

Hey Bud, quit using Google Translator...

1: don't use your wife to translate things for you...

OOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHH BURNED!!!

Hey Bud, quit using Google Translator...

1: don't use your wife to translate things for you...

Thanks for the laugh!

I'm going to tag onto this intro thread.

I passed my written test yesterday, General knowledge, Combination vehicles, and Air Brakes sections. I was born in the midwest and mostly raised here. I've worked in engineering for most of my adult life. I enjoy riding motorcycles, snowmobiles, and pulling the family RV camper (only a 28 footer) with my 3/4 ton diesel.

I do enjoy being out in the world and seeing the sights. A couple years back I got to travel to Mississippi, Louisiana, Tennessee, and Kentucky during a series of site visits and inspections. I rode along with a contractor in his work truck with our equipment. We stopped and saw the St Louis Arch. He pointed out East St Louis. Where I live we don't have neighborhoods that have deteriorated that far. It was educational. After 30 years of mostly office/desk work I'm hoping to see a little of the world and briefly meet some new people.

We also tried to get to small mom 'n pop type restaurants for suppers. We found out though, far south the small rib joints and such are closed for the holy day. It was very nice to meet the local people. One of our stops was Jena Louisiana. They had national news there a few years back. I found the town's people to be friendly, quiet and sincere. It was a nice four day stay and the local restaurants were decent food and friendly staff, well except for one gal at Pop-eye's Chicken, we all have bad days, some more than others. The chicken was great though.

I didn't advance my skill set as I went along my career. Looking back, I probably should have taken a path into Project Management or Engineering Management to utilize my years of experience. Where I sat, I may have priced myself out of the market. I am thinking the companies I worked for could get younger staff with less experience and trained them into the roles I was filling.

I'm hoping to find new avenues in trucking. I taught CAD for five semesters one-night-a-week. It was fun and rewarding. Maybe I can work into driver training. I also saw an ad for driver facilitator that looked interesting ,6pm to 6am, helping drivers with daily troubles and getting them back on the road and home safe. 12 nights on duty, 12 nights free schedule. I'd still like to have experience behind me to know what drivers are going through. Some of this must make really big knots in your stomach.

....and don't call me Francis. ;)