Did Opportunity Just Knock? You Tell Me.

it's amazing how things sort of just flop into your lap. out of the blue, opportunities can arise. I may have, potentially, just been given one.

So, I am part of an online racing community called iRacing.com. I have a racing rig, wheel, pedals, etc. that I am trying to sell in order to pad my funds for my transition into OTR trucking.

I post my items for sale on the iRacing Texas forums. I get a message from a guy who is interested in buying some of my stuff. We text back and forth for awhile, and he decides he would just rather call instead of text. So, we are talking for a bit, and then he asks me about this transition I am looking into. I explain to him that I am wanting to go out on the road and have a change of life.

He tells me, "well, you know, i'm really good friends with one of the vice presidents of Texas Moving company, if you want, submit your resume and put me as a reference". He tells me that he has known this vice president for over 30 years and they are looking for good people.

Texas moving company provides a complete range of professional services for Office and Industrial Relocation, Long Distance High Value Products Transportation, Data Center Migration & Relocation, and High Tech Storage. From their website, "Using our own fleet of vehicles from tractor-trailers to straight trucks, all equipped with air-ride and lift-gates, TMC can meet the demands of our clients locally in the Dallas Metroplex and Nationwide."

He tells me that it's a great place to work, and they have very low turnover, quite of few of their employees having 20 years with the company. The company has been in business since 1975.

I tell him, well, my plan was to get a few years OTR experience, and that in this industry, with effort, you have the possibility of making upwards of 60k to 70k per year, again, with effort, and time. I also mention that after 3 years of experience, I was looking to possibly get on with Wal Mart, which advertises new drivers making 82k/year, before bonuses. He tells me that I need to check into this company, and that they have drivers making even more than that.

I submitted my resume today. This is something that just came from out of the blue, and while I hate to get this far with any trucking company and then pull the plug at the last minute, it seems that it would not be viable if I didn't at least talk to them and see what they are offering.

I'm sure this would be more labor intensive, but, ive been used to that for many years.

Thoughts?

As you said,

...if I didn't at least talk to them and see what they are offering.

No harm in doing some research and thinking things through. Just make sure you get facts from the company and not from a guy who is a friend of someone. Even if the guy is a great guy with good intentions, you should not assume even half of what he is saying is factual. Avoid the stories and look at the details and numbers that the company puts in front of you.

And plans are great until reality changes beyond what you planned for. If reality just dropped you a new job opportunity that is workable for you and, after research and consideration, ends up being a nice upgrade, don't let plans made before you had this opportunity solely dictate what you do. Evolve and adapt.

In whatever ends up happening, best of luck!

Depending on how much residential work they do it's going to be a very tough job for a rookie. Many times you'll have to deliver in places that are not designed to accommodate trucks (and that's putting it mildly). And you'll be doing all the loading and unloading yourself/with a partner most of the time. Just know what you're getting into before accepting a position.

Sambo if you are serious about applying to Walmart after three years of experience you might consider looking into a company that has dedicated contracts with them. Schneider, Swift, Werner, and many others contract with Walmart delivering to their stores. By taking that path you gain the experience relevant to working for Walmart's Private Fleet three years later. You can also establish a record of on time delivery with them they can easily access as a reference for your performance.

The DC (distribution center) I am assigned to has hired many Swift drivers during my tenure.

Good luck.