Arams Diary!!

I just re read your other thread where you said stevens was 35cpm "which is low but i never had a trucking job before so what do i know". In this thread you stated "i understand the profession im getting into"

sorry, but you dont. NONE of us did before we did it. This is a lifestyle you cannot even imagine until you do it.

then you said they offered $4500 tuition reimbursement, $2500 sign on bonus and a guarantee of $50,000 the first year. that sounded crazy to me because 1... no company will guarantee miles or pay to a newbie 2. the sign on for someone that might wreck a truck? i thought companies offered sign ons to experienced drivers.

to make $50,000 per year, you must average 2745 miles per week to gross roughly $960. that allows no home time. you stated you have been a long time reader, so you must know those numbers are high for any new driver, right?

you also stated they are a great company and very concerned about safety, but lied to you about home time. now you are saying they lied about pay.

can you see why from our reading this it looks like you didnt research enough or misunderstood or something?

i really want the best for you and hope.it all works out.

I just scoured the stevens transport site and in no less than 6 pages it says "UP TO $50,000 your first year"

this is not a guarantee in any way.

nowhere could i find a sign on or tuition reumbursement info.

they would advertise a sign on bonus

I wholeheartedly agree with Simon, Old School, and Rainy. That certainly was a classic blunder. You are in for a very tough road ahead because your expectations of life in this industry are way off, you really don't seem to understand the information you're being given, and you definitely think you know more than you do.

Not only that, but why do people make these major career-changing decisions without consulting us? You spent a month here with us and then immediately made a dumb move and quit your first company right off the bat.

Within a week you're going to find 10 concerns about your new company. Within a month you're going to find 25 things about trucking you don't like.

The only advice I have at this point is stick with Total Transportation for one full year no matter what. Of course you've certainly read that 50 times already if you've been reading the information on this website and it didn't do any good but there's no sense in telling you anything else if you're just going to quit your job in a week anyhow.

Tough road ahead for you I'm afraid. I don't know anything about the company you're with but I do know that most of the best companies out there won't hire a driver that quit another company right away because they're almost certainly going to do it again. And you almost certainly will. The fact that they took you under these circumstances is interesting.

Stay where you're at for one full year. [banging my head against the wall]

Episode 4: Why Stick With Your First Company One Full Year?

Strive to become a top tier driver [banging my head against the wall]

What It Takes To Be A Top Tier Driver

Don't listen to the terminal rats [banging my head against the wall]

Episode 10: Terminal Rats Are Derailing Trucking Careers

I hope people will listen to the advice in those links above and don't make this classic blunder.

Aram, As the others have suggested you really blundered here. Stevens is well known as one of the top companies when it comes to training. We've all had to watch videos and take tests to prove comprehension of the topic. Like Old School, I too review videos and take quizzes. What exactly did you expect? If you are unwilling to learn all you can in this phase of your career you have a rather rude awakening waiting in the future.

Take my advice on one aspect of your downfall here; focus on communication, especially listening skills. It's one of the most important parts of this job and can adversely affect so many outcomes; efficiency, professional relationships, on-time performance and of course above all else safety.

Don't listen to respond, listen to fully understand.

Jesus, where in my post did I state that because I have a cdl that I'm entitled to anything? Or that I want things handed to me on a silver platter? Because I didn't wanna sign with Steven's I'm on a roller coaster downfall? And I'm gonna quit my job in a week? I've held jobs that I didn't like for 3+ years simply to pay Bill's and provide for my family. Now all of a sudden you all know me inside out because I didn't wanna sign with one company that I felt wasn't right for me? And because I didn't feel they were right for me, now I know everything about the industry and I know more than ya'll? Geez thanks ya'll. I don't mind doing tests online and watching videos to an extent, but call me crazy, but I would much rather be learning how to trip plan, how to manage my time and learn to read what's ahead of me. Each job I've had for the past 10 years, I've stayed for at least 1 year because I've always been told if you change jobs it means you can't persevere. That orientation between me and Steven's I considered a interview for me and them. Because I felt they weren't right for me I'm a know it all brat that wants things handed to him? I thought you guys always adviced "pick a forever company." And yall making it sound like recruiters tell the truth and nothing but the truth, and that ya'll have never been lied to. I'm posting here to get advice and pick yalls brain not to be attacked and made to feel like an idiot that will quit his job in a week. I've got 2 parents that are disabled and live with me. I quit my job of 7 years as a lumper to get into trucking. I saved money for over 3 years in order to pay Bill's and tend to their needs these months that I'd be in CDL school and unemployed looking for a job. I've invested everything I have into this CDL. So yall really think I'm just gonna quit when I haven't even got a in a truck and driven a real paid mileage yet? I left Steven's before I got in the truck, because if I did get in the truck I would've roughed it out for 6 months to a year even if it wasn't to my liking. So what's wrong with me leaving Steven's before I was stuck? But anyway it looks like yall have made up yalls mind about me and there's no changing that. So good luck to you guys and wish yall all the best. ✌

Oh and one more thing. I'm not blindly heading to total, as I stated, a good friend of mine has been driving for them for 7 to 8 months and he loves it. He filled me in on everything about them and he was a big part of my decision to switch. Not to mention they start you out at .40cpm and after 90 days you go to .43 cpm with a realistic mileage of 2600 to 3000 weekly depending on how hard you run. So you may not know all the facts before you all criticize and try to make a person feel like an idiot that will never succeed in this business based off of 1 decision early on. Have nice day ya'll.

First you say:

Jesus, where in my post did I state that because I have a cdl that I'm entitled to anything?

Then you say:

That orientation between me and Steven's I considered a interview for me and them

You're interviewing them??? They're a massively successful company with brand new rigs blanketing the nation hauling goods for some of the largest corporations on the planet. You're fresh out of school and you've never driven a big rig alone for one single mile or made one dollar in this industry for yourself or for anyone else. Yet somehow you thought you were interviewing them?

Wonderful. Yes, you sound like you feel entitled.

The recruiting process was supposed to be the process you use to determine which company is right for you. You find out what you need to know about the various companies and then you choose the one you feel suits you best. Once you show up it's your opportunity to prove yourself to them. But obviously you think they have something to prove to you. Well you go ahead and keep thinking that and see where it gets you. Tons of people make that mistake all the time. You won't even be the only one in your class to do it. Happens all the time at every major carrier. It's one of the main reasons why 25% of the people who attend these programs wind up on a bus home the first week.

I thought you guys always advised "pick a forever company."

We've never once advised that. We say to stick with your first company for one full year. I told you, you don't pay attention very well to what you're being told.

And yall making it sound like recruiters tell the truth and nothing but the truth, and that ya'll have never been lied to.

None of us have ever said that nor have we implied that.

So yall really think I'm just gonna quit when I haven't even got a in a truck and driven a real paid mileage yet?

You literally just described exactly what you just did.

Listen, best of luck to ya. I see no indication that you've ever listened to us or learned the first thing from us but I'm sure many others have during the course of this conversation so we're happy with that. Can't teach em all I guess.

So I'm quitting trucking and packing it up and going home? Then what am I doing at total? I really don't care how big of a company they are, what's wrong with gathering info on them first hand and making a decision that's best for me? Dude you're just trying to find things to criticize I have no idea what your problem is.

Aram...calm down for goodness sake! Nobody here is attacking you personally.

Simply put, and in my judgement, you have made a pretty classic rookie error. Therefore, my advice was, and is, based upon trying to help you see that and to help you not to make the same error again. I can't speak directly for the other much wiser souls than me on here...but I do believe that this is their intention also.

You have stumbled across a true gem of a website here, if you only choose to use it wisely. Sometimes, 'the truth' is hard to accept...but facts remain facts...and like it or not, you will get 'the truth' here.

From your last post, you obviously have a work ethic and personal standards. The advice here is only trying to get you to use your ethics and standards wisely.

Let's look at what you said...

. I don't mind doing tests online and watching videos to an extent, but call me crazy, but I would much rather be learning how to trip plan, how to manage my time and learn to read what's ahead of me.

Don't you think some of these videos may have covered some of that very information?

Do you believe that any company will allow you to study only what you consider to be relevant?

I thought you guys always adviced "pick a forever company." And yall making it sound like recruiters tell the truth and nothing but the truth, and that ya'll have never been lied to.

Again, due diligence on your part would have shown that the advice to 'pick a forever company' is nearly always accompanied by advice, in the strongest of terms, that if the first company does not end up being all that you dreamed it would be, then stay put and get at least a years worth of experience before jumping ship!

There are also many many threads advising rookies and newbies to take recruiter promises with a pinch of salt, talk to actual drivers....research, research, research! Recruiters are notorious for painting rosy pictures....in all industries, including the military. Do they tell you the nitty gritty tough stuff....hell no! Again; the truth behind the glamour can be found by that one word...research!

So yall really think I'm just gonna quit when I haven't even got a in a truck and driven a real paid mileage yet? I left Steven's before I got in the truck, because if I did get in the truck I would've roughed it out for 6 months

This actually made me chuckle....you asked and answered your own question in two sentences!!!

So, yes...you did exactly what you asked us if we thought you would do....you quit before driving a single mile!! lol

You gotta admit...that's actually quite funny?

Look....everybody here wants to see you succeed. But please, please don't make the mistake of asking questions, if you only want pat answers that fit your inexperienced view of how things should be. I came to this website with several years of European truck driving experience, but asked these guys loads of questions about how to deal with being a rookie in this great country. I was and am willing to take their advice for what it is...years and years of combined wisdom distilled into a few lines on a page....That, in my opinion, is priceless!

As stated before and by the other folks... I and they only wish you the very best. But please do not make what is an incredibly tough lifestyle choice even more difficult by making avoidable errors of judgement and then being outraged when folks try to steer you in the right direction.

Peace,

Simon

LOL

Brett beat me to the punch!!

Priceless!!