Finding My Place.

Take what you find on company websites with a grain of salt...

Lots of good advice here.

Just my $.02!

You'll have to really scale down you're expectations being a rookie. No opportunity is ever perfect from jump unless you're extremely lucky. There's always a trade off though. And this is what I see but it's only my opinion.

They're offering you viable options yet you find the cup half empty rather than half full because it isn't the whole kit & caboodle. The offer I read in your writings is the close to home one but you "cant stand Seattle".

From where I sit, as a rookie, they've given you very workable options. As you prove yourself & get the experience under your belt, more viable opportunities will present themselves. But you're going to have to meet them halfway until a better opportunity comes your way.

Now about your heavy equipment comment? You're not even applying for the right division if that's your goal. That won't come without switching to flatbed & getting at least 2 years of experience in that division. Maybe a local equipment rental company like sunbelt or something like that, but don't know much about it to give you a good picture of what like.

Good luck & be safe.

Splitter,

It's not that I'm trying to look at the glass as half full. My real issue is really my fault. I went to a school I knew nothing about because it was 15 or 20 miles closer and had 4 10's instead of 5 8's. Regardless it will all get figured out eventually. I know some people think my Seattle issue is rediculous and it might be somewhat and maybe I need to get over that. But driving there everyday would be monotonous. With the WM I would rarely have to go to Seattle. I'm assuming maybe they give the Northern Runs to someone who lives up that way. One big issue is I was shined on coming into this and I seem to be holding a grudge about that which is giving me anxiety about leaving the family and frustration over not getting what I was promised from someone I knew was just saying what I wanted to hear to get me in her school. Like i said i should have been smarter and Drove the extra to Olympia where I know the school (my brother went there). Some things i just need to let go. I was just contacted this morning by Jim Palmer and they say Mon-Fri home on weekends. Their Trucks even come with 24" flatscreen TV'S apparently! They have a Heavy Haul division.

Christopher, everything that happened up to this point is water under the bridge. It ain't coming back & holding a grudge only hurts you in the long run. Apparently you have your CDL & now it's time to put it to work. If you become to picky, you're only selling yourself short.

That said, from what I've read on here, Jim Palmer is a solid company. If you can sign on with them doing what appears to be either a regional run or dedicated account right out of the gate? I'd be all over it. We have lots of threads on Jim Palmer in here & in the diaries section. Use the search bar above to get an idea about how they operate.

Family is a huge priority. Not trying to put you down or find fault in your mindset. It's just that as rookies we can sell ourselves short by unrealistic expectations or unreasonable demands. Good luck going forward & let us know how it goes. Others can benefit from our experiences out here.

PS, I almost made the same mistake when I was looking to CDL school training. I asked what companies that school dealt with for job placement after completion? No lie, they said UPS & FedEx were hiring. Luckily for me I found this site that very evening & got my company paid training through Prime Inc which guaranteed me a job if I met all their requirements & signed a 1 year contract which I just recently completed. You are on the right track. I hope you find the right fit for you & your family. Be safe & good luck.

One of our moderators always tells us to "watch our wagons"[© G-town] but I'll add what a trainer told me the other day, every time you turn that wheel, you need to be looking in your mirrors. Had I remembered these words of wisdom, I'd be making an extra paycheck every month working for a regional company while getting home every week instead of once a month for 4 days. 6 more months of safe driving & I can apply again.

You can try calling sometimes there are unadvertised openings, we are coming out of the slow time of the year so they maybe looking to fill any openings soon. But then again that is a small terminal so they might not have any.

I'm sure there is an answer for you out there, but many will likely tell you that truck driving and family are a tough combo to balance. Especially starting right out the gate. You may have to make sacrifices for a few years. I just wish more people would be up front with drivers when it comes to this, especially new ones.

Hello, I went to Truck Driving school as Retraining after an injury at a previous job. I was lied to by the school I went to (which is why I went to Western Pacific instead of the school I knew) about job placement and being able to get a local job with weekends to spend with the family. Now I have to make a decision on where to go from here. I'm in Winlock WA which is about 15 miles from Chehalis and 20 from Longview but all the companies around here want 2+ years of experience or they won't look at you some will offer you a job but have rediculous expectations. The closest semi local position I have been offered is with Swift running for Walmart. Originally they said weekends home but now the recruiter is telling me probably Tues and Wednesdays. I know my religious issues could technically force their hand or lose the position for me. Kind of stuck and I'm outdated on job hunting and feel like I'm missing something. I've had a few other offers also but they turned out to be flakes. How do I balance my family obligations with the issues I'm having? Any good advice or leads would be great.