OH YEAH OH MY WORD!! This Was Honestly Beyond What I Thought Would Be Possible But This Has Just Blown My Mind........

Congratulations on this new opportunity!!! Everyone runs into adversity in their life. It's how you handle it that matters. I can see you have the right attitude and I know you'll be able to overcome those obstacles that get in your way. When the pressure is on I always find it good to take a deep breath and count to 10 to clear my mind before taking action. It's amazing what a little pause can do to help get things in focus. It's not a race. take it slow and easy. I don't post much but I love to read up on how everyone is overcoming the challenges ahead so, keep us posted on your progress.

Best of luck, Victor.

I agree with everything Old School said.

I believe keeping your goals simple and attainable is very helpful, especially early in your career. I would like to see you set two simple goals:

1) Make all of your appointments on time

2) Don't hit anything

That's it. If you can do those two things then you have plenty to be proud of. With those achievements, you'll establish your career on solid footing. With time you'll learn many ways to be more efficient and turn more miles, but that's not a priority for you right now. Reliability and safety are the two most important things for you to focus on. The rest is small stuff. Focus only on what matters and don't sweat the small stuff.

Will do Packrat, I know that is really easy for me to do. So what are some tips you would give for not becoming my own worst enemy?

When you are "defeating the tyrants", make sure to not become your own worst enemy.

Steve L. I certainly hope so. This is the first time I will be entering a contract with a company for a set amount of time but I am so excited. I am already watching securement videos that come straight from Western Express. This sounds awesome but hopefully I can learn this well quick! :-)

Congratulations! Maybe a few years from now YOU will be the guy people are looking to for advice. 😎

Brett I sure will remember those two goals. Matter in fact I am going to write those down right now.

Best of luck, Victor.

I agree with everything Old School said.

I believe keeping your goals simple and attainable is very helpful, especially early in your career. I would like to see you set two simple goals:

1) Make all of your appointments on time

2) Don't hit anything

That's it. If you can do those two things then you have plenty to be proud of. With those achievements, you'll establish your career on solid footing. With time you'll learn many ways to be more efficient and turn more miles, but that's not a priority for you right now. Reliability and safety are the two most important things for you to focus on. The rest is small stuff. Focus only on what matters and don't sweat the small stuff.

Bumping this...

Victor Old School really set the stage for how you can be successful with Western Express. I highlighted the areas that are (IMO) most important. You know what to do...you know how to do it, and now its all about execution. Maintain laser focus and convince yourself that you will prevail.

Victor, you are misunderstanding that 240 hours of training. Look, I'm gonna be real with you. You've had all the training you need to go backwards in a truck. What you need is practice. You have a CDL that means you passed the tests. That means you understand the basics. You need to practice, and you need to Get Out And Look. You lacked discipline, not training. That statement is meant kindly. You've got to get to the point of understanding what you're real issue is. That's the only way to resolve it.

I believe that 240 hours is going to be you and another driver in a situation similar to yours. They will have a CDL but either they've been out of trucking for a while or they got fired like you did. Western will put you two together and run you as a team. They want you to help each other and prove to them you can do this job. Then they will issue each of you your own truck.

This is crunch time for you. You are being put front and center on stage. You are no longer a trainee. They are hiring you to evaluate you, not to train you. That's an important distinction, and you need to realize it now before you get there.

It's time to take the bull by the horns Victor. I'm being honest with you. This is your new reality. This is a serious endeavor. You've got to drop that idea that says you don't have the training you need. You screwed up man, not your trainer. I'm not trying to be critical. I want to see you get this.

The thing you've got to come to grips with is how it's all on you at this point. You need discipline and practice. Western is putting you into a team driving situation for practice not training. You need the discipline to make sure you get it right.

Get in there and do it right this time. I know you can.

Victor...Western hired you as a truck driver. Please burn that thought in the firmware of your brain. Please try your best to change your paradigm; how you "see" yourself. Align your image of Victor with how Western sees you now...

Be the "truck driver" Victor.

I look forward to reading about your adventures. Good luck, God Speed, and Watch that Wagon...

WE ARE ALL ROOTING FOR YOU TO SUCCEED !!!!!

I believe keeping your goals simple and attainable is very helpful, especially early in your career. I would like to see you set two simple goals:

1) Make all of your appointments on time

2) Don't hit anything

That's it. If you can do those two things then you have plenty to be proud of. With those achievements, you'll establish your career on solid footing.

That's the best trucking advice I've read so far! I think I'm going to have tattooed somewhere so I see it ever day as I start out.

Congratulations, Victor! The Universe certainly does provide to those who ask.

Looks like you're dang near me. Maybe I'll see ya out there sometime!

(And give thanks that you didn't need to go to Amazon. Wasn't the WORST gig I've ever had... mostly decent people, wasn't minimum wage, REALLY good benefit package. But it was a JOB, not a CAREER.)

Take that ball and run with it!

Thank you so much G-Town it means a lot and I will burn that steadily quicker and quicker, into my mind that they hired me to be a truck driver and I will keep you all up to date. Im so grateful.

Bumping this...

Victor Old School really set the stage for how you can be successful with Western Express. I highlighted the areas that are (IMO) most important. You know what to do...you know how to do it, and now its all about execution. Maintain laser focus and convince yourself that you will prevail.

Victor, you are misunderstanding that 240 hours of training. Look, I'm gonna be real with you. You've had all the training you need to go backwards in a truck. What you need is practice. You have a CDL that means you passed the tests. That means you understand the basics. You need to practice, and you need to Get Out And Look. You lacked discipline, not training. That statement is meant kindly. You've got to get to the point of understanding what you're real issue is. That's the only way to resolve it.

I believe that 240 hours is going to be you and another driver in a situation similar to yours. They will have a CDL but either they've been out of trucking for a while or they got fired like you did. Western will put you two together and run you as a team. They want you to help each other and prove to them you can do this job. Then they will issue each of you your own truck.

This is crunch time for you. You are being put front and center on stage. You are no longer a trainee. They are hiring you to evaluate you, not to train you. That's an important distinction, and you need to realize it now before you get there.

It's time to take the bull by the horns Victor. I'm being honest with you. This is your new reality. This is a serious endeavor. You've got to drop that idea that says you don't have the training you need. You screwed up man, not your trainer. I'm not trying to be critical. I want to see you get this.

The thing you've got to come to grips with is how it's all on you at this point. You need discipline and practice. Western is putting you into a team driving situation for practice not training. You need the discipline to make sure you get it right.

Get in there and do it right this time. I know you can.

Victor...Western hired you as a truck driver. Please burn that thought in the firmware of your brain. Please try your best to change your paradigm; how you "see" yourself. Align your image of Victor with how Western sees you now...

Be the "truck driver" Victor.

I look forward to reading about your adventures. Good luck, God Speed, and Watch that Wagon...

WE ARE ALL ROOTING FOR YOU TO SUCCEED !!!!!

Pirate I certainly will do that. Now where are you located? Virginia or Tennessee?

Congratulations, Victor! The Universe certainly does provide to those who ask.

Looks like you're dang near me. Maybe I'll see ya out there sometime!

(And give thanks that you didn't need to go to Amazon. Wasn't the WORST gig I've ever had... mostly decent people, wasn't minimum wage, REALLY good benefit package. But it was a JOB, not a CAREER.)

Take that ball and run with it!

Yeah you really are very close I just saw that this morning holy smokes. Where in Berryville? I am in Clear Brook, Virginia. We should sometime meet up and talk trucking.

By the way everyone, I got my official orientation time set. Monday the 11th is when I will be starting with Western Express in Allen Town, Pennsylvania. Right now for the moment they really need dry van drivers and it is imperative that they have all hands on deck. They need the help for the Thanksgiving and Christmas season. I hope though they let us take off time to be with our families during Thanksgiving and Christmas. I am so excited. I started watching their YouTube channel for flatbed. Man I am excited. It definitely is more work but that will keep me healthy and I might even work a six pack or two.