So I Decide To Walk Away On The 3rd Day Of Company Orientation

Venting and Serious talk... I decide to walk away 3 days into a company orientation, just couldn't take it anymore. Last week I started orientation with a company, for the reason here I won't disclose the name. It all started okay, the hotel was fine and I was doing okay. But I should have noticed a hint, the company only give me a one-way plane ticket and we weren't told when we will be back home or exactly what we are going to do next. In fact, I wasn't told much at all, I wasn't informed about my home time on the job, I have no clue what the day-by-day orientation schedule looks like. I was told that I am getting paid after the drug and pre-employment screen and paperwork, that did not happen. I wasn't even told when will orientation end and what happens next It finally reached a point where I said NO MORE, THIS PLACE IS NOT FOR ME. The trainer told us tomorrow on the 3rd day, we going to check out the hotel and not even telling us what's the plan, and the orientation is not over yet. So we are going to sleep in the truck in the terminal , we are not officially hired so we can't really drive. With the uncertainty and all those little surprises, it really hit me that I thought about overdoes or cut myself, that the point I realized, I GOT GO, THIS IS NOT THE PLACE FOR ME. The next day I talked to my DM that I am going to leave. She for sure was shocked tried to save me say that we have a local job that you can get more home time. Sorry, whatever happened breached my bottom line, it isn't safe for me and for you. What really frustrated me is you are a logistic company that tells us(drivers) turn by turn direction out there, when, where, and how much fuel to put in, and even down to when and where to take a rest stop. You want to do so much micromanagement that our only job is to drive but yet, you couldn't even tell me what the orientation schedule going to be like. Yes, I know there are unpredictable in trucking, that's why we do trip planning.

I am 23 years old, had major depression now under control. Went out of my way to pass the tests, got my CDL. I know I like to travel and enjoy being along with myself. What are some suggestions for me?

I got 2 other offers from Western Express and CR England

You sound very frustrated. It may be the reason why what you wrote is not totally clear; like you were in a rush to take out your frustration in one big breath.

Take a few breaths. Try to explain in more detail exactly what each of your complaints are, point by point.

It might be a good idea to name the company. Someone here might have experience with the same company and offer you a better understanding of what you were experiencing. Don't bash the company. Just respectfully tell us who it was.

Hi Matthew,

I wasn't there to experience what you did so im going to give you the benefit of the doubt.

Look, no company is going to give you a round trip airfare, if that's what you expected. You're lucky because most companies stick you on a greyhound and herd you over to their facilities.

Orientation is the first test they give you to see if you have it, and with your attitude and actions, it doesn't seem like you do.

I can almost guarantee that cre and we is going to be far worse experiences. Cre makes you train with another trainee at the same time on a truck, and we, well I've never heard anything good about them.

Here's a scenario; Trucking company has a problem with the hotel they've contracted to house their new drivers. Drugs and prostitution are going on there and the company wants to remove the drivers as discretely as possible. So they tell the drivers to check out and bring their stuff to orientation. They give no other information so that drivers won't be pressured into revealing the reasons to the hotel manager/owner.

The above scenario happened to my group, in Atlanta about six years ago. Good thing I didn't just quit.

I don't know how long you ran your logistics company, before coming to this profession, but things are not always as they seem. This job is (in my opinion) VERY MUCH like the military. Just the other day, I went to pick up a preloaded trailer. Simple right? I was there 2 1/2 hours waiting on them to bring the trailer. All while I watched yard drivers driving around without trailers. Oh, but we get detention pay, right? Yeah, ten bucks. 'Cause the shipper gets the first two hours free. And it was late in the day, which meant trying to get to a parking spot while getting some miles covered AND trying to make on-time delivery the next day (which was now impossible). Good thing I didn't just quit.

If you really want this, I hope you recognize we sometimes need saving from ourselves. Maybe your move was the right one. While I respect ALL Drivers, CRE & Western Express are often regarded as second-chance companies. If you're in that category, you just reduced your options by one company.

If you experience another difficult situation, I sincerely hope you'll reach out to the company people (like the one that tried to save you) BEFORE you walk away.

I hope this helps.

I sincerely hope you do NOT reconsider and do NOT go with another trucking company. Trucking is NOT the job for you. There was absolutely nothing you wrote that seems out of the normal to me. Much of it you probably heard but decided not to compute. You say you were thinking about overdose and cutting...over orientation!!! You do NOT have your depression under control and have zero business behind the wheel of an 80,000 pound weapon. When you drive a truck, you are not traveling you are WORKING, this is not a play date and a vacation. Again, trucking is NOT FOR YOU, PLEASE DO NOT TRY ANOTHER COMPANY. I dont believe you would do well at any company. Trucking is 10% physical and 90% mental, I can tell just from your post you cannot handle the 90% mental part and you do not need to be behind the wheel next time you contemplate overdose or cutting. Perhaps you need a regular 9-5 job where you can continue to work on your mental state. I'm not trying to be harsh but damn, your expectations out of orientation are clearly unrealistic and theres no way you would be happy as an OTR driver, just dont do it.

Hi Matthew -

I’m sorry you’ve had this experience. I can’t help but notice this is only your second post on the forum.

It seems like a lot of the frustration you experienced could have been avoided by spending more time researching this lifestyle change in advance.

I’m just about finished with my 30,000 miles of team training with Wilson Logistics, and so far I haven’t experienced anything that I didn’t read about here first before I got in the rental car to orientation. Every last-minute change and inconvenience, every headache, every moment of confusion or frustration, all of this I read about in advance and was prepared for.

Also, I’m not sure where you get the idea that trucking companies micromanage everything their drivers do on a load. If anything, it’s the opposite. While there are certain guidelines and recommendations, we have almost total freedom over route planning and where and when we stop for fuel or rest.

Whatever you choose to do next, make your mental health a priority first, and then spend plenty of time consulting the resources here before you do anything else!

Matthew, I am not sure I understand what kind of suggestions you are asking for. If you want to quit, do it. You are a free man, call uber, take a rental, and go home. If you want to stay, go for it. There is nothing wrong with the company. I, for example, didn't get any tickets at all, I took my car and drove from NH to WI, and then back home. Anyway, the decision is yours, nobody can make it for you. And believe me, it is a huge advantage and a big honor to live in a country where you decide what to do, and not others. There are still places like North Korea where you literally have no voice... Another thing, you can use this forum to find information about your company and get in touch with experienced people, most companies are tagged, so it is easy to find related posts.

Matthew, from everything you said, trucking is not the career for you. Nobody will hold your hand. Most of your surprises are because you didn't ask questions. There is no micromanaging in this field.

Sorry that you deal with depression. It seems to me you are still dealing with it. This is another reason I don't think you should be responsible for driving an 80,000 pound death machine.

I wish you luck in your life.

I’m not sure where you get the idea that trucking companies micromanage everything their drivers do on a load.

I know how he came to such conclusions. He read it on the internet. His research has been his biggest problem. When researching a career the only thing helpful will be information that is factual and realistic. As far as new entry level drivers are concerned, misinformation is the bane of the trucking industry.

Everything in Matthew's post screams out that he was misinformed before he ever got started on his first day of orientation. While I agree that he makes a few remarks related to his mental health, I honestly don't think that is his real issue. He was clearly not prepared, and was so grossly misinformed that he was looking for the back door before he even left home. If we look at his only prior post in our forum he was already looking for a way out. He didn't want to make the kind of commitment that trucking requires. Look at his first question to us...

If I go with a paid company like CRST, C.R England and um....Swift, would that lock me into a very rigid contract that makes me not able to get out of them? I mean I am okay with repaying the training tuition but afraid that I won't have room to back out with the contract.

He's afraid. Why is he afraid? It is because he has read horror stories online. He has gravitated to the losers. The trucking wannabe failures have soiled his understanding with their preposterous lies and distortions.

I am saddened every time I see someone like this share their experience. It is all based on fear. That is no way to start a career. I had a terrible time getting into trucking. I was resisted on every turn, but I was determined to make it my chosen career. I was never afraid. I was confident I had the wherewithal and the courage to make it happen. I was well informed because of my association with Trucking Truth. I shunned the losers and the malcontents like they were poison. I recognized in them the lack of character and resolve that I knew would be required to make it in trucking.

Some people have an ability to see right through B.S. Others seem to be drawn to it like flies to a manure pile. Unfortunately there are a lot of manure piles lying in the path as one proceeds to a trucking career. I can't say whether Matthew's mental health precludes him from trucking. There are plenty of truckers out here who seem to suffer from mental issues. I can say that his thirst for information that feeds his doubts and fears has been satiated by those who failed before him.

His tale of quitting only three days in is almost a badge of honor to him. He has shot the finger at "The Man," and declared, "I am not going to take it." His delusions are self inflicted, but easy to come by. The internet is rife with these lies. You can recognize it in his comments. He mentions all the high points of the trucking wannabe failures. He has obviously been indoctrinated by them.

It is sad. It is the reason I devote so much time to this forum and website. I hate seeing people get washed out like this before they even get the chance to discern the truth.

Matthew, if you seriously want to become a trucker, then here's my advice. Stop watching the YouTube videos. Stop reading the sources you have grown so fond of. Seek out the truth. You can find it right here at Trucking Truth. There are plenty of people here who will help you get a grip on this career. All of our moderators are highly successful truckers, and many of the regular contributors are too. They know how this career works, and they are more than willing to help you and guide you in a way that will lead to success. I don't know if you are seriously interested or not. I've seen some folks who just enjoy playing the blame game online. If that does something for you, then I am afraid we cannot help you. If you are serious about making a career of trucking then we can be a huge help to you. The choice is yours. You can keep gravitating to the quitters and losers, following them into the abyss of failure, or you can take a path that leads to success.

Information is only good and useful when it is factual. The stuff that has influenced you is not helping you. It led you to leave a perfectly good orientation. Did you actually expect to get a two way airline ticket? They wanted you bad enough to be their employee that they flew you in to orientation. That speaks volumes about their commitment to you. Then you started questioning things because they weren't planning on you going home? That speaks volumes about your total disdain for commitment and your complete misunderstanding of this career. Before you go to another orientation, you need to participate here in our discussions, drop all your other sources, and make a commitment. Without drastic measure on your part you will never succeed at trucking.

• Get some real facts.
• Make a real commitment.
• See things through.

That's how you avoid being like the internet whiners and malcontents. If you want to be a trucker you can't take the advice of the folks who failed. They are not helping you. So far you are just another young buck who quit long before you even knew what it is you were getting into.

Hit the reset button if you are serious about this. Take some time to figure things out. There are hundreds of people here who will help you. Avail yourself of their generosity.

With the uncertainty and all those little surprises, it really hit me that I thought about overdoes or cut myself, that the point I realized, I GOT GO, THIS IS NOT THE PLACE FOR ME

Reading this comment alone, I believe you that no matter what employment you seek in the future, you must first get help with your psychological/emotional issues, no matter what job you are getting into. Good luck