Looking For A Plan B Just In Case
Topic 32155 | Page 3
Well only one phone call today from Witte Bros. Had a nice long chat with the recruiter about training and my past driving experience. He reassured me I would be able to find someone to take me on with my cats. They dont allow pets at all though.
Well, darn. Was it Darien? Great guy. Did you tell him I (we) sent you?
Have you tried MAST? Apply For Paid CDL Training!!
Another possibility (I may have mentioned) is Dutch Maid logistics. What about TransAm?
Your ship (rig) WILL come in, good sir!
~ Anne ~
Nope it wasn’t Darien, can’t remember who, but I did tell him they came recommended from here! I have applied to all the companies y’all listed on here, but haven't had anymore calls. I’m leaving out on Sunday for orientation to the original company. I asked the recruiter again if he was sure I would be ok to get my cats as soon as my training was over and I was issued my truck and he assured me I would, so fingers crossed! It’s looking like I will have a total of 200 hours of refresher training to go through, then a final road and backing test. Honestly I can’t wait! I can’t wait to hit the road again! I told him that as long as they treat me right, I will treat them right and will become their best driver, lol. They know I’m looking at this as a career and not a job so I will be putting in my 1000% for them. I’m only worried about my backing skills as I never really got good at it.
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
- Any combination of vehicles with a gross combined weight rating (GCWR) of 26,001 or more pounds, providing the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of the vehicle being towed is in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 or more pounds, or any such vehicle towing another not in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any vehicle, regardless of size, designed to transport 16 or more persons, including the driver.
- Any vehicle required by federal regulations to be placarded while transporting hazardous materials.
Update:
I figured i would just repost to this thread instead of starting a new one. No other call backs from anyone, but a couple of emails did come in. I was put in a decent hotel with a room all to myself. They offered a rental car but since i live so close i opted to drive myself, and they paid for fuel. Spent the last week in orientation for two and an half days then the rest of the week on the practice range backing up like crazy lol. It started coming back to me surprisingly fast and boy was it nice to be back in a truck again! So far so good. The recruiter wasn’t lying to me at all from what i have seen so far. Plenty of drivers there with multiple cats or dogs that ride with them. All of the drivers i spoke to all said they enjoyed it there. Came home for the weekend and am heading back out in the morning. Hopefully i will get a trainer this week to start my otr refresher training. I was warned that they are currently short on trainers due to some of them being out with covid so it could be a couple of weeks until that happens, but i can work in the yard or practice to still get paid.
OTR:
Over The Road
OTR driving normally means you'll be hauling freight to various customers throughout your company's hauling region. It often entails being gone from home for two to three weeks at a time.
Great update and glad things are heading in the right direction for you.
Update:
I figured i would just repost to this thread instead of starting a new one. No other call backs from anyone, but a couple of emails did come in. I was put in a decent hotel with a room all to myself. They offered a rental car but since i live so close i opted to drive myself, and they paid for fuel. Spent the last week in orientation for two and an half days then the rest of the week on the practice range backing up like crazy lol. It started coming back to me surprisingly fast and boy was it nice to be back in a truck again! So far so good. The recruiter wasn’t lying to me at all from what i have seen so far. Plenty of drivers there with multiple cats or dogs that ride with them. All of the drivers i spoke to all said they enjoyed it there. Came home for the weekend and am heading back out in the morning. Hopefully i will get a trainer this week to start my otr refresher training. I was warned that they are currently short on trainers due to some of them being out with covid so it could be a couple of weeks until that happens, but i can work in the yard or practice to still get paid.
Really happy that you landed in a good spot. Sounds like this company is an excellent fit. You will be out there making the real money soon.
OTR:
Over The Road
OTR driving normally means you'll be hauling freight to various customers throughout your company's hauling region. It often entails being gone from home for two to three weeks at a time.
Another update:
So, i never did find a plan B for OTR trucking. I did find a local job through a friend though. Dont need them i think. After two weeks of yard training and backing until i just couldnt stand it anymore, i am on day two with a trainer doing some real trucking. This trainer so far has been outstanding in my opinion. He is to the point, very polite but strict when needed. He explains things to me to where i can understand what he is talking about, and uses real world situations as examples. He has been on duty in the passenger seat the entire time i have been driving. He actually gets out and guides me on my backing. So all in all, so far at least, i think it was a good sign i couldnt ever find my plan B. Thank you to all again for the suggestions and help.
Please pardon me if i should have started a new thread. Let me know if i should. Thanks again!
OTR:
Over The Road
OTR driving normally means you'll be hauling freight to various customers throughout your company's hauling region. It often entails being gone from home for two to three weeks at a time.
Another update:
So, i never did find a plan B for OTR trucking. I did find a local job through a friend though. Dont need them i think. After two weeks of yard training and backing until i just couldnt stand it anymore, i am on day two with a trainer doing some real trucking. This trainer so far has been outstanding in my opinion. He is to the point, very polite but strict when needed. He explains things to me to where i can understand what he is talking about, and uses real world situations as examples. He has been on duty in the passenger seat the entire time i have been driving. He actually gets out and guides me on my backing. So all in all, so far at least, i think it was a good sign i couldnt ever find my plan B. Thank you to all again for the suggestions and help.
Please pardon me if i should have started a new thread. Let me know if i should. Thanks again!
Joshua;
Seems like your 'plan B' BECAME your plan A !! Sometimes, it just happens like that. Often, actually....as I've been reading here for 7 plus years, and posting .. what .. five? Doesn't matter... YOU GOT THIS!
Nope, no new thread needed, imho. The others will chime in shortly; just would be GREAT if you could share, at least the color of your truck, and/or your lanes. (Some of us get subtle hints, haha!) See, if you started a new thread, the new joiners of the forum would never know the back story. THAT, good sir, is how we pay it forward on Trucking Truth!
Your trainer actually seems like he's doing what one is expected to; ANOTHER plus. Embellish yourself within what you've finally found, and hopefully update soon!
If/when you DO care to share the company, then sure... a DIARY actually WOULD be great! Again, this is just MY opinion.
Congrats and Kudos, man. Keep at it, keep on it!
~ Anne ~
OTR:
Over The Road
OTR driving normally means you'll be hauling freight to various customers throughout your company's hauling region. It often entails being gone from home for two to three weeks at a time.
Another update:
So, i never did find a plan B for OTR trucking. I did find a local job through a friend though. Dont need them i think. After two weeks of yard training and backing until i just couldnt stand it anymore, i am on day two with a trainer doing some real trucking. This trainer so far has been outstanding in my opinion. He is to the point, very polite but strict when needed. He explains things to me to where i can understand what he is talking about, and uses real world situations as examples. He has been on duty in the passenger seat the entire time i have been driving. He actually gets out and guides me on my backing. So all in all, so far at least, i think it was a good sign i couldnt ever find my plan B. Thank you to all again for the suggestions and help.
Please pardon me if i should have started a new thread. Let me know if i should. Thanks again!
I didn't expect that you would need one, but there is certainly no harm in being prepared for the unknown. As someone who is not too far removed from beginning a trucking career, I am happy to see that things have gotten off the ground for you and are good thus far. I think you have shown a great and positive attitude. That alone will take you pretty far in trucking. Before too long, you will be in your own truck and running miles. Be safe and remember that your trainer is your best resource, especially when you have a good one.
As for starting a new thread, you could start a training diary, but that's just a suggestion.
--Ryan
OTR:
Over The Road
OTR driving normally means you'll be hauling freight to various customers throughout your company's hauling region. It often entails being gone from home for two to three weeks at a time.
Well here we are on my second week of otr refresher training and i must say im very happy! Im not as tired as i was last week and my trainer is still on top of his game with me. He told me last night he really didnt think i needed the full retraining<- that made me happy! But i am willing to go through whatever i have to, and any “extra unneeded” training will only make me better i feel. My trainer likes to be home on the weekends so that gives me a little break, even though last weekend all i did was think about getting back on the road! I dont want to name the company as i am not sure how they would feel about it but ill just say it is a medium sized company, with about 450 new trucks, burgundy and based out of Northern Mississippi. So far everything has been going great. I am in Dallas, TX at the moment at a consignee waiting to get unloaded then headed to Texarkana to pick up a trailer and head up to Columbus, OH. Been to OH twice, PA, Tn three times, TX and AL so far. When will the construction ever end on 65 and 71?? Lol.
Consignee:
The customer the freight is being delivered to. Also referred to as "the receiver". The shipper is the customer that is shipping the goods, the consignee is the customer receiving the goods.
OTR:
Over The Road
OTR driving normally means you'll be hauling freight to various customers throughout your company's hauling region. It often entails being gone from home for two to three weeks at a time.
TWIC:
Transportation Worker Identification Credential
Truck drivers who regularly pick up from or deliver to the shipping ports will often be required to carry a TWIC card.
Your TWIC is a tamper-resistant biometric card which acts as both your identification in secure areas, as well as an indicator of you having passed the necessary security clearance. TWIC cards are valid for five years. The issuance of TWIC cards is overseen by the Transportation Security Administration and the Department of Homeland Security.
Well here we are on my second week of otr refresher training and i must say im very happy! Im not as tired as i was last week and my trainer is still on top of his game with me. He told me last night he really didnt think i needed the full retraining<- that made me happy! But i am willing to go through whatever i have to, and any “extra unneeded” training will only make me better i feel. My trainer likes to be home on the weekends so that gives me a little break, even though last weekend all i did was think about getting back on the road! I dont want to name the company as i am not sure how they would feel about it but ill just say it is a medium sized company, with about 450 new trucks, burgundy and based out of Northern Mississippi. So far everything has been going great. I am in Dallas, TX at the moment at a consignee waiting to get unloaded then headed to Texarkana to pick up a trailer and head up to Columbus, OH. Been to OH twice, PA, Tn three times, TX and AL so far. When will the construction ever end on 65 and 71?? Lol.
Congrats, Joshua!
Plan B.. was plan A, all along.
You've been blessed to get a great trainer, good sir. He's breaking you in good, if you rather be on the road, rather than off weekends! It may be 'just me' .. but I'm pretty sure you 'did' name the company, haha! All good.
Re; the construction?!? NEVER, in Ohio...at least up by the Michigan border...! As soon as it's finished, it's broken again, and they start over. I just read earlier (somewhere) today, one state even has it's OWN DOT page, for pot holes and road repair! Yeah...right?
Good to hear it's going well for you; told ya!!! Keep up the good work; stop back soon & again.
~ Anne ~
Consignee:
The customer the freight is being delivered to. Also referred to as "the receiver". The shipper is the customer that is shipping the goods, the consignee is the customer receiving the goods.
OTR:
Over The Road
OTR driving normally means you'll be hauling freight to various customers throughout your company's hauling region. It often entails being gone from home for two to three weeks at a time.
DOT:
Department Of Transportation
A department of the federal executive branch responsible for the national highways and for railroad and airline safety. It also manages Amtrak, the national railroad system, and the Coast Guard.
State and Federal DOT Officers are responsible for commercial vehicle enforcement. "The truck police" you could call them.
TWIC:
Transportation Worker Identification Credential
Truck drivers who regularly pick up from or deliver to the shipping ports will often be required to carry a TWIC card.
Your TWIC is a tamper-resistant biometric card which acts as both your identification in secure areas, as well as an indicator of you having passed the necessary security clearance. TWIC cards are valid for five years. The issuance of TWIC cards is overseen by the Transportation Security Administration and the Department of Homeland Security.
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Well, darn. Was it Darien? Great guy. Did you tell him I (we) sent you?
Have you tried MAST? Apply For Paid CDL Training!!
Another possibility (I may have mentioned) is Dutch Maid logistics. What about TransAm?
Your ship (rig) WILL come in, good sir!
~ Anne ~
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles: