Long Weekend: Job Or No Job?

Hey Mountain Girl, I know you are really wanting this to work out. I know exactly how you feel. When I first started this journey I thought the only place to work for me was TMC. I tried like crazy to get on there too. Twice they sent me home and then offered to let me come back a third time. Then when it came time to get my third bus ticket from them it seemed someone in management had made the decision to not waste any more money or time on getting me in their program. That was after I spent around thirteen thousand dollars out of pocket for hernia surgery just so I could go back up there and try it again the third time. There was not a thing I could do, I had to move forward. Then the next company I tried to get on with decided after I had taken the thirty hour bus ride to their location, that due to my surgery and recovery time plus the time I had already wasted at two TMC orientations, I had been out of a truck for too long a time period from my schooling for them to hire me. I was beginning to throw up my hands and wonder if I would ever be able to get this second career of mine under way.

Sometimes it is just brutal getting your trucking career off to a start. Do you remember how badly you were wanting to work for that tanker company? It didn't work out and then the next thing you know you had a shot at Conway. Be careful and don't let yourself despair, you have done a bang up job over there proving yourself. If for some reason beyond your control they don't let you stay, there will be another great opportunity arise, but I've got a feeling we will be hearing back from a very happy Mountain Girl come next week.

Thanks for your encouragement, everyone. I truly appreciate it. I had to get a few things off my chest and the above reply accomplished that. I'm also posting all that information, not because I'm whining but because all of us newbies need to share this kind of information. You need to know that one slight downward turn can send you into a downward spiral and you have to be on your toes, at all times. Everything was cool until one of my sons was rushed to the hospital at 8:00am on the second Monday of training and it seemed like I could barely recover after that. It's not enough to just tread water. Nearly drowning every day is a bad feeling and you have to try to stay ahead in order to feel like you're going to make it.

Even the things you say in what seems like casual conversation get noted. I thought it was just normal conversation to say to people that you're tired but apparently, that kind of comment made its way to the top of the chain and I found myself answering to it, to the terminal manager. Everyone complains about being tired in casual conversation but apparently, some trainers had to be real d***s about it and write it down. I mean, I'm referring to trainers, who on long line-haul trips, were telling me about their marriages, their sex lives, their motorcycle gang history, and certainly, I had no idea that my little comments that I was tired, weren't going to mean a whole lot, but apparently they did. Sheesh. Lol.

This is nothing new, though. Old School has said it over and over. Every single miniscule thing that you do and say, gets noted ...even if others are acting like it's all okay. Just play it cool, keep your cool, know that they're going to harass you on purpose, to see if you can take it, shut-up, don't over-analyze anything (my greatest shortfall), bust your butt to get through the super-dooper-hyper-Jimmy-Neutron-nuclear-powered-photon-microscope period, while they analyze your freaking dna, and neuro-synthesis of your thought processes and you won't suffer as much as I did.

-mountain girl

bust your butt to get through the super-dooper-hyper-Jimmy-Neutron-nuclear-powered-photon-microscope period, while they analyze your freaking dna, and neuro-synthesis of your thought processes and you won't suffer as much as I did.

That's classic, with your permission I just might have to use that line sometime. Hang in there, we are all pulling for ya!

I'm in a similar situation. Finished Orientation on Thursday, they have no Mentors for anyone, and they say to check back with them on Tuesday. That is a long time to wait for a maybe.

We'll get through this.

MG...you're in good hands in this forum. Tons of great advice. Hang in there. It'll go the way its meant to go and with the hard work you've put in you'll come out on top.

"I've missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. Twenty-six times I've been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed." Michael Jordan

Funny how I mentioned you in my last reply, Old School, while you were typing your reply. Great minds think alike. I thought about you yesterday and wondered if this was going to be a similar situation as yours: trying and trying until the right situation finally worked out. I am definitely going to rest up, in case they say, "Good luck. You're on you're own out there today. Go take that truck and trailer and deliver some goods on this route." I'd be springing out of my freaking steel-toed shoes! I really hope you're right, OS.

Rolling Thunder, you are so right. If they're acting like this during training, that's one thing. If they behave like this all the time, day-in, day-out, then ugh. I don't know.

Guyjax, you are also ...so right. I've already started looking. Rest and job-hunting. That's my weekend. I've also looked at every purchase driver from Werner through their windshield, coming in to the terminal , just to see if it was you and your bro pulling in but no Guyjax in sight, so far!

-mountain girl

I'm in a similar situation. Finished Orientation on Thursday, they have no Mentors for anyone, and they say to check back with them on Tuesday. That is a long time to wait for a maybe.

We'll get through this.

-Trucktographer

Oh ma-an. And you look ****ed. That's a trucker's war face, if I've ever seen one.

This IS a long time for a maybe, I agree.

My classmate was in a similar situation on Friday morning. It looked like he had no idea if he passed or not, either since he had just been through the same testing the day before I. The difference is, he had no "issues" and I'm pretty sure he passed all his driving skills. (He'd had 7 months of OTR Q few years ago)

I watched as they told him, "Okay, Man. You have a city run waiting for you. Go to dispatch and find out where you need to go for the day. You're on your own. Bye!" He looked shocked as s**t and kinda' happy, too.

That could be me, on Tuesday. Won't know till then.

-mountain girl

Having yet to head towards Denver since pulling for ABF.

bust your butt to get through the super-dooper-hyper-Jimmy-Neutron-nuclear-powered-photon-microscope period, while they analyze your freaking dna, and neuro-synthesis of your thought processes and you won't suffer as much as I did.

That's classic, with your permission I just might have to use that line sometime. Hang in there, we are all pulling for ya!

-Old School

Oh wow! Thanks! Permission granted! I got a kick out of thinking that one up.

-mountain girl

MG...you're in good hands in this forum. Tons of great advice. Hang in there. It'll go the way its meant to go and with the hard work you've put in you'll come out on top.

"I've missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. Twenty-six times I've been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed." Michael Jordan

-Jimbo

Oh WOW, Jimbo! That is Awe-huh-huh-some! I thought his Gatorade, "I'm just gettin' started," was good. That's amazing. I'm gonna' keep that forEVER!

-mountain girl