Davey And CDL

Wow, Traffic Jam, I'm sad to see you go! I'm sorry driving a big rig wasn't the right fit for you, but you are ultimately the one that has to make that decision, and we respect that. We're always here if you need a sounding board or have some unanswered questions about the industry. Stop by every now and then and let us know how things are going for you.

Traffic Jam, I too am sorry to hear that it did not work out for you. Don't feel too bad about it though. It happens to a lot of folks. My cousin had the same experience with Zero Freight Lines. Everything was fine, but he just could not get comfortable driving a big rig in traffic, and he too decided to get out. I used to drive a straight truck tanker in Austin, and I know it is a cheek clinching experience to drive a potential napalm bomb in traffic, but fortunately, I learned to overcome my nerves.

Con-Way is still my first choice, but it is looking more and more like I just cannot swing the amount of money I need up front to attend their training program through Crowder in Neosho. If not now, maybe in a year or so I will try to hire on with them if all works out for me. Anyway, good luck to you.

Well, I am back and have thought it over some more and want to give it another go. I am trying to apply locally in the oil fields but so far no luck. I don't know where this will take me right now but wish to use my CDL in some form or fashion. I have some local farmers wanting me to drive their "corn" in for them. But that is weeks away and I don't know if I wish to wait around for the corn to ripen, ha, ha. So I have applied with Crete and Schneider and etc., and we will see what develops. It would be neat if I could get an oil field position with Schneider. Thanks for all the encouragement! I looked back over my decision to leave Conway and it was more complicated then I let on. I guess I didn't want to hurt anyone and all, however I know I was not the perfect candidate. Thanks for the encouragement.

OK. Things are working out and I report to Steven's Transport this Sunday for Orientation. It's great to be on-board again and I am looking forward to meeting them all in Dallas.

I decided as I stated earlier to re-apply and try again. This was because when I got home and had a couple three weeks to think it over it began to dawn on me that my real problem with the other company I originally stated with was perhaps my trainer and I had a personality conflict. To be sure, I was not a perfect driver but that is the point of the training right? The fellow was a nice guy, but I got yelled at a lot and finally at the end I felt pretty bad. Could not doing anything right and seemed like my former confidence was gone. I see this now looking back. At the time I did not want to rock the boat and hurt the guy and all. I was scared too and so did what I did. This time I see this as this training time in the truck "is my time" and I have to make sure my agenda is fulfilled, so to speak. That is get trained, TAUGHT the stuff instead of being told to just do it and then get scolded or yelled at. Of course I have the CDL , and "know how to do it" but the company has its own SOP on each thing pretty much and so "teach it to me!". I don't know if any of this is making sense. I do not want to be a difficult student but this time if I am taken for granted, or mistreated, or anything like that I am going to try to speak up instead of just quitting. Another thing was we would be driving along and the guy would make personally real negative comments and all about my performance. OK, enough whining! Thank you! This is a new company, different trainger . . . and . . . different student driver. Amen.

That's great news, man...happy you came to your senses.. but seriously, you have the benefit of some, not a lot, but some experience now...use that to your advantage...good luck with Stevens..be sure and keep on blogging your experiences...

That's great news Traffic Jam!

I know you've been pondering all of this a lot but let me boil your problems down to one simple, core problem - you weren't dedicated to making it in this industry - plain and simple. Now you can dress up that pig with any color lipstick you want - you didn't like the trainer, you weren't being taught what you wanted to be taught, you didn't like the company - whatever. Doesn't matter. In the end, the reason you quit was because you gave yourself the option of quitting and found an excuse. I mean, just the fact that you had to think over why exactly you quit proves my point. You didn't get your a** kicked by a challenge you couldn't handle. You gave yourself an easy way out and took it. You could have succeeded the first time if you were dedicated to it. That's the part you have to approach differently this time.

We always try to let people know that there will be several times you're going to want to quit. You might think you chose the wrong profession or the wrong company. You might feel like it's never going to be enjoyable. Everyone struggles with these issues in the first few months of their career.

You have to see it through.

Dedicate yourself to surviving out there no matter what. You're going to get through the training, run solo, and get one year of safe driving under your belt and you won't consider settling for anything less. That's the dedication it takes to make it out there. That's what you have to find within yourself.

And be very, very careful about the "speaking up" part as a student. You have absolutely no leverage. You're expected to listen carefully and do as you're told until you understand enough of what's going on out there to make your own decisions. Now that doesn't mean you have to take any kind of abuse. But we have to define abuse. Being yelled at from time to time or criticized is not abuse. It might not be stellar teaching methods, but it's not abuse. Obviously there should be no aggressive physical contact like slapping your hand off the shifter - that's abuse. But being yelled at or criticized is something most rookies have to put up with from time to time. You can try alleviating it a little bit by talking it over with your trainer, but remember it's only temporary. It's only a few short weeks. And I promise you - once you get out there running solo and you have nobody there to help out you're going to wish at times you had someone to yell at you.

So get back out there and attack this challenge. Don't quit. Don't even allow yourself to consider it. Dedicate yourself to getting one year of safe driving under your belt and then decide if trucking is right for you. But don't let yourself settle for anything less.

Wow Traffic Jam, it's great to have you back on board! I completely agree with Brett's comments, not because we're buds and I think he's always right, but because I have lived through the whole experience of spending four weeks in the truck with a trainer that I thought was nuts. He treated me with total contempt, and yet he was my ticket into the career that I was determined to get into. I'd go to sleep sometimes thanking God for helping me make it through just one more day and begging Him to help me again tomorrow. I wrote a blog post about my experience in the blog section about your trainer testing you on more than just your driving skills, you should check it out.

Going through training can be really tough even if you have a great trainer, so gather up your courage and be determined to see it through. There's nothing like that feeling when they hand you the keys to your very own American Big Rig. The last and final step we all have to go through to get those keys is that grueling time with a trainer, but in the overall scheme of things that time with the trainer is so short that now it seems inconsequential to me. You'll feel the same way too one day, but for now you've just got to bear up under pressure and prove to yourself that you can do this.

We're all pulling for you!

Thanks you guys. Yes, as I read Bretts comments I instantly knew he was right. In the past few days I have felt myself come to a conclusion in the form of, "This is probably my last chance so I need to see it through and do it right" type of thing. Thanks and I didn't mean to say the trainer was abusive, although I used that word once. I like Brett's words, "less than stellar" might be a more apt description. OK, though-another complication! I had Averitt Express call me! I had applied for a "dedicated/supply chain" out of Amarillo (50 miles from our home). I have an interview scheduled with them tomorrow at 8:30 am. Here is the kicker, the bus for Steven's/Dallas leaves out at 11:25 am tomorrow also! So after the interview I am going to have to make a pretty fast decision which company I wish to go try to get on with. Averitt I could get home each week. Stevens out for 3-4 weeks at a time. .34 cpm Averitt, .26 cpm Stevens (both, after the 5 weeks of training). $400 wkly during training with Averitt, $350 wkly with Stevens. Both have five(5) weeks of training with a mentor in the truck. Deliveries in OK, TX and NM with Averitt; with Stevens all 48 states. No Reefer with Averitt which means no early morning loading up and late night driving required. $25 per stop extra with Averitt. $40 for unloading. Most loads are on roller carts. Averitt truck trailer has lift gate and Steven's regular trailers. I think I am leaning towards Averitt. Averitt has automatic trans while Steven's has the usual trans in their tractors. I don't know if that would hurt me in the future. However, I am 60 and don't know how long my "future" will last anyway! Ha, ha! Comments? Thanks! Oh, and it's nice to have more than one option right now.

I leave for Averitt Express at Cookeville, TN this Sunday. I'll remember your words Brett and make it through. Thanks again to all of you for the encouragement and assistance on this journey. You have helped bring me to this place where I can take this opportunity. I will try to post from Cookeville. After the orientation I will fly back home and then meet up with trainer. See you down the road and watch out you don't cause a

-Traffic Jam