What Did You Do Before Becoming A Truck Driver?
Topic 7924 | Page 8
Well I was on the path to becoming an anesthesiologist! For many reasons I decided to not go into medical school. Unless health care changes I probably won't go into medicine. My previous job was in pharmacy. Loved that job and learned a lot some good and some bad but I took a job with maverick transportation and am waiting to go to Little Rock, Arkansas for training
First off, I'll introduce myself, Patrick Kinlaw, Murfreesboro, TN. Not a driver yet. I have a pretty varied back ground. Out of high school I was an auto mechanic for a few years, worked in restaraunts, etc. Bounced around being young for a while. When the family came I figured I needed to buckle down a little and went into corrections. Started at the bottom and left 5 years later as a Senior Shift Commander. Put myself through the police academy and spent the next 10 years as a road cop. Specialized in traffic enforcement and accident reconstruction until my chief like me better as his second in command. It was right about then the. i discovered what a lousy and loudmouth politican that I am. This quickly made my job very, very stressful. As a result of the unhappiness there, I am happy to report that I am 6 years into recovery of police work. It was real easy to leave when you believe that the public you serve is worthy and deserving of the help they ask for. So like a lot of excops, I went i to car sales, and loved it and did extremely well at it. Were it not for relocating, Id still be at the same place. The car world is really different from Virginia to Tennessee and the Tenn side of it is garbage, at least for the people selling them. My wife and I travel a lot usually for motor races (I'll get blasted, but anything that isnt NASCAR) and marathon races. I quit smoking 2 years ago and quit drinking a year later. Smoked heavy for 26 years and just put them down. Drank too heavy for 7 years. Yesterday I ran my first half marathon (13.1 miles). Sometimes the changes a person can make are pretty drastic. Im a lot happier now. Hoping to know this week about trucking employment and getting a date for CDL school. Fingers crossed!
Great thread! Also want to say thanks to the board creators and moderators for their work in creating the helpful info and training!
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.
Dm:
Dispatcher, Fleet Manager, Driver Manager
The primary person a driver communicates with at his/her company. A dispatcher can play many roles, depending on the company's structure. Dispatchers may assign freight, file requests for home time, relay messages between the driver and management, inform customer service of any delays, change appointment times, and report information to the load planners.
Used to work as an aerospace certified tig welder, building various items for the US military, before Mr. Obama put a stop to it.
I was a regional manager for Snap-On tools before starting trucking. Before that, a local manager for a security outfit.
Regional:
Regional Route
Usually refers to a driver hauling freight within one particular region of the country. You might be in the "Southeast Regional Division" or "Midwest Regional". Regional route drivers often get home on the weekends which is one of the main appeals for this type of route.
40 posts in a day and a half! At this rate we'll beat Pat M's Flatbread Variety in two months!
Then you'll have to overcome my 32 page thread!
Yeah but mine has pitcures....
I have a bachelors degree in business management and a bachelors in nursing. Almost finished with my masters degree to be a nurse midwife. Have delivered 14 babies so far as a student. But I am getting pretty tired of taking care of everyone else. All I want to do is be by myself, listen to my music, and drive till I run out of highway. Haven't decided yet if I can make such a drastic change. And with $150,000 in student loan debt hanging over my head!
DWI:
Driving While Intoxicated
This is my first post but I currently work as an IT but will be starting school for my CDL soon. I have been working as an IT for 5 years and it has been a hell of alot of stress and pressure for practically no pay. I bring home 495. a week and its just not worth it to me. Trucking is something I have thought about for a long time and the wife and I both agree it would be worth it even if I will be gone alot hopefully later when I have experience I can move onto a local route or something.
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.
TOTALS SO FAR Part II (new totals) In roughly three weeks, our Trucking Truth community has the following denizens. (I've lumped several careers together into broader categories.) In no particular order:
- IT - 6
- Teachers - 4
- Law Enforcement - 6
- Building Contractors - 6
- Purchasing - 3
- Warehouse - 3
- Auto Repair - 3
- Trucking from the start - 2
- Retail - 3
- Management - 3
- Manufacturing - 4
- Sales - 3
- Firefighter - 2
- Medical - 4
These singles, I couldn't or didn't want to categorize you:
- Phone System Engineer
- Military (others had military, but I included them in a specialized field if I could.)
- Counselor
- Recording Engineer
- Musician
- Farrier - still only one of these.
New "Singles":
- Cosmetology
- Rodeo
OWI:
Operating While Intoxicated
TOTALS SO FAR In roughly one week, our Trucking Truth community has the following denizens. (I've lumped several careers together into broader categories.) In no particular order:
- IT - 5
- Teachers - 4
- Law Enforcement - 4
- Building Contractors - 6
- Purchasing - 3
- Warehouse - 3
- Auto Repair - 3
- Trucking from the start - 2
- Retail -2
- Management - 2
- Manufacturing - 2
- Sales -2
- Firefighter - 2
- Medical - 2
These singles, I couldn't or didn't want to categorize you:
- Phone System Engineer
- Military (others had military, but I included them in a specialized field if I could.)
- Counselor
- Recording Engineer
- Musician
- Farrier - if we ever run out of diesel fuel and go back to three team wagons, you have a job!
FYI - I didn't see Massage Therapist. ThePsychotics have that experience.
OWI:
Operating While Intoxicated
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I left school and went straight into an engineering apprenticeship which lasted seven years.....then in my early twenties I went into technical sales (engineering) for an American company working all over Europe......company car, company credit card and loads.....and loads.....and loads of stress.
I got used to packing my bags on Monday morning and unpacking them on a Friday night.....which ended up costing me my first marriage. Great money and life style and you get to see places you wouldn't normally get to see.....does this sound familiar. I loved that part of it and did it for thirty five years. I met my American wife in England (where I'm from).....cut a long story short we moved over here. I tried selling cars for a living when I got here....but then I seen that the trucking industry said it was desperate for drivers and would accept you at any age (I was 56 at the time) I jumped at it. I've been working for Swift now for almost two years.....not as much money as I used to earn....but allot less stress.....which I'm more than happy with. Loving this link by the way.