Just to let anyone who wasn't sure where I was or what I was doing I fill in the line. August 2,2004 I got a call from Crete Carrier Corporation that I had to be in Ottawa ,IL sometime that night they had a national rental car( Turned out to be a GMC Safari ). I got a ride down to Cedar Rapids from a friend and got to Ottawa,Il around 5pm I had a room reserved in a nice Holiday Inn Express(seemed nicer than the one in Cedar Falls) My trainer picked me up at 11:30pm. I don't know if anyone has had to deal with opt idle(truck shuts off and turns on by it self to keep a nice tempeture in the cab ) but man does it make it hard to sleep. The cycle was about 20 on 20 off. I didn't get any sleep that night.Later the next day driving though the construction and mountains(PA) really made it easy to keep my eyes open but when I stopped driving I felt like was going to fall over pass out. I'm going to shorten this long story a little bite so here goes. .............................
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I'm not going to be driving semi-over the road again for awhile . I simply just not cut out to get comfortable with all those changes In such a short time. My fear of hieghts basically was the start to my end in that career field. I drove for a total of 13,940 miles. Ivan helped finish my nerves off. So I'm going to send a bunch of apps out to the up and a some other companies just to get a job to make some get by money.

thanks for all the support!!!


Ps I hate Atlanta anyone who has drove there I'm sure knows why.

 

Glad to hear you made it safe nogo Driving big truck is something you love or hate, it isnt for everyone thats for sure. The best thing about Atlanta is seeing it in your rearview mirror


Good luck in finding a job tho. I hope you find something you like

 

Well, you had to try, and never would have known if you hadn't. You may be able to find local runs, try implement dealers and grain elevators, they generally stay local, and need people from time to time. Cattle haulers are another, but the drivers tend to have to help load, so if that were an issue, you won't want to do that.

 

thanks for the ideas. and again thanks for the support.

 

stay away from bull racks, unless you like to run 23hrs a day, and slopping around in you know what plus you will end up on farms with very poor loading facilities etc, etc. Yea the opti idle trucks are a pain, it's bad enough having a reefer on but you would get used to it but like taz stated it's not a life for everybody, I'm spoiled now, but I loved running OTR but man is it hard on marriages.
Too bad you live clear up in Waterloo Hyvee is hiring part time drivers right now, and you would be running pretty solid for the next couple of months the BF of one of the gals my wife works with just got out of driving school got hired on tues last week, and has taken a load out everynight since, and even the part time drivers make real good money

 

Check out Deere.
~who knows?~

 

Sorry to hear that...I couldn't imagine dealing with little car's zipping arund all the time. Glad you were safe at least on your brief drive!

 

I know the JDDW is hiring like crazy here in Da Puke

 

I got a call from them about 3 weeks ago. They wanted me to work in the foundry. I heard too much about people having health problems working that area so I told them to take me off the list plus I'd be getting ripped off for what there paying the old times. Thus I told them to take me off the list(took three years to get to that point). I once though they were a good company now I don't believe so the union has got to weak with the newbys. and they can fire you for no reason at all for the first 15 years. There hasn't been too much job security there since the 1980s. I don't know of any factories that pay any thing in Iowa that are and all around good deal for the workers. These days companies I guess in genral are too gready.

 

my wife's cousin and her husband run a little truck company about an hour north of you. 10 or so miles up from New Hampton. They offered me a job not too long ago but it's not for me. If you're interested I can find out they need anyone and get you their #. OR the hog farmer I am supposed to be starting work for I think is looking for drivers I can check out there too. He asked me if I wanted to drive too...... Pretty sure the first one is local but I have heard of them following drivers to check for speeding ect. the other I don't know where he hauls too.

Let me know.
Shane

 

I don't know about driving a big combination like that for awhile B class and hot shoting it wouldn't be bad. I don't want to let anybody down til I get my self straighten out to be comfortable in those things again. Thanks for letting me know I'll think about it.