Newbie

[WannaDrive]

Hey all, glad to have found a CANADIAN truck forum. I'm from the GTA (905 east) I just passed my AZ road test this past Monday. Boy did I pick a bad time to get into this industry. I'm hoping to at least get on with a construction company driving dump for the summer, anything where I can keep up with shifting and whatnot. I have a couple leads on some long haul stuff just waiting for my info to go through their insurance companies, hopefully that will work out, just a couple small local places. Hopefully something will give soon, this economy the way it is can't last forever. I've also thought about going out to the camps in Alberta to drive, not sure if they hire newbs, anyone have any suggestions for companies to apply to out there that also have accomodations? Thanks for having me and hopefully I'll see y'all out on the road soon!

[WannaDrive]

well, got an interview tonite for a landscaping job. the ad said they require a D license so at least i would be behind the wheel of something

[WannaDrive]

^^^that's the way I look at it! I'll be home every night, I'll be getting experience driving, and I'll be staying fit doing it :D

I will keep you guys updated!

[bikerboy]

local construction work is the way to go, i am loving driving concrete truck, all time paid, and home every night with decent hours too.

[FLHT Ron]

Exactly! Everyone has to start somewhere! Good luck!!


Ron

[WannaDrive]

interview went well. was pretty mellow, just talked out on his front steps. hes got 2 older dump trucks, ones got air brakes the other doesn't. ones a 5 spd the other is a 6spd. good hours, 11hr days mon-fri and every other sat. 50% labour 50% driving and the money is decent too! hopefully i get the call!

[WannaDrive]

well, i didn't get it :( I'll just keep plugging away.....

[FLHT Ron]

Well it it's a landscaper job they're likely looking for someone with a PHD!!

P=Pile
H=Higher
and
D=Deeper


Good luck and keep plugging! The job I have now I got because I called them! They didn't even have a job posted!!!

Something to think about!!


Ron!!!

[WannaDrive]

well, story of the truck driving industry right now, they took someone with experience. I've decided I'm pretty much giving up on it. There is no work out there, so I'm just not gonna waste my time any more. Good luck to those of you who are graduating soon, you're gonna need it.

[Jutzi]

Don't give up, you just have to hit the pavement. I likely went and talked to about 30 different places before I got lucky. I heard "I'll put you to the top of the list!" alot. I believed it the first 4 times. Then when I didn't hear anything I'd start calling them and bugging every few days. Might seem desperate but I was just eager, and it worked once I started making sure they didn't forget about me.

Ben

[bikerboy]

ya alot of the good jobs don;t advertise.

The construction job i am at now, never advertises, people just come in and apply, thats what i did.
And so far this is the best driving job i have ever had!

[WannaDrive]

just got called back to my job yesterday. trucking is on hold for now, this job pays too well.

and trust me, i hit the pavement, im talkin hundreds of resumes. all i can say is they missed out on a dedicated hard worker. as far as im concerned i wasted my time getting this license.

[hellcat_99]

Never give up. There is always something out there. You may have to dig deeper.
You can't let anything get you down in this industry. If you do, you'll be down all the time. It's a dog eat dog industry & you are always working to get better.
Good luck.
Holly

[buzzy]

Don't give up, you just have to hit the pavement. I likely went and talked to about 30 different places before I got lucky. I heard "I'll put you to the top of the list!" alot. I believed it the first 4 times. Then when I didn't hear anything I'd start calling them and bugging every few days. Might seem desperate but I was just eager, and it worked once I started making sure they didn't forget about me.

Ben

Okay, so now you'll here it from the recruiter/hiring/safety manager's mouth. I needed TWO drivers in January. I received 210 applications from the ad on driver link. I interviewed 50 the first time, 15 the second time, picked the cream of the crop and hired four. Of those four I have one left.

"It's to damn cold in the Soo"
"It's too much work" (loading and delivering your own loads")
" Flat bedding hasn't got any easier"
"I'm not going anywhere on Sunday and I want to be home Friday morning"

Those were just some of the excuses I got.

With half the work and 3 times the experienced drivers out there looking for a job, a recruiter can be choosey. Above everything you learn in school and out on the road a competent safety department will spend upwards of $5000 to $8000 to bring you up to speed on their safety procedures and company policies. The money just isn't there to train newbies from scratch.

Just a footnote: May 2nd we closed down our 2nd division. We parked 14 tractors and laid off 12 drivers. Two more just had enough and quit. That's roughly 18% of our fleet parked. Today I had a guy call me . He said the unemployment office told him to call because trucking companies are always hiring. Apparently this government employee doesn't read the newspapers.

I wish I had work for everyone that calls me. Unfortunately, it isn't going to happen soon. If it get's any worse I'll be forced out of a job.

But companies still go on strike looking for "job security". :laugh1: (National Steel Car, LCBO)
The only security any has is knowing sooner or later you are going to push daisies. That's an inevitable fact.

Having a job in the morning is a guessing game.

If you have a job, hang on to it. If you're looking for a job......... be presentable, expect less than you had when you left wherever because like it or not....you're at the bottom of the ladder, and do your damndest to get past that 90 day probation period before you develop attitude.

A Safety Manager's 2 cents. (1.82 cents U.S)

[bikerboy]

i just left a OTR trucking job 3 weeks ago and glad i did, it was so slow i sat home at least half the time since jan.

since i started with the construction company i have been busy busy, lots of days we have had all trucks out working everyday. they just hired at least 3 guys in last month. there is guys working here who have been here over 22 years, so it must be a good place to work, maybe I have finally found a job that makes me happy!

it is a bit of a pay cut from when things were busy OTR, but it pays 17 an hour and OT after 44 hours, home every night and weekends so i am happy with it.

so if you are working for a company that is really slow, it still pays to look around.

[WannaDrive]

just thought I'd give an update. I'm still back to work. Looking like there is no end in sight as far as business goes. Apparently the business I am in is one of the first parts of manufacturing to rebound after a recession. They are predicting one of the busiest years in a long time. Hopefully this is a sign of good things to come for every industry. I still want to drive truck one day, but this job pays better than any truck driving job would and I only have to work 40 hours and have every weekend off. At least I have the license and it just may come in handy one day.

[Drago]

Manufacturing jobs? Do tell us more... Not much in my neck of the woods.

[roadgangsta]

Hey yeah Im a newbie on this forum and want to know more. (I've still to go to truckin school). I'm just readin up here on how the situation is right now. I'm considering takin it up.. I did a postgrad course in logistics from one of the colleges and didn't land a job.. and it's been over a year!

[hellcat_99]

Hey yeah Im a newbie on this forum and want to know more. (I've still to go to truckin school). I'm just readin up here on how the situation is right now. I'm considering takin it up.. I did a postgrad course in logistics from one of the colleges and didn't land a job.. and it's been over a year!
I worked with a girl from Logistic School. She knew nothing about the industry @ all, let alone dispatch a trk. All her degree's ment nothing. She had no experience. I tried to traine her, but she kept going by the book. There is no book to go by in this industry.
LIFE EXPERIENCE is what it takes.
If you could learn & add to your schooling that would be one thing, but to go by what's in a book is just crazy. Heck you can't even go by an atlas.
The best & only way to get an understanding, is to go otr.
Holly

[Anne]

where are you from? I'm in Bowmanville/ I have been over the road for years now, but I remember how hard it was.

I know a few that will take a rookie still, but what end of the city are you?