New Newbie

[justa"Z"]

Hi guys: I know when you get into trucking, its like one big happy family. So I need a little help from my brothers and sisters please. I recently got my "Z" endorsement at Durham College in Whitby. I am now in the process of trying to get the government to fund me for the AC part of my license. It is a 6 week course and I am hoping to be successful in it. Can anyone suggest any good companies to work for after I get fully licensed? I really want to do longhaul because everyone tells me this is where the good money is. I want to drive for someone for a period and then possibly become an owner operator after I get some experience on the road. Any info will help guys. Thanks in advance. Justa"Z".

[WannaDrive]

Not to discourage you, but good luck finding a job. There is nothing out there, and what is out there you need 2-3 years of experience. The market is flooded with experienced truckers who have either been laid off or just lost their jobs. I heard today through the grapeviine (not sure if it's 100% true) that ITS just laid off a boatload of drivers. I'm not trying to discourage you, I just got my license, and am finding all this out now. IMO, the government shouldn't be funding these courses as there is nothing out there for work. I was talking to the recruiter at L.M.B. Transport in Belleville and he was telling me that he is turning away guys with 20 years experience. Don't get angry with me, I wish someone would have told me all this stuff before, but all I saw was an opportunity, which there was about 6 months ago. Even Kriska isn't hiring out of their Mississauga location, and they usually always are, Schneider is only taking experienced drivers, and Highland is only hiring O/O. RSB isn't hiring and H&R and Werner are only hiring experienced guys, and from what I was told these companies are usually the ones who give newbies a chance. All the local construction companies in my area have all their guys returning from last season because there is nowhere else for them to go. Don't get me wrong, it's a good thing to have your AZ, because at some point in time the economy will fix itself, and the need for drivers should come back, but I can't see it happening any time in the near future. Good luck with whatever you decide to do, and sorry I had to be the bearer of bad news.

[justa"Z"]

:36_1_24[1]:Well it looks like providence is shining down on me at last. Four weeks ago I started making phone calls to get all the information I could so I could make a career change and go driving truck for a living. I checked to see if there was any form of government funding to help with tuition, parking and anything else I may need. That directed me to Northern Lights who helped me design a Return-To-Work- Action- Plan Who also set me up with an appointment with V.P.I ( Vocational Pathways Inc. ). From there I had to attend a follow-up appointment again at Vocational Pathways Inc. for clarification of submitted information which is a requirement.A This ia a government funded non profit organization that funds people on Employment Insurance or people that have had a claim in the past three years making them entitled to funding through the Reachback Program for training. Once I had the wheels in motion, I set up an appointment to attend the Training put on by Durham College at the Whitby Campus on a weekend to go and study and write for my "Z" Endorsemenmt for my license, coming out of that with 91% or an A+. It's not as easy as it sounds, so please don't take it for granted. It covers just about everything about Airbrakes. However, I'm sure some of the more experienced drivers can really educate us Newbies about the true inner and outer workings of a Big Rig. It feels great just the same walking out of that classroom with letter in hand to go to Motor Vehicle Department for your "Z" Endosement. After this I spoke with Colin McCarthy who is the Durham College Training Program Consultant at the Whitby Campus. He advised me I would need a Police Background Check which tells whether or not you are able to cross the U.S./Canadian Border while hauling any type of cargo. I also needed a Drivers Abstarct to prove my driving record is exemplary, with no Demerit Points. I also needed a Blood Screen to check for drug use. This you can get at your local doctor . or most Walk-In Clinics. The clinic I used was only $110.00 while my G.P. was going to charge me $150.00. That's quite a difference if you think of what it's for and how long it takes. It takes about two minutes to draw a vial of blood and dip it a strip in it to tell whether or not you are using any type of blood. Well, there you have it. It's been a fairly long process, but if you dotted your I's and crossed your T's for most of your life things should turn out okay for you. I go back to Durham College in Whitby again on Monday May 11 2009 at 8:00 A.M. sharp to begin my classroom portion of the course, which is ACZ Driver Training. If anyone such as Newbies have any questions about this or anything related, and I can help, please do not hesitate to email me with your questions. If I can answer them, I will to the best of my ability. It's best to not let life get the better of you and keep your head high and keep moving forward.
Kind regards everyone: Justa"Z"/ Jim

[justa"Z"]

Hey Dave and Wanna Drive: Dave thanks for the words of encouragement. They go a long way and I do appreciate them. Yes I am getting all my ducks in a row and hopefully they will start quacking soon and laying eggs. Not just for me, but for everyone. They may seem to be all down south at present, but I see them returning to us in droves. I'm the kind of person it is almost impossible to discourage and make me say "Uncle!!!!!!" I know most of the companies out there are not growing right now, but if someone lets the doom and gloom force them away from the industry, what are we going to have for drivers when the industry does start to grow wnd drivers are needed? There will be a large shortage and the law of "Supply and Demand" will then take over. However, on the flip side of that, maybe it could work out in favor of the Newbies. Companies that would not give Newbies a chance may be forced to because that is all there will be left: NEWBIES!!!!!! If we all just take a breath and not let every little thing get us down, perhaps we can ALL! come out on the winning side of this.
Oh! By the way! Before I forget, Wanna Drive? You're not discouraging me, I'm an Eternal Optimist!!!!!! 35 years as a Sheet Metal Worker in Local 30 in Toronto has pretty much toughened my hide so I can stand just about anything any industry can throw at me. Out of a job? Laid off? Hell I've been laid off so many times, I stopped counting. As for income? I've been on disability for the last 3 years after a full knee replacement which retired me from my trade far too early!!! I loved that work. It wasn't a job, it was a career. I'm only 56 years young and to say I'm going to roll over and die? It just ain't in the deck brother. So, if there are people that want to give up on an industry that they spent time and money on initially to get into the industry, then why don't you re-think your plans and goals. I'm not saying I'll get a job with the first application, but every no brings you one step closer to a yes!!! I will not give up, ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!'Nough said!! Good luck everyone. P.S. Dave: I don't know if Wanna Drive will get this or not, is there some way to forward it to him/her?
Thanks again Dave for the encouragement. I know it's tough out there, but you know what they say "When the going gets tough"?
Thanks again/Jim:36_13_13[1]:

[WannaDrive]

i admire your optimism, I am the same way trust me. I have made hundreds of phone calls and handed out, faxed, emailed hundreds of resumes without getting even one call. It is the same thing every time, they tell me I need experience. You may ask yourself, how can I get experience if noone will hire me? From what I have been hearing this is the worst the trucking industry has ever been as far as out of work truckers. The reason these companies aren't hiring anyone new is because they can pick and choose whoever they want from a vast pool of drivers with years and years of experience, which puts us newbies at the bottom of the pile. I haven't given up yet, i am still looking, and will continue to look. Another thing is the longer you've been out of a truck the less these companies even want to look at you, KRISKA for example wont even touch you if you have been out of school for more than a month without being in a truck. All I'm trying to do is tell you guys what these trucking schools don't want you to know, after all, they are a business and will do whatever they can to get that money. Good luck at your course, it is a blast driving those big rigs!

[ralph]

35 years as a Sheet Metal Worker in Local 30 in Toronto has pretty much toughened my hide so I can stand just about anything any industry can throw at me. [1]:

35 years as a skilled union tradesman and you're going into trucking! You are in for a rude awakening, BUT to quote yourself "I can stand JUST about anything any industry can throw at me". You'll appreciate all your union perks that you won't have in trucking, getting paid for EVERY hour on the job is the biggest difference you will notice. The huge drop in pay will be a close second.

According to last week's Toronto Star newspaper 50% of the skilled tradesmen are retiring in the next 5-10 years. I know things are tough in construction right now, I'm in a related industry.

I hope it works for you.

[WannaDrive]

what I don't get is why second career and OSDEB keep funding for this program when there are no jobs. Are they not supposed to go into a database to see what kind of a demand there is for this work before they take our tax dollars to pay for it? I mean, I was right on the cusp of all this happening, when I first applied there were still quite a few jobs out there, now the industry seems to have gone into the ****ter.

[justa"Z"]

I'm not saying I'm coming into this industry with my eyes closed. I really don't understand why everytime I say I'm not easily discouraged someone says something because they think it is the right thing to say at the moment. Why is it always negative? I don't remember any union perks when I was working. Anything I ever got, I paid for. As for the huge drop in pay, as I mentioned earlier I've been living on $1,000.00 per month on disability for the past 3 years after a complete knee replacement. Is it still difficult to understand why after 35 years as a qualified Sheet Metal Worker why I am getting into trucking as a second career? I know of companies in the trucking industry that offer healthcare plans, so what's so different? Most plans today cover 80% which is a far cry from nothing. I've always admired truck drivers and their rigs. I've always felt that if I were to choose a second career for me, it would be trucking. My wife is backing me 100% in this, and that is the most important aspect for me as a Newbie. She trusts me and is backing me on my journey to wherever. No career is easy at first. There is a break-in period for any career. Transitioning from Sheet Metal to Trucking will probably have the odd pothole here and there, but I'm going to try to steer around them. I'm not leaving construction Ralph because things are tough in the industry. I RETIRED from Sheet Metal because I had no choice. A full knee replacement does not lend itself well to the rigors of everyday life in construction where you might be required to carry something weighing 100lbs. because it has to be moved right now! Anyway, Ralph. Why don't you try to be more positive in your approach to responding to letters from guys :23_30_126[1]:who may not be doing things as a whim, but they are doing things because they have little else to choose from due to physical limitations, training, education and experience. Kindest regards: Ralph / Jim ( Justa"Z" )

[WannaDrive]

I don't think anyone is being negative at all, just giving the truth, and I'm giving you the first hand experiences of a newly licensed driver. Your original post asked if anyone knew of any good companies to work for. The answer you got was that there is no work for newly licensed drivers. Only 2 big OTR companies I know of hire newbs that have terminals near you, Kriska in mississauga which arent hiring new drivers, although I think the Prescott location is hiring new drivers, and Schneiders out of Oshawa (i think) which also aren't hiring new drivers. A company call SGT2000 IS hiring newbs, i'm going to a workshop on friday to see what they are all about. They state you are on the road for 2 weeks then home 3 days, in a truck with a trainer for 1 to 3 months then they set you free, not sure I could live in a truck with another guy for 3 months. Only other options there are, are driving for a local construction company, or Rona, or Home hardware etc etc that will have labour duties along with it and even those are tough to get right now. Even dump truck jobs are scarce this year as all last years guys are returning this year due to there not being anything else to choose from. And the ones that are available require 2-5 years experience. I wish someone would have told me all this stuff before I started school, you should be thankful that you are getting straight answers and not told it's all roses when it isn't.

[justa"Z"]

Please let us all know how you make out on friday Ralph. 'Nough said!
Justa"Z"

[ralph]

Please let us all know how you make out on friday Ralph. 'Nough said!
Justa"Z"

HUH????? Not sure what you are referring to.

[WannaDrive]

^^^i think he has you mixed up with me haha

[Mercenary]

justa"Z" I am right there with you man. I am also a tradesman but unlike you I didn't really enjoy what I was doing. The work was alright and the hours were ok but I just couldn't stand going into the same place day in day out.

Sure the trucking industry is in the crapper right now but really, what industry isn't? I just got laid off from my driving job last week here in Alberta's oil patch but I'm really not all that discouraged. After wandering around handing out resumes I am actually a bit encouraged. Some companies gave outright refusals when asked if they were hiring but more than a few said they would definitely be looking for guys in the next month or 2.

Sure I won't be making the big bucks I was making as a tradesman but I would rather be doing something I enjoy making less money than going into a job I hate every day.

[robert r]

Hear you there man, got 2 calls but some straight truck Hot shot stuff, but ended up taking a temp Electrical position with a friend until I finish my road test in a couple weeks down in High River, then hopefully on the road!!!!!!!!!!!!

[WannaDrive]

Ontario is a whole different ball game

[robert r]

I know hard to find a job before I left for out west 2 years ago, must be really bad now eh??I lived in Toronto for 33years and really tough for work then, thats why I came out west.

[justa"Z"]

Lose the anger Ralph and please for everyones' sake. Get over it!

[WannaDrive]

Lose the anger Ralph and please for everyones' sake. Get over it!

huh?..........

[WannaDrive]

I know hard to find a job before I left for out west 2 years ago, must be really bad now eh??I lived in Toronto for 33years and really tough for work then, thats why I came out west.

yah it's pretty tough man. im glad you guys are seeing light at the end of the tunnel, hopefully we will too

[justa"Z"]

Do you really think this is all there is for the trucking industry? Things still have to move and there must be a reason why we saw so many trucks on our highways a short time ago. It's because someone decided it was cheaper to transport cargo by truck than it was by train. That is why you don't see many trains on the East Coast. Trucks can go places a train can't and cut down on a few middle men. Just because a new driver goes into a company and applies for a job and is turned down, does not mean there is not someone behind him that same company will hire, whether he is new or has 20 years experience. Just because someone got a no today, does not mean it will always be a no. I refuse to believe that an industry that has been around for as long as the trucking industry has is not going to reboumd when the economy rebounds. I am too positive minded for that way of thinking and I will not be deterred from being optimistic about it. As for the experiences of a newly licensed driver, what experience does a newly licensed driver have if that newly licensed driver cannot find work? I apologize for being so blunt, but I'm getting a little annoyed by all the doom and gloom.
Justa"Z"

[ralph]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KjxFGbToVFM

Your favourite song by chance justaz?

http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&q=rose+colored+glasses&gbv=2&aq=2&oq=rose+colo

Take your pick from here if you like.

[Jutzi]

Hey Jutsaz,

I'm a new driver, I finished up school end of Feb and managed to luck out and find a job (I'm down near Kitchener, ON). However that being said it is SLOW. Like I'm making less money now then I was on unemployment. Maybe 1 week out of 4 I might make decent cash and work the full week, then the next week I'll work 2 days. These guys arn't ragging on you or anything, they are just trying to inform. When I decided to get into trucking I was looking at job ads that said 50,000 a year ++++, 40,000 for new drivers, which was comparable to what I was making as a civil engineering technician before the layoff. I don't mind the work, I enjoy the hours even, work/sleep/repeat. Its just not busy, and with the economy still in the downturn yet its gonna get worse before it gets better. I was dumb when I called EI and told them I'd found a full time job, I should have told them I'd found a part time job so they'd cover the difference of money I'm losing out on. But on the bright side I'm getting some experience, which I would say is worth more then anything right now for when the economy does turn around in a few years. My only advice to you is to get out there and pound on doors and talk to recruiters. And go to SMALL companies as well, not just the big ones. Thats how I lucked out, guys are getting ****** off with the lack of work and quitting, and companies are trying to save a buck so they can pay the inexperienced guys less. It is rough out there, but you just gotta keep on trucking!

Ben

[justa"Z"]

Hi Ben: Good to hear from you. I am not taking any of this personally, but it's pretty obviuos that the economy is in rough shape, and you're right it will get worse before it gets better. How much worse, is anyones' guess. I'm an optimist and I believe it's not going to last that long as for the trucking industry. Like I said things still have to move and this industry could correct itself before long. I'm not looking through rose colored glasses as it was eluded to by one chap, but I will remain ever optimistic because that is just me. I have a very positive attitude and do not try to change that! Not you personally, anybody. Could the bottom drop out of the economy and all our hopes and dreams go down the tubes? Certainly it could! Am I fearful of that? No! As I stated before, just because you are out of work today, does not mean you will be out of work tomorrow. I have a habit of looking past the bad and try to see the good. We are all in the same boat here Ben but it will correct itself. As soon as the governments bail out the auto industry, you will see more trucks on the road. That one industry alone hurt our economies really badly. Everything is tied together and who does the bulk of the transporting for this industry? Yep! You guessed it! Trucks!! Yes the trucking companies have many drivers to choose from, but sooner or later that balance is going to shift and we will look at this and human nature will kick in and it won't seem so bad. All of my years in the construction industry have taught me one word ( PATIENCE !!!! ). I've been laid off so many times I thought at times of giving up and looking for something different, but I didn't change until my knee surgery in 2006 which left me with no choice. I could either sit on my butt and become a couch potato and feel sorry for myself for the rest of my life, or I could forget all the bad that has happened in my life and do something about it. I chose to do something about it. Try living on $1,000.00 a month and deciding a career move to an industry that looked really good a few months ago, go write your "Z" and do all the research that's involved and go through the various steps to get funding approved only to find your chosen career is in trouble. I'm not pretending to be the only person who has gone through this. Do I dwell on this and think about all the companies who are not hiring? No! I simply move on to the next one. Who knows? The next door you knock on could be a resounding yes! Please guys try to remain positive. Their is a light at the end of the tunnel.
Your friend Justa"Z"

[WannaDrive]

im a realist.....

http://www.truckstopcanada.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=2900

[WannaDrive]

As for the experiences of a newly licensed driver, what experience does a newly licensed driver have if that newly licensed driver cannot find work?
Justa"Z"

i think you just answered your own question.

[justa"Z"]

Right on Dave! That's what I've been saying since I got into this industry,albeit has been a short time compared to some, like yourself. The more years under my belt and the more mature I get , the more water that's flowed under the bridge and I'm able able to look past the bad and see the good. I'm not saying it's any easier, but at my age I may be able to weather the storm easier than those who have not lived as long as me. Simply because there is more experience to rely upon.
Justa"Z"