Hello trucking boards!
About a year or so ago I started this crazy adventure of becoming a Class A CDL driver. Well I am a Class A CDL A driver. I decided that I wanted to work for the food companies because they make good money. So I split the difference and got a job at a local beverage distributor and started as a helper at a drop lot and then worked my way up to swing driver and was sent on the east side. I went through some high highs and some very low lows let me tell you. That all seems like a 100 years ago by now.
Eventually it was deemed that working the east side was not a good fit for me and I was transferred to the lower west side there I wouldn't say I thrived management still thinks I take to long (which ends up making me more money so I guess in an odd sort of way good for me), but I was awarded my own route and made route driver status. Over all while they think I take to long, my breakers are fairly low no worse then any one else and so far so good when it comes to cashing out at the end of the day, I try to make things easy for the check out woman.
I make all my deliveries and generally everything is fine. The people seem to like me, one of the bars I go to said that I am very conscientious and that I am one of there favorite drivers.
My company hates paying me, but they don't really have anything on me infact when they told me they were paying me to much overtime they said "Outside of that, we have no problems with you're route."
My route I think has been pretty much free and easy for management. Oh besides one customer that bounced a check and some other misscelanious odds and ends there has not been a whole lot for them to do whaoo!
A driver from another distributor was talking to me today and I said to him "You ever call you're bosses when there is a problem."
He goes "Yes and usually when I do it results in a 20 minute hold up and they end up making the same decision I would have made my self any how."
I said "Usually when I have to call them for something stupid it ends up being something that really doesn't result in much satisfaction on my end and usually leaves me going why did I even bother."
One time way back when over the summer I was in Cleveland Heights and I had no idea where I was going and I was driving down around University Circle which is well there's really no way to explain it, you just have to live it to appreciate it's full beauty trying to get my self turned around. Any how I was running late apparently to make a delivery at a customer and customer service called me and I didn't know any thing and they said why don't you call you're route manager and I replied "What are they going to do, I am out here they are there at the warehouse, I am on my own out here."
They were like humm we never thought of it that way.
Anyhow most of my job is anything but driving actually I don't know why I'm called a driver, that is the thing I do the least of ha-ha!
Going to get my CDL was really like getting two licenses. A license to drive a big truck and a license to drive a two wheel hand truck, which actually I spend more time driving then the big truck ha-ha!
Anyhow it is exciting to see what the future holds obviously I am pretty much at where I am going to be at with the company I am at now, so the only next thing to do where I work now is quit or stay put. Probably quitting will come next there's bigger and better things out there for me I feel. However it has been a good start, that's for sure.
Anyhow thank you all for coming along on this journey with me.
About a year or so ago I started this crazy adventure of becoming a Class A CDL driver. Well I am a Class A CDL A driver. I decided that I wanted to work for the food companies because they make good money. So I split the difference and got a job at a local beverage distributor and started as a helper at a drop lot and then worked my way up to swing driver and was sent on the east side. I went through some high highs and some very low lows let me tell you. That all seems like a 100 years ago by now.
Eventually it was deemed that working the east side was not a good fit for me and I was transferred to the lower west side there I wouldn't say I thrived management still thinks I take to long (which ends up making me more money so I guess in an odd sort of way good for me), but I was awarded my own route and made route driver status. Over all while they think I take to long, my breakers are fairly low no worse then any one else and so far so good when it comes to cashing out at the end of the day, I try to make things easy for the check out woman.
I make all my deliveries and generally everything is fine. The people seem to like me, one of the bars I go to said that I am very conscientious and that I am one of there favorite drivers.
My company hates paying me, but they don't really have anything on me infact when they told me they were paying me to much overtime they said "Outside of that, we have no problems with you're route."
My route I think has been pretty much free and easy for management. Oh besides one customer that bounced a check and some other misscelanious odds and ends there has not been a whole lot for them to do whaoo!
A driver from another distributor was talking to me today and I said to him "You ever call you're bosses when there is a problem."
He goes "Yes and usually when I do it results in a 20 minute hold up and they end up making the same decision I would have made my self any how."
I said "Usually when I have to call them for something stupid it ends up being something that really doesn't result in much satisfaction on my end and usually leaves me going why did I even bother."
One time way back when over the summer I was in Cleveland Heights and I had no idea where I was going and I was driving down around University Circle which is well there's really no way to explain it, you just have to live it to appreciate it's full beauty trying to get my self turned around. Any how I was running late apparently to make a delivery at a customer and customer service called me and I didn't know any thing and they said why don't you call you're route manager and I replied "What are they going to do, I am out here they are there at the warehouse, I am on my own out here."
They were like humm we never thought of it that way.
Anyhow most of my job is anything but driving actually I don't know why I'm called a driver, that is the thing I do the least of ha-ha!
Going to get my CDL was really like getting two licenses. A license to drive a big truck and a license to drive a two wheel hand truck, which actually I spend more time driving then the big truck ha-ha!
Anyhow it is exciting to see what the future holds obviously I am pretty much at where I am going to be at with the company I am at now, so the only next thing to do where I work now is quit or stay put. Probably quitting will come next there's bigger and better things out there for me I feel. However it has been a good start, that's for sure.
Anyhow thank you all for coming along on this journey with me.