Young Trucka tryna make the right choice
Posted by Ecstatic_Ring_6090@reddit | Truckers | View on Reddit | 19 comments
Alright im new here & im new to trucking in general. Im 24 years old, i live in Atlanta & i just got my CDLA a week ago ššš¾ via a Flatbed School (TMC). I want to first say that im grateful for the opportunity in life this company has afforded me. NOW WITH THAT BEING SAID, FLATBED IS NOT FOR ME!
I simply donāt want to be tarpping loads, untarpping, strapping coils & doing flatbed load securement in general. Im only 24 and im already seeing how a job like this can cook you physically & mentally, i want no parts of it. BUT, this company damn sure does pay well and i donāt think ill find anything like it. Im trying to figure out what to do because i dont want to be here and miserable even if im being paid well but i also dont want to get paid like shit just because Iāve gone to an āeasierā type of trucking. What do i do? Are my options not as limited as they seem? Should i see these 4 weeks out before they put me in my own truck? Do i jump ship now & go somewhere ill be satisfied?
I live in an extended stay hotel back in Atlanta with my mom so id really like a job that I can use the sleeper cab as much as I want like TMC. Just so i can still stay away from home and my mom. Im just feeling a little lost and i could use a lot of help.
TheRegistrant@reddit
ā BUT, this company damn sure does pay well and i donāt think ill find anything like it.ā
Never ever repeat this lie to yourself. This is a perpetual industry and you can find work with a CDL anywhere in the country
Ecstatic_Ring_6090@reddit (OP)
With me being as new and unexperienced as i am, no i dont think ill find anything that will pay me as well as TMC is looking like it will.
GronGrinder@reddit
Bro I am at Western Express. I'd kill to have your job. Serve your time at TMC and actually get paid well.
Ecstatic_Ring_6090@reddit (OP)
I COULD BE WRONG THO
planetbuster@reddit
dont be soft.
stick with it minimum 6 months, a year if you can. treat it like a sports team that youre trying to give more chances to. dont bail right now like out of nowhere all emotional and shit.. thats the kind of thing women do.
youre not a woman, are ya? right? myyyyyy nilla. now get back out there and get to work son, several months from now youll be glad you didnt pussy out. self respect is a thing.
AndromedanPrince@reddit
ay yo, my nilla is crazy š
Auquaholic@reddit
Stick it out. It is s good company, especially compared to door swinging mega companies. I do open deck and yeah tarping sucks ass, but I will never go back to van or reefer. That shit is ugh. Plus, you'll be in way better shape.
navlgazer9@reddit
How much will you owe Ā the company if you quit before your contract is over?
Your contract is a year ? Did you sign a personal loan with the company?
Ecstatic_Ring_6090@reddit (OP)
Ill owe 4k if i left right now, -1k owed every 3 months. Leave after 1 year $0 owed
mackaroo@reddit
Stick it out and stack up the 4k. Shouldn't take long. You can make a clean break if you want and you'll have some experience to go somewhere else.
navlgazer9@reddit
Itās a decent companyĀ
Not the best but by far not the worst .
Tarping aināt no funĀ But my uncle Ā does local flatbed and he likes it , They are busting ass , he works his 14 almost every day .Ā
But they donāt tarp muchĀ If itās a water sensitive load and itās raining Ā they use a rag side / curtain side side trailer or just haul it the next dayĀ
He works near Atlanta but itās a small company and you gotta have some experience, company is too small to hire newbiesĀ
Thereās companies around that use end dumps and dry bulkĀ
My uncle used to work for one north of Atlanta called Taybor or something like that .
Gilgamesh2000000@reddit
They donāt want to invest in the middle class. Either put the work in or donāt put the work in. Make your decision.
Iām not a fan of the way it is but itās how it is now at the moment. We all got to put in crazy bourse to have a decent quality life. Realist
Snappypants9@reddit
Youāll get stronger and perhaps will get used to it - a lot of young people - maybe not you - have never had to actually work 9-13 hour days of physical labor - it takes some getting used to - if you getting paid well maybe focus on learning the job - growing into it and then once you can do it decide if it is for you. either way all the best.
skeletons_asshole@reddit
It gets a lot easier if you stick with it. First couple of months kicked my ass at TMC, but now I enjoy having so many different things to do and figure out every day, really keeps the job from getting too boring.
homucifer666@reddit
Eh, you usually want to stick it out at least six months before you try a different company, a year being much better. Less than half a year and it's highly likely that you'll be seen as unhireable.
I can tell you now the grass doesn't get much greener until you've cleared a year or two of experience. Any company willing to hire you at your current level is going to take advantage of you. That's just how it is in this industry. š¤·š»āāļø
Ecstatic_Ring_6090@reddit (OP)
So basically if i left right now i wouldnāt be able to go anywhere else š§š¾āāļø?
homucifer666@reddit
You'll definitely have a harder time than getting the one you have now.
Obviously anything is possible, and I'm sure some jackass will get on here saying they got their special unicorn job that pays six figures and home every night straight out of CDL school, but that's far from the norm.
Feel free to apply to other jobs you feel are better suited to your liking and see if someone else will take you, but keep your expectations realistic. A lot more doors will open for you at the one year mark.
AgapeAnus@reddit
Stick it out for at minimum six months and preferably a year. It's gonna suck but you won't die if you're careful and give a shit every day and having a solid year of experience at your first job means a lot on your resume in this industry. Most don't hang for their first year, quit, end up on the hook for the cost of schooling to get their license, and have a really hard time finding another job especially if they have no endorsements and literally no solo experience like you do now.
Thug that shit out homie. And yes you will take a massive paycut going to dryvan. I wish I had started with flatbed, I'm three weeks away from finishing my first year doing dryvan and I'm on track to have grossed about 50k which is not jack shit for doing OTR with a nearly perfect service record and only getting one day off for every week I was out the entire time.
my_peen_is_clean@reddit
do your 6-12 months and bounce to dryvan or reefer otr. experience is the key. endless options later, even with how work is now