Hoping to start a new career

Glen Haasdyk

Active Member
Well, I did it. After several weeks of training and sweating it out over two writen tests and one road test I now have a Class 3 drivers liecence weith an air brake endorsment.
What can I drive with a class three? Anything except busses, and tractor trailer units. So I'm looking for a job driving a gravel truck, dump truck, flat deck, cement truck, or garbage truck. I'm scouring the help ads and I do have a promising lead at a local waste disposal company, except they seem to want more of a mechanic than a driver. (I was an aircraft mechanic for 11 years.) I'd perfer to drive but the wage is 6$/hr more than I'm making now so I'll probably take it if nothing else comes along.
In the spring I'm planning to upgrade to a class 1 which will let me drive the tractor-trailers and busses, not that I want to drive busses, I'd rather drive cargo that doesn't talk back to you!
 

kadidle

New Member
Glen, after driving both OTR and Busses (particularly for a company with a dog as it's logo.) I really enjoyed the bus more. I actually had very few problems with passangers, and can't think of a single time I got an overweight ticket. Of course cleaning my outfit could be interesting.

OTR was a blast, but once I got married it just wasn't possible with a family. Locol work frankly bored me, and I moved on to a different career. But I still look back at those days with fond memories.
 

Glen Haasdyk

Active Member
Mike,
pardon my ignorance, but what is OTR?
Oh yeah, I droped in at another waste disposal company and the personel director told me they were in the midst of a hiring spree so I'm hoping to get a call from them.
 

KCS

Member
OTR means Over The Road. Or long haul. In the U.S that Class 1 is considered a Commercial Drivers License but referred to as a CDL. At the age of 18 in Louisiana you can hold a CDL after a permit but being under the age of 21 means you can't drive a truck over 26,000lbs gross including combination vehicles. I've got a little under 6 months before I can go over to Diesel Driving Academy which has a terminal here in Shreveport. I'm not sure how far out they go but they are the best people to go threw for a CDL and guarantee you a job after your 4 week's of training. I've been riding cross country for year's and love it. "I'm no truck driver! I'm a non refrigerated load relocation engineer!" Picked that one up off the CB a couple years ago in Dallas, TX by another driver. It's good money if you go OTR with a good company and no family. Have fun and be careful though. Driving a truck ranks in the top 5 most dangerous jobs in the world. After every thing I've seen, I believe it.
 

kadidle

New Member
I agree with you about dangerous. Believe it or not, I felt safer climbing microwave towers then pulling into quite a few truck stops! Depending on the company, a lot of the guys in the States get a concealed weapons permit, or at least carry a firearm in the cab. I never did until I had an unfriendly visitor at 5:30 am after way too many hours, nothing ended up happening, except we both got a good workout, and he slept a little better then I did. :D
 

interurban

Active Member
Get youself down to the BC Hydro as it was calles in the 70s BC Transit now I believe.
I have drove busses for 40 years 15 in the UK and 25 for the TTC in Toronto. (10years on streetcars ) (Trams)

Darn good benifits and Pension to boot.
I can honestly say I have enjoyed most of that time.
As the saying goes if you love your job you dont work a day in your life.

That`s my 2cents worth ,,,,and it`s worth a $. :D
 

Glen Haasdyk

Active Member
Thanks for the advice. Here in Canada we don't have to carry a weapon in the cab, we couldn't anyway since concealed weapons are illegal. The greatest danger I figure we face is the steep terain of BC. (Brake checks are a must!) I hope to get on a local outfit for a bit to get more experience. My driving instructor suggested I try to oil patch up in northern Alberta but I'm rather reluctant since I really hate cold and isolation and my wife probably wouldn't go for it.
 

ausien

Active Member
Congreats on the passing of your licence Glen, what ever you deside to do, I wish you the very best of luck... and remember.... keep the shinny side up...and its better to be a little late, than arrive dead on time..have a good one steve
 

emt49

Member
I have my CDL A i have driven truck otr and its a tuff life moneys good.
in the two years i did it i have never had any unwanted people in my truck.

now i dispatch an Ambulance companey thats right i drive a desk. :D
there is alot of things i miss about driving truck and have been thinking about buying my own truck. and trying to make it work but it's still a pipe drime i am to worryed about not makeing any money and loseing it all.
 

Glen Haasdyk

Active Member
Thanks Steve, I've heard about the road-trains in Australia how many trailer do those guys pull across the outback?
Actually a friend who got me intrested in driving just got his class 1 5 months ago. Right out of the gate he bought a baby freightliner with a small auto rack trailer (5 autos) and went to work hauling for his father-in-law. He says it's great.
I would have gone for my class 1 right away but the cost is about 1000$ above the class 3 and my wife and I couldn't swing that right away. besides maybe a little exeprience before upgrading isn't such a bad thing.
 

Oroka

New Member
Next year I am getting my A-Z lisence and doing a year of longhaul with my father (A is Tractor trailer, and Z is airbrake endorsment). We are going to do team for a year, proably a produce run between California and BC, maybe do a few loads into Texas that that region.

I know locally you would make about $12-14 and hour driving a 5+ ton around here. Driving longhaul with my dad, I should beable to bank about $45k in one year. Then I might do another year, I might do something else. I really want to do an online business selling something. Takes money to make money.
 

ausien

Active Member
Road trains are on average 3 x 50'trailers, but 5 trailers is not unheard of,the first half of the first trailer is for carrying fuel and water....have a good one ..steve
 
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