The Dolphins Make Me Cry.com - Forums

June 12 I ship out to Springfield Missouri to be trained as a truck driver. I have to sign a 1 year contract with them and after that, I can stay with the company or seek other employment. I'll be looking for a local job in Columbia, SC. My wife is moving back there next week and staying with her parents until I bring in a couple paychecks and we can get our own place. Finally getting the hell out of Tennessee, and ending a rut that started in 2004. Looking forward to living comfortably for a change. Wish me luck!

Good luck, Frimp.  I hear that truck driving is a tough job, but that it pays well.  You'll get to hear lots of sports radio!

Especially if he installs a Sirius satellite radio in his truck!!!!

On a more serious note, it's a tough job in the fact that you have to spend a LOT of time away from your family.  Good luck Frimp. 

Thanks guys. I know its a tough job but I only have to go over the road for one year, then I can look for local work with a company like Budweiser, Coca Cola, Walmart, etc. I figure whats a year away from my family if it will end a 7 year old rut. My daughter is 16 months old so if I do this now, she won't remember the time that I was away.

Congrats Frimp.. and good luck with your new job..

So whats your CB handle going to be? Frimp  :)

Def get the XM raido installed into the truck and maybe a get a ipad to keep us all updated..

and you probably wont miss any football because there isnt going to be any  ;)

Good Luck Frimp, and Safe Truckin...Let me know when you make it into town...We can get together...(I've got your number in a P.M.,unless it's changed recently)

Take care if you're hauling a heavy load...

(http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/photo/images/attachement/jpg/site1/20110530/0013729e4a600f4d1c0d4e.jpg)

This may sound wierd based on my current career, but I have always liked the concept of being a truck driver.  I like driving and scenery, so I think I would like driving coast-to-coast/long distances.  Maybe one day I'll give it a try just for the fun of it.  (Either that or buy one of those travelling trailers for a long vacation).

So, with that thought, I wish you good luck and safe driving!

^^^ I'm with Lee...trucking is a field that I think I'd enjoy. My little brother drove long haul for quite a while, and if not for the fact that he needed to raise a family and be closer to home, I'm guessing he'd still be doing it.

Like Lee, I have kind of a romanticized view of driving a truck.  I am attracted to the isolation of it.  You just have to worry about yourself.

^^^^ Put me in that category as well. I have made a few road trips in the past and I just enjoyed seeing the scenery and different cities and cultures. I wouldn't mind doing it for a year and traveling the entire country.

During my second tour in the Army, I was in a tactical unit not far from the Czech border (108th MI Bn, 8th Infantry Div), and one of the things I was responsible for was driving the 5-ton with the big TCAC (tech control and analysis center) trailer when we deployed to the field for exercises. While the trailer was a little smaller than a normal semi is, it was still pretty humongous. Once we'd get to the field site, we'd set up the camouflage, fire up the 30kw generators and go to work inside the trailer. It was like driving your office to work.  I really enjoyed driving that truck...though breaking it down afterwards to clean and service all the equipment was a pain in the ass.

My experience in speaking with truck drivers is the exact opposite. You have to worry about every single person on the road. You also ride with other drivers when you first start out (at least my experience) so you have to worry about other drivers within your own truck. I know one guy who was the training driver and he absolutely couldn't sleep during his rest periods because he was too scared of the other driver in the front not getting enough rest himself.

There is no way in the world I would ever want to be a truck driver. Maybe at one point, but not now. I'm too entrenched in my life of pool leagues and football on the weekends.

I'm with Phisfan on this one.  Driving a massive vehicle through traffic with idiot drivers is bad enough, but I get really stressed just driving my regular truck through a construction zone (no shoulders, concrete barriers right next to you) in  a driving rain with trucks passing you.  Seems every time I drive through Houston, this is what I find.

I also think sitting on your ass all day would get painful.  I've heard that many drivers suffer from bad backs because of this.

Ive been toying with the idea for several years. I also like long road trips and the idea of being paid to see the country really appeals to me. I'll only have a trainer in the truck with me for 5500 miles, then I go solo. I'm not worried about the trainer getting enough sleep. I'm worried about me getting to sleep during the times when we will have to both be sleeping at the same time. The 2 person trucks have 2 bunks in them. If someone snores, I cant sleep. But hopefully, we will be splitting the driving the majority of the time, and 5500 miles could be reached in a matter of 3 weeks.

For the people with wonder lust about the travel,a lot of companies,you tend to go to the same places over,and over...So the traveling gets semi routine...

Well, I got totally fucked. Lil B was there and was a good friend through out. I got into this to get out of a rut, and my rut is MUCH bigger because of one fucking douchebag doctor. I was disqualified for something that wasnt even an issue. The doctor twisted my words so that in his official report, I hung myself and the company has a policy not to over rule the doctor.

Sucks to hear that, Frimp.  Can you go for a "second opinion?"

Did you make it S. Carolina Frimp?....Sorry I couldn't do more...

Tease Royale... Any elaboration on what the issue actually was?

I did make it to SC, and there wasn't much more you could have done, B. It was cool meeting you and hanging out. Guess I could look at it as a trip to meet you and nothing more. lol

Basically, long story short, Prime Inc will not hire someone who admits that they drink. I admitted that I do drink, but there is nothing in my work, criminal, or driving record that indicates a drinking problem. No DUI, or drunk and disorderly, etc. Plus, I think I've only called in sick maybe 5 times in my entire life. But because I told the truth, that idiot doctor said that I have a drinking problem. I spoke to the VP of the company who went back and talked to the doctor, and the doctor told him that I said that I wanted to use the job as a way to quit drinking...which I never said. He asked me if I wanted to stop drinking. I said "Sure, why not? It isnt allowed in training anyway, so it won't be a problem."

^^^Well that really sucks.  Good Luck in the future.

Good luck!

That is asinine.....I am sorry that happened to  you.

It's not that I don't believe your story, but there may be some information that you're withholding or that is being withheld from you from the doctor or the company.

If the company doesn't hire people that drink and you admit to drinking, that's probably enough.

But to make up the situation about you trying to quit drinking -- it sounds like a twist of something that is rooted in truth.  Is it just a misunderstanding?

No. He brought up me quitting drinking. And they never once said in the recruiting process that they didn't hire people who admitted to drinking. It was just an idiot doctor who put his religious beliefs ahead of his job. I asked him if he actually believed that none of the people that Prime hired drank. He said "Yes. None of them drink. If they did they would be disqualified just like you." I replied by telling him that he is a naive SOB if he truthfully believes that.

I don't understand what you're saying.

If their policy is that they don't hire people that admit to drinking, and you admitting to being a drinker, why do you blame the doctor?

I can agree that it might be a stupid policy (and a naive one), but it seems that the doctor is only doing his job.  How does religion tie into this?

Just a hunch.

But if it is their policy, shouldnt they disclose that policy before someone quits their job and moves their family elsewhere in preparation for this career?