Desert Skies
Member
Just put in some time looking thru these threads but Im not really finding what Im looking for I figured I would ask for some help.
After putting in 17 years as a teamster grocery driver in the pacific northwest I pulled the plug and threw it all away for what I thought would be my last job,my dream job. Without going into alot of detail it took just 15 months for it all to fall apart and now Im back where I was 20 years ago,running 11 western OTR for 40cpm. Its been a brutal experience to not only my ego but the almost 60% pay cut is causing some major financial issues.
My termination was an administrative issue and has not affected my safety record,my former employer is reporting no accidents,moving violations or drug/alcohol issues when contacted. Had this been a teamster job I have no doubt I would have been back to work in a week. This is something you younger people need to keep in mind when you question your teamster loyality or if your dues are worth it.
With 21 years and over 2 million miles of safe driving (mostly doubles and triples) you would think getting a job would be a breeze. Well companies that would have been begging for my services six months ago are now either not calling back or they are saying no thanks. Seems a termination in this industry is worse than having tickets or accidents,I have never been fired from a job so this is all new to me. My current employer gave me a chance and I am going to use it to rebuild my reputation. Most of the recruiters have told me I need to put 6-12 months behind me to help offset the termination. No problem I can do it but I need a goal to focus on.
With the time I have in with locals 162 and 305 I figure im going to want to put in at least another ten years. A good friend of mine retired from pakage car so I know a little bit about how things work at UPS I am well aware it could take years for me to fully recover financially but at this point I have no choice and at 49 I dont have alot of time to screw around so I need to get focused. Any advice you all could offer would be greatly appreciated and I appreciate you taking the time to read my post.
I live in the high desert of CA (Victorville) and am well aware I may need to commute. For the physical aspects of the job I have managed to stay in great shape, I run 3.5 miles and strength train a few times a week so I should be good to go.
After putting in 17 years as a teamster grocery driver in the pacific northwest I pulled the plug and threw it all away for what I thought would be my last job,my dream job. Without going into alot of detail it took just 15 months for it all to fall apart and now Im back where I was 20 years ago,running 11 western OTR for 40cpm. Its been a brutal experience to not only my ego but the almost 60% pay cut is causing some major financial issues.
My termination was an administrative issue and has not affected my safety record,my former employer is reporting no accidents,moving violations or drug/alcohol issues when contacted. Had this been a teamster job I have no doubt I would have been back to work in a week. This is something you younger people need to keep in mind when you question your teamster loyality or if your dues are worth it.
With 21 years and over 2 million miles of safe driving (mostly doubles and triples) you would think getting a job would be a breeze. Well companies that would have been begging for my services six months ago are now either not calling back or they are saying no thanks. Seems a termination in this industry is worse than having tickets or accidents,I have never been fired from a job so this is all new to me. My current employer gave me a chance and I am going to use it to rebuild my reputation. Most of the recruiters have told me I need to put 6-12 months behind me to help offset the termination. No problem I can do it but I need a goal to focus on.
With the time I have in with locals 162 and 305 I figure im going to want to put in at least another ten years. A good friend of mine retired from pakage car so I know a little bit about how things work at UPS I am well aware it could take years for me to fully recover financially but at this point I have no choice and at 49 I dont have alot of time to screw around so I need to get focused. Any advice you all could offer would be greatly appreciated and I appreciate you taking the time to read my post.
I live in the high desert of CA (Victorville) and am well aware I may need to commute. For the physical aspects of the job I have managed to stay in great shape, I run 3.5 miles and strength train a few times a week so I should be good to go.