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Are there any LONG HAIR TRUCK DRIVER'S viewing this site. I am in the process of a career change. I was in retail management for over 25 years, (I am now 50 years young) and the last job of over 17 years severenced my employment due to the fact that they are in bankruptcy, and as a cost saver, the division that I worked for was phased out, as well as my job.
Well, after serious consideration, and not wanting to work excessive hours and not getting paid for those hours, as I have always been salaried management (work 80 hours, get paid for 40, as an example).
I looked into truck driving, it seems that drivers get paid for miles spent driving. (This way - all the time that I work, I will get paid for) Anyway, I have successfully graduated from National Tractor Trailer School (in Buffalo, NY): truck driving school, and I have my Class "A" license with XTS endorsements.(X=Hazmat/Tankers; T= Double/ Triple Trailers; S= Tow Truck Operator). I had applied for one job in Texas, but I was not hired (I traveled down to Dallas via = Greyhound Bus and back, took about 36 hours each way, (a Yankee in the deep south - I did not go over too well - as I was not hired. - I have four earrings in each ear (I aquired these earrings after I left Retail Management), and my hair has been growing since last June (My severance date was 06/02/2001) - 2001. My hair is just a little past my shoulders now, and I refuse to get a haircut.) (I had long hair, halfway down my back, when I was in College and in my 20's - early 30's. Truck Driving seems to be an area of work that will allow long haired employees, as I have seen many long haired truck drivers in my travels on various thruways/ expressways/ roads.
Tomorrow I drive down to PA, and apparently, I am being hired - conditionally - or so says the recruiter. (I am traveling down to Butler Trucking, for my Orientation and DRUG TEST/DOT physical) Butler Trucking is based out of Woodland, PA. However the Terminal that I will be working out of is in Niagara Falls, which is a few miles from where I live in Tonawanda, NY - a norhtern suburb of Buffalo, NY - we still have a considerable amount of snow - over seven feet fell during Christmas week - 2001.
Any advice that anyone can/will offer is greatlty appreciated.
Thank you,
my email address is : may51mike@hotmail.com
In Texas we are not all a bunch of narrow minded people. There are a lot of people who have long hair and have very good jobs. You should take a trip to Austin. Everybody is real laid back and I have seen people with dread locks working in stores and I have seen managers with long hair. All you need is just a good resume.
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It is nice to know that there are some cool people in Texas. It is just that I had a bad experience where I was at.
Apologize for any misunderstandings. A greatful yankee.
Mike
--Ouch . . .
--Oh oh . . . Once upon a time I considered going into trucking. I checked what the guys had to say on the trucking Usenet newsgroup, and learned enough from the seasoned truckers there to decide on another vocation. Problems with trucking is, like your salaried job, you'll be working lots of hours and not getting paid for it. I won't go into the nitty gritty here, the guys at the misc.transportation.trucking newsgroup can fill you in. Ugh. Aside from that, lots of guys like trucking . . . knights of the road, lots of independance, etc. And you likely won't be hassled about your long hair. If you make it past the first 6 months, you'll do just fine.
Good luck,
--Tock
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Tock:
Thank you for the gracious words.
Pray that I make it, as this is all that I have time to be retrained for, and the government paid for my retraining, as I was collecting unemployment. It is time that I start paying my income taxes - at a greater level - to repay the government for assisting me.
I plan on never getting a haircut again, what do you think.?
I will take care of my hair, but at age 50 years young, I do not have too much extra time to decide what I want to do, in order to be able to save for a godd retirement at a reasonable age. I figure that if I make a good income over the next 15 years, that I will be able to retire at age 65. I had very long hair in my younger (20-30) years, and I really enjoyed having my hair long - most of the way - at least 1/2 way down my back, actually a little more, feels great, and I look great. I am into working out at the health club, and with truck driving, I am going to have to modify my exercise routines, to able able to maintain my look.
Apologize for writing so much.
Have a great life, repond if you so desire.
Mike
< s n i p >
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You shouldn't have much trouble keeping your long hair as a trucker. All the companies care about is getting their load delivered . .. they couldn't care less if the driver had seventeen eyes, blue skin, and a nose like a pickle.
I'll share a tidbit I learned after chatting with a bunch of truckers for a year . . . if you can, drive tankers. You'll have better working conditions, and likely never have to load or unload your truck, and you won't have to deal with lumpers. Reefer drivers frequently sit idle for several hours a day waiting (unpaid time) to get loaded/unloaded, and the process isn't very pretty. Um, from what I hear, pay is a bit better with tankers, job stability is better, and you'll likely encounter less pressure to drive illegally (cheating on your log books, etc). The downside is learning to drive with a constantly sloshing load, but as far as I can tell, all things considered, that's the way to go.
Good luck, happy trucking, and happy hair-growing!
--Tock
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Tock,
Thanks,
Mike