beginning The Trucker experience

by James Williams
(Dumas Texas)

First I want to thank my Almighty My beautiful caring and VERY understanding wife; as well as all the other Good Men (Too many to list right now but they all know who they are) that have been a continuing blessing to make this journey a lifetime change for myself.No one ever truly knows what life will carve ahead of our journey and my life is no exception.

I apologize this may be extremely long, but I am moved to give a full testimony of how my journey is beginning. As with many other things in life I'm sure I'm not the first to have traveled down this road with similar feelings and all that comes with doing something new. But I think it could be helpful to the next man or woman choosing to choose this career.

About 2 months ago I had begun this journey with a trip to California with hopes of rejoining in the energy deregulation industry. A few years back I had been relatively successful in providing energy savings to companies in Philadelphia and it was my hopes I could come out to California and re start that success.

Unfortunately, as life would have it and after spending upwards of 3000 bucks I really did not have (flight/hotels/car rental/food etc) the opportunity I had thought was out in Los Angeles was only a pipe dream.

After spending more than a week there I knew I couldn't afford to stay there. I had a home back in nc wife 5 kids 2 dogs and 4 cats who depends on me making sure that our family stays well. My mind was reeling cause I was on my way to being stuck in SoCal but more importantly provide for my family.

Of course I began questioning myself but I didn't want the whole trip to become a bust. So I began looking into other sales jobs and wound up meeting a guy who sold AT&T products. As I'm explaining it here I explained it to him and was offered a job to go to st. Louis.

He offered me paid hotel stay and half the cost of gas (I didn't even know this man ) to get there. However after being there another 2 weeks I had a moment of clarity and just admitted that I wasn't destined to to do this. To top it off the car rental I had was expiring and now I just learned that if I didn't take this rental back to the hertz at LAX I was going to incur an additional $700+ fee. (Again money I didn't have)

As I'm sitting in my car pretty much at the end of all options I wind up looking at my voice mail and I had a message from a trucking company I applied to many months ago telling me to call them. With no other options I called them and had a talk with a recruiter who convinced me to take advantage of their program to get my cdl (on their own dime) and job placement. The only catch was I needed $400. Again money I did not have.

I spoke to my wife and friends and was only able to come up with $246. So I called them back and told them I wouldn't be able to make it. But they pushed me got me in contact with the school and spoke with the head office guy who convinced me to take what I had back to nc pack up and not to worry bout it.

Now after I get to the school ... With 27 other men. I had such a hard time learning to drive a clutch. 1 I have never driven a clutch and 2 I drive an automatic car with both my feet (left on brake and right on gas peddle) learning to double clutch has been one if the hardest things for me to learn.

It gotten so bad where I just gave up. I spoke to my wife having to admit that I was failing in this. And the rock she is she didn't let me off so easy. She assured me that I wasn't and in the end she made me look at the reality our bills are piled high. So ball that up and take your ass back in that truck and man up. She reminded me of my personal strengths but not to give up on myself.

As the days went on I kept finding it easier to give up and every one kept pushing me. However, all the instruction and videos I way he'd wasn't getting me to where I needed to be so I reached out to the founder of lif as a trucker after reviewing his G+ profile and sent him a very long text outlinng my dificulties.

Of course I got no response the first day but by the next morning he had sent me 3 texts and a voicemail. Needless to say the advice was truly golden. The greatest sense he shared with me was that Thomas Edison attempts numbered upward in the thousands if he had my attitude or esteem who knows how much longer the world be with out the electric light bulb. (My paraphrasing)

In the end I just needed to calm down and breathe. My nerves plagued me at my cdl road test again. But would you know fate called the examiner away for about 10-15minutes. I contacted him again he assured me to relax and breathe and that "you got this!"

However I botched my pre trip with an 81. Nailed my incab. Nailed my straight line and took a 3 point hit on my alley dock! !! My road test went fairly well but my examiner told me James just relax. You've already proven to me you can drive this truck your problem is that you need to learn to dance with it. (His words lol) he said when you get to Dallas you will see that you don't need to be so tense changing gears congratulations you passed your cdl.

The feeling I had hearing that was phenomenal. I was so emotional I cried. He told me James let it go enjoy it.

As I type this I am currently on my way to mesquite Texas to begin this new job. I couldn't have done it without everyone who has helped me . I am truly grateful and blessed to have been touched with this.