New Job Offer
I’m excited to announce that I’ve accepted job offer with Maersk! Although I’m happy with my current employer, I couldn’t pass up a job offer from a company that is Union. 🚛 Aside from UPS, there aren’t many truck drivers that are Union. I’ll still be hauling out of the ports so nothing is really changing from me far as the type of work I’ll be doing. They did run a background check on me, but they only went back 7 years. So if you have a felony conviction, anything after 7 years you are golden.
(About Maersk)
Maersk's business activities include shipping, port operation, supply chain management and warehousing. The company is based in Copenhagen, Denmark, with subsidiaries and offices across 130 countries and over 100,000 employees worldwide in 2022. Maersk generated around 86 billion in revenue in 2022.
FMCSA DNA Collection
Here’s short video on a topic of the FMCSA allowing employers to have the option of a saliva or urine drug test for their drivers. An anonymous truck driver claims this is an invasion of privacy, but in my opinion it’s not. Urgent care is not collecting and storing the saliva for future use, it’s just another form of a drug screen that’s actually less invasive. This new saliva rule was actually designed to combat the large amount of positive marijuana tests that is causing the driver shortage in the trucking industry. Apparently marijuana is less likely to come out as a false/positive if you’re not a daily user. 🚛
I know if you haul fuel and enter the oil refineries, you have to give a hair sample which actually goes back 3 months. This new rule doesn’t bother me, but I feel the DOT should remove marijuana as a Schedule 1 Controlled Substance. Alcohol is a lot more dangerous than marijuana and I feel cannabis should be treated equally to help drivers sleep and relieve stress they may have. But other than that I don’t have any problems with a saliva test. 🔬
How to you feel about this new saliva testing? 🧬
Stand-Up Forklift
Here’s a short training video on how to operate a stand-up forklift. These can be difficult to learn at first without the proper training. I remember applying for a warehouse job that required employees to operate a stand-up lift. So on my lunch break at the company I was working at I would practice on a stand-up everyday. I ended up getting the position with a $5 per hour pay increase. Having experience on a stand-up is a valuable skill to have in the warehouse industry.
Women in Trucking
Here’s a news report from two years of how women truck drivers are making a positive impact on the trucking industry. 👩
When I first got my Class A permit I actually wanted to drive dump trucks and had zero intentions of driving 18 wheelers. But I happened to land a team driving job and was going to quit as soon as I got my CDL. I was only at the company just to get hands on experience and get paid for it. I was delivering fish at odd hours in freezing cold reefers. It was terrible and I hated it. 🐟 🥶
But one day I seen a female driver walking around nonchalantly and relaxed looking at reefers. I asked my trainer what she did because I could immediately recognize she didn’t do what we did. He explained to me that she works the ports and you need a TWIC card. He also told me that she pretty much just waits around and makes really good money by rubbing his thumb and index finger together. That’s when I knew I had to get into the ports. After receiving that information, I got myself into the ports two months later with another company. 🚢
I’ll never forget how inspired I was by Vanessa. This was a life changing moment for me because I’m not sure if I would be able to do the things I’m doing today if it wasn’t for her.
If you’re a woman and have doubt that you can drive an 18 wheeler, believe me you can and it’s not difficult as it seems. 🚛
If anyone is interested in getting a CDL, drop a comment and I’ll explain the exact steps on how to obtain a CDL the way I did. ⤵️
https://youtu.be/t_-R3H4Xrso?si=_jL-UxUNSxi-ARRc
#jobsearch #hiringnews #motivation #career #jobcase #trucker #womenintrucking
Electric Tesla Semi-Truck
Here’s a video of a an interviewer asking truck drivers what they think about the new electric Tesla semi-truck. The truck drivers make valid points about the Tesla. They said going over the road is not likely to happen and will be for local hauls only. I agree because at some point you have to charge the tractor and truck drivers have routes and schedules to stick to. I can only imagine trying to wait around for another driver to finish charging.
Another valid point made by the female truck driver is that California already has problems with the power grid. So it’s only going to get worse once these trucks and regular electric vehicles become mandatory with the new California law.
I actually just received a new job offer with a trucking company owned by Maersk which is basically working directly with the ports. Although I work for a great company, I couldn’t pass up a job offer that is Union. But the interesting thing is they just purchased a new fleet of electric semi trucks that I get to experience. Apparently electric vehicles will be mandatory in 2027 if you want to get into the California ports. 🚛⚡️
What do you think about electric semi-trucks?
Material Handler
Here’s a video of warehouse employees demonstrating what a material handler does on a day to day basis. To me these are more like order fillers as opposed to material handlers. I used to be a material handler in 2007 for a company that manufactured adult diapers and hospital pads. I used to have to supply the machine operator with the four materials he needed to manufacture these goods. It was a real easy job because I supplied him with 2-4 hours worth of material to keep him busy while I put away the product he was manufacturing.
I started off just packing the diapers than one night I walked up to the shipping supervisor and asked him if I could move up to a material handler position. I told him I have forklift experience and would learn the job duties quickly with no problem. I demonstrated that I could drive a forklift and the following day I was hired on as a material handler with a $3 per hour pay increase. Don’t be afraid to ask your supervisor to move up or move to another department. Always remember closed mouths don’t get fed. Take your shot, worst they can say is no, but you’ll leave an imprint in their mind for any future opportunities.
https://youtu.be/Drx0XZcYs0M?si=eitvfG7A3XQt1PAe
#warehouse #career #opportunities #advice #motivation #jobcase
How to Drive a Manual Semi Truck
This is a short 5 minute video of a driver demonstrating on how to drive a 10 speed manual semi-truck. Although most trucking companies have automatic tractors, it’s very important that you take the DMV field test with a manual tractor because you’ll have restrictions on your CDL if you take the test with an automatic truck.
I struggled with this in the beginning because I didn’t know how to double clutch. Double clutching is when you shift from 1st gear, go into neutral, than go into 2nd gear. Every time you shift gears you need to go into neutral which causes you to push the clutch in. Also, in this video he calls a little switch a divider. But some call it a splitter. A splitter needs to be lifted when you go from 5th into 6th gear. It also needs to be pushed back down when you go from 6th back down to 5th gear. Another tip I would like to mention is that if you are hauling an empty container, you can start from 2nd or 3rd gear. You only want to start from 1st gear if you are hauling a load. 🚛
If you have any questions about this video or want to know the steps on how to get a CDL feel free to drop a comment. 🤔
Class B Passenger Endorsement
Here’s a quick video of a Class B passenger endorsement field test at the DMV. 🚌
The other day I decided I wanted to add a passenger endorsement to my Class A CDL so I can have all my endorsements and create more flexibility and value to my CDL. But when I called to make a DMV appointment, it’s not just a written test, I would have to actually take another road test in a bus. So in order to do this I would have to rent a bus and have the owner present with me. To top it off, if I received my endorsements over one year, I would have to take every endorsement all over again. If you’re not into driving big semi-trucks, your best bet is to get your Class B CDL with a passenger endorsement. You can also get your hazmat and tankers endorsement as well. I highly recommend getting all your endorsements to create more flexibility and value to yourself. 💰
Any questions on how to get your CDL feel free to drop a comment and I can tell you the exact steps to take. 🚌🚛
https://youtu.be/UPw97SQN1WQ?si=mqI6p2KqzJamJisQ
#jobsearch #motivation #career #truckdriver #busdriver #cdl #jobcase
How to become a Safety Coordinator
In my 15+ plus years of working in a warehouse, I’ve always been fascinated by the safety coordinator role. In my opinion it’s the most important role because safety is the number one priority in any blue collar position. I highly recommend if you’re going to make a career in the warehouse industry, get your credentials and experience to become a safety coordinator. Depending on the company, the safety coordinator position has a decent salary in the 6 figure range. Some companies require a college degree, while others don’t. There are certifications involved such as a Certified Safety Professional (CSP) and Certified Safety & Health Manager (CSHM) that will boost your qualifications. Check with OSHA in your state on what exactly you need to meet the Safety Coordinator requirements. ✅
In-Cab Pre-Inspection Test
Here’s a 6 minute video on how to properly conduct an in-cab pre-inspection DMV test. You pretty much have to name every functioning piece that is inside the tractor. For every piece you miss, the instructor will deduct points from you. When I did this part of the test, the instructor stopped me halfway and we did the air-brake test. Once I completed the air-brake test, I did the road test. There’s a lot of information to absorb when you’re pursuing your CDL, so be sure to study hard. This video is pretty much what you have to do for the DMV instructor. 🚛