Changing Jobs https://bdeeppurplefanforum.runboard.com/t807 Runboard| Changing Jobs en-us Fri, 29 Mar 2024 07:22:34 +0000 Fri, 29 Mar 2024 07:22:34 +0000 https://www.runboard.com/ rssfeeds_managingeditor@runboard.com (Runboard.com RSS feeds managing editor) rssfeeds_webmaster@runboard.com (Runboard.com RSS feeds webmaster) akBBS 60 Re: Changing Jobshttps://bdeeppurplefanforum.runboard.com/p12545,from=rss#post12545https://bdeeppurplefanforum.runboard.com/p12545,from=rss#post12545The best of luck to you John... cool rig btw. nondisclosed_email@example.com (Gillans micstand)Tue, 21 Mar 2006 18:49:58 +0000 Re: Changing Jobshttps://bdeeppurplefanforum.runboard.com/p12544,from=rss#post12544https://bdeeppurplefanforum.runboard.com/p12544,from=rss#post12544Sounds great. I hope it works out for you this time.  nondisclosed_email@example.com (Firlefanz)Tue, 21 Mar 2006 17:00:14 +0000 Re: Changing Jobshttps://bdeeppurplefanforum.runboard.com/p12543,from=rss#post12543https://bdeeppurplefanforum.runboard.com/p12543,from=rss#post12543Best o' luck with it Johnnondisclosed_email@example.com (MachineHead 1)Sun, 19 Mar 2006 18:55:46 +0000 A More Promising Opportunity (was Re: Changing Jobs)https://bdeeppurplefanforum.runboard.com/p12542,from=rss#post12542https://bdeeppurplefanforum.runboard.com/p12542,from=rss#post12542Well, wine transport wasn't my cup of tea (or glass of wine as it were), but now I have a new opportunity I'm giving a shot. I took a job with a petroleum transport company delivering diesel fuel in bobtail tank trucks. This is a swing shift job which entails delivering diesel fuel to customer's truck fleets in their parking lots at night. We are in essence, a mobile fuel station on wheels-- bringing the fuel to them, so they don't have to go to it, or maintain their own fuel facility on their property. Bobtail tanks are not the big double-trailer gasoline tankers you may be thinking of. These are the small, straight truck tankers like the ones that deliver home heating oil to parts of the northeast U.S. They hold about 2000-2800 gallons depending on the truck. My license allows me to drive this size and I've had the hazardous materials and tank endorsements attached to my license since 2002, but just never had occasion to use them until now. The process moved fairly quickly once the ball got rolling. My wife saw the job ad on the internet the end of February and alerted me. I applied online and typed up an online resume around March 1st, and got a call back on March 3rd-- asking me to fax them my driving record. March 6th, the owners called me to set up an interview. March 7th, I had the interview and a pre-employment drive test. March 9th, I did my pre-employment drug test, and on Monday, March 13th, I was informed that I had tested "clean", and they started my training. This past week was my first of about three weeks of training that I will have. My training so far, has consisted of learning the stops, dispensing the fuel from my tank, as well as how to reload my tank at the oil refineries. Loading a tank truck at a refinery is no small, laughing matter. Politically, it's taken seriously because of terrorism threats, 9/11, "Patriot Act", Osama Bin Ladden, etc, etc,...., and safetywise, there's lots of things that can go real wrong in a real hurry if you don't do it right. Valves, pipes, emergency procedures, white foam that falls from the ceiling if there's a fire....etc, etc. Therefore, I have to be security clearanced, background checked, trained and certified at every refinery I drive into before I'm allowed to go there all by myself. All this takes time, and constitutes the majority of the training time. It's not that it's rocket-science, so much as it's "political". So, I'm just taking it one day at a time, and am rather enjoying the change of pace as compared to all the jobs I've had prior. Though fueling trucks at night in all kinds of mud, pouring rain, etc. might not seem like something to get excited about, there are incentives that I actually find more attractive than working indoors on a dayshift. I have many things to think about while out there which keeps me from getting bored, I'm lined up to make more money than I've ever made before, and sometimes working nights is much better than days. One, no traffic on the roads at midnight, and two, when I pull into an empty truck yard, no suits and ties to watch over me and give me grief. I do my job, I go home, and then sleep in until 10am the following day. I love swing shifts....I always have. Gives me time to enjoy the solitude of the night without having buttheads around to give me a hard time. Anyone who has ever worked shift work knows that 9am to 5pm is the "middle management butthead dangerzone". Also known as the "MMBD". After, 5pm that corporate pressure automatically dissipates like someone just opened a purge valve and let all the assholes out of your workplace. After that, you got the place all to yourself, and you can just relax and do your job. So the bottom line is this: Cross your fingers and think good thoughts, but I think I'm going to like this job a lot more than any of the jobs I've had in the past 5 years. Below are a few pics I took of the trucks at the yard just so you can see what they look like. As you can see, I'm pretty enthusiastic about all this, which is actually more important than the mere details of what I'm doing. Sideview, shows good perspective on size of truck. (Gray box in the back is not part of the truck....that's a storage trailer that the truck was parked to the side of). Offset left-front corner view In the rear is the reel of hose where we unload fuel from our tank while on the job Looking at the front. See the hazmat placard on the front grille? Now you know what that insignia in my signature line means This tank is divided into 3 separate tanks, each with their own inflow pipe Myself infront of our fleet nondisclosed_email@example.com (B3Burner)Sun, 19 Mar 2006 09:14:07 +0000 Re: Changing Jobshttps://bdeeppurplefanforum.runboard.com/p12541,from=rss#post12541https://bdeeppurplefanforum.runboard.com/p12541,from=rss#post12541quote:Firlefanz wrote: Too bad that driving job didn't work out, but you already know that working for them would have been bad. Best of luck with everything else! I hope you get that office job, and that it'll be rewarding. Well said. Go get them John. This is an opportunity to get something better - something you will enjoy. Best wishesnondisclosed_email@example.com (MachineHead 1)Wed, 08 Mar 2006 22:06:24 +0000 Re: Changing Jobshttps://bdeeppurplefanforum.runboard.com/p12540,from=rss#post12540https://bdeeppurplefanforum.runboard.com/p12540,from=rss#post12540Too bad that driving job didn't work out, but you already know that working for them would have been bad. Best of luck with everything else! I hope you get that office job, and that it'll be rewarding. nondisclosed_email@example.com (Firlefanz)Wed, 08 Mar 2006 21:38:01 +0000 Re: Changing Jobshttps://bdeeppurplefanforum.runboard.com/p12539,from=rss#post12539https://bdeeppurplefanforum.runboard.com/p12539,from=rss#post12539Thanks for the heart felt concern from those who have replied. I appreciate it. I have not dwelled, but have chosen to move forward. I thank my interest in music for helping me to weather adverse times in my life.nondisclosed_email@example.com (B3Burner)Fri, 03 Mar 2006 21:19:47 +0000 Re: Changing Jobshttps://bdeeppurplefanforum.runboard.com/p12538,from=rss#post12538https://bdeeppurplefanforum.runboard.com/p12538,from=rss#post12538It was wrong of them to let you go but I wish you the very best in your new job xx I'm pretty sure you'll get it nondisclosed_email@example.com (Coirce)Fri, 03 Mar 2006 16:21:24 +0000 Re: Changing Jobshttps://bdeeppurplefanforum.runboard.com/p12537,from=rss#post12537https://bdeeppurplefanforum.runboard.com/p12537,from=rss#post12537John, if you think that some people are not worth working for, it's possible that you're far out and hopelessly lost - but you're not alone. If that's to any comfort. I'm only 32, so I cannot tell you about a new start in life just yet. I may call you for advice when I get there! Best of luck anyway! nondisclosed_email@example.com (Atle)Thu, 02 Mar 2006 21:30:41 +0000 Re: Changing Jobshttps://bdeeppurplefanforum.runboard.com/p12536,from=rss#post12536https://bdeeppurplefanforum.runboard.com/p12536,from=rss#post12536 Here's hoping you get that job, John!  Good luck and when* you do get it, I'm sure you'll excel at it. * optimism! nondisclosed_email@example.com (MrEd45)Thu, 02 Mar 2006 20:56:11 +0000 Re: Changing Jobshttps://bdeeppurplefanforum.runboard.com/p12535,from=rss#post12535https://bdeeppurplefanforum.runboard.com/p12535,from=rss#post12535Well unfortunately, I have an update with the new job. I just wasn't fitting in real well, and the warehouse manager let me go last Friday-- February 24th. I had felt they "did me wrong", but I suppose anyone in my position is going to defend themselves, so maybe I'm not the most unbiased person to talk to. All I know is that on Wed. and Thurs. Feb. 22/23, they ran me on two long distance runs, back-to-back, that each took me over 12 hours of straight driving on the road-- some of them two lane windy roads that I was bearly staying awake upon. I don't know how I got the truck home alive back to the yard, but by the will of God (or whatever higher power one might believe in), I did. ========================================== Now do understand, despite my stresses, even in the face of adversity, I'm a man that likes to stop and smell the roses. With a new digital camera cell phone in tow, I couldn't resist getting out of the truck at one point to take a picture of the truck parked along beautiful California Highway 1, in Mendocino County overlooking the Pacific Ocean. It was nice that day. Feb. 23 was my birthday, and I usually have very nice weather on my birthday for some strange reason. However, soon after that stop, it was back on the road for what would be a day that wouldn't end for me until 11pm that night-- about 10 hours after this picture was taken. ========================================== So I woke up at 4am that following Friday morning, called the boss and said, "look, I'm not coming to work today, because I'm going on 3 hours of sleep, and I don't feel comfortable driving a truck in traffic. I don't feel safe". He calls me back twenty minutes later and says, "John, turn in your door badge, your uniform shirts, and I'll sign your timecard for the hours worked. I don't think this is going to work out." All this despite the fact that I had told the assistant supervisor under him that I was willing to sit down and discuss re-routing so I didn't have two long distance hauls back to back. But they wouldn't listen. In fact, the guy who let me go never told my temp agency mediator (it was a temp-to-perm job) the REASON why I wasn't coming in. All he told her was that I called to say that I was tired and not coming to work, and that he found that behavior to be unacceptable. (What would he have preferred? that I fall asleep on the freeway, and slam into the back of some small station wagon with a mom's kids in the back? ). This "do the job at all costs" mentality just makes no sense. That complete omission of the truth and facts just really pissed me off, so I say to hell with them anyway!!!!!! So that's why I had not been here at the DP Forums much between Feb. 7th and Feb. 24th. I had just been going out of my mind trying to survive in a work environment that I wasn't really cut out for to begin with. But there is hope. Through my commerical driver temp agency, I can probably work full time for the guy I had been working for part-time nights, while I was still working in the school district. And he already knows me and feels confident in my abilities, so at least I know I'd be going into a positive environment. Also, quite unexpectedly, I received a call from my temporary employment coordinator asking if I'd be interested in interviewing for a job in THEIR office. An interesting steer away from driving, it would entail interviewing would-be employees for the agency and pairing them up with appropriate client companies. Also, would include a whole host of other items too numerous to mention here, but that's the gist of it. How about that? A permanent, steady office job? Talk about being in the right place at the right time!!!!! I had the initial interview on Tues. Feb. 28th, and hope to hear back (and/or will probably call them back today) as to the status of a decision. I think even if this is outside my usual area of expertise, if they're willing to give me a shot, I ought to at least consider giving it a try. It's not often that people approach me with "out of the blue" job opportunites, so I don't think it's something I should just casually walk away from, merely because of trepidation. I have a personality which tends to cause me to shy away from the unfamiliar in life. Maybe it's time to change that a bit. I just turned 39 a week ago, so new age...new beginnings, new risks in life. I have to keep telling myself that. In addition to day job opportunities, I still have the DP Trib project that is woodshedding at its own good pace, and my other various band projects that get me out and about every so often, so it's currently a good, healthy balance between day job frustrations and "night job" releases. Well "psychologically healthy", I didn't say "nutritionally or physiologically healthy". That's a different discussion for a different thread altogether. Anyway, enough said.nondisclosed_email@example.com (B3Burner)Thu, 02 Mar 2006 19:08:42 +0000 Re: Changing Jobshttps://bdeeppurplefanforum.runboard.com/p12534,from=rss#post12534https://bdeeppurplefanforum.runboard.com/p12534,from=rss#post12534Good luck John, I once had a job distributing beverages... hope you like it.nondisclosed_email@example.com (Gillans micstand)Wed, 22 Feb 2006 06:36:15 +0000 Re: Changing Jobshttps://bdeeppurplefanforum.runboard.com/p12533,from=rss#post12533https://bdeeppurplefanforum.runboard.com/p12533,from=rss#post12533I see! nondisclosed_email@example.com (Atle)Wed, 08 Feb 2006 18:46:13 +0000 Re: Changing Jobshttps://bdeeppurplefanforum.runboard.com/p12532,from=rss#post12532https://bdeeppurplefanforum.runboard.com/p12532,from=rss#post12532quote:atle wrote: quote:B3Burner wrote: Even though my friends told me to get rid of the commerical driver's license, as I would probably never need it again I don't get this... why get rid of a driving license anyway???Sorry Atle, I didn't make that part clear. I didn't mean get rid of my driver's license entirely. I meant allow the commercial driving part of it to lapse into obscurity, so that the license would automatically revert back to being "Class-C" (for cars only). You must actively renew as a commerical license if you wish to keep it that way. Otherwise, it will revert. That's what I meant. nondisclosed_email@example.com (B3Burner)Mon, 06 Feb 2006 21:34:50 +0000 Re: Changing Jobshttps://bdeeppurplefanforum.runboard.com/p12531,from=rss#post12531https://bdeeppurplefanforum.runboard.com/p12531,from=rss#post12531Hi John, wish you a good start and that you might consider that you probably don't have to do this new job til the end of your working life. You know, new chances sometimes appear suddenly. Just enjoy the advantageous points that this new period will bring to you, it might be just temporary. See, the situation at my job has emerged, that sometimes I have to drive a big truck too, my department has outsourced some stores because of lack of space in the factory and I'm 1 out of only 3 employees who owns a driving license for big trucks. So sometimes I work in the office, then as a supervisor, the next day or week as a normal worker, or as a truck driver. In the past I also thought about giving away my license, because I found it questionable to own it, the military had forced me many years ago to acquire it and then I never needed it again - until since a few weeks. First I regreted that I didn't give it away, because it forced me to jump into that task, that emerged out of the circumstances, but then... it doesn't harm anything... Wish you a good start anyway and that you take the optimistic approach to new opportunities, like you wrote.   nondisclosed_email@example.com (Lesliescream)Mon, 06 Feb 2006 19:46:45 +0000 Re: Changing Jobshttps://bdeeppurplefanforum.runboard.com/p12530,from=rss#post12530https://bdeeppurplefanforum.runboard.com/p12530,from=rss#post12530You can listen to DP and drive your truck! All the best nondisclosed_email@example.com (mikesmfc)Sun, 05 Feb 2006 23:32:05 +0000 Re: Changing Jobshttps://bdeeppurplefanforum.runboard.com/p12529,from=rss#post12529https://bdeeppurplefanforum.runboard.com/p12529,from=rss#post12529Best of luck from me too nondisclosed_email@example.com (Coirce)Sun, 05 Feb 2006 16:56:05 +0000 Re: Changing Jobshttps://bdeeppurplefanforum.runboard.com/p12528,from=rss#post12528https://bdeeppurplefanforum.runboard.com/p12528,from=rss#post12528Good luck! nondisclosed_email@example.com (Trollprincess)Sun, 05 Feb 2006 15:42:10 +0000 Re: Changing Jobshttps://bdeeppurplefanforum.runboard.com/p12527,from=rss#post12527https://bdeeppurplefanforum.runboard.com/p12527,from=rss#post12527quote:B3Burner wrote: Even though my friends told me to get rid of the commerical driver's license, as I would probably never need it again I don't get this... why get rid of a driving license anyway??? Best wishes with your knew job, mate! Now you can party on sundays! nondisclosed_email@example.com (Atle)Sun, 05 Feb 2006 00:12:25 +0000 Re: Changing Jobshttps://bdeeppurplefanforum.runboard.com/p12526,from=rss#post12526https://bdeeppurplefanforum.runboard.com/p12526,from=rss#post12526All the best for your new job, John. May you always drive safely.  nondisclosed_email@example.com (Firlefanz)Sat, 04 Feb 2006 21:21:22 +0000 Re: Changing Jobshttps://bdeeppurplefanforum.runboard.com/p12525,from=rss#post12525https://bdeeppurplefanforum.runboard.com/p12525,from=rss#post12525I completely understand your job change.I also drive an early truck route(rise and shine at 4:30 am Mon-Fri),so I feel your pain.But the cash(and bennys) is good and the road has a certain appeal that's hard to describe but tough to give up.Good luck and happy trails,bro.CHEERSnondisclosed_email@example.com (BoulderBolinUSA)Sat, 04 Feb 2006 15:43:27 +0000 Re: Changing Jobshttps://bdeeppurplefanforum.runboard.com/p12524,from=rss#post12524https://bdeeppurplefanforum.runboard.com/p12524,from=rss#post12524quote:Rezi wrote:  I'm sorry for you that the previous job had to end (I was confused first with the comment that public school's run out of money but then remembered that you're an American, not a Brit), and wish you luck with your new job.  The Limeys still don't realize the difference between public & private, do they? No wonder their Empire was lost... (/) nondisclosed_email@example.com (MrEd45)Sat, 04 Feb 2006 13:36:39 +0000 Re: Changing Jobshttps://bdeeppurplefanforum.runboard.com/p12523,from=rss#post12523https://bdeeppurplefanforum.runboard.com/p12523,from=rss#post12523I'm sorry for you that the previous job had to end (I was confused first with the comment that public school's run out of money but then remembered that you're an American, not a Brit), and wish you luck with your new job.nondisclosed_email@example.com (Rezi)Sat, 04 Feb 2006 09:05:34 +0000 Changing Jobshttps://bdeeppurplefanforum.runboard.com/p12522,from=rss#post12522https://bdeeppurplefanforum.runboard.com/p12522,from=rss#post12522The lack of money in the public school system has forced me to leave my job in the middle school I worked at as a special education teacher's aide. I enjoyed working with all the kids I met and the co-workers with whom I shared trials and tribulations with, but I'm not going to miss my meager paychecks with obscene deductions for the privledge of carrying health insurance. So yesterday-- Fri. Feb. 3rd was my last day. My hugs goodbye, my final walk down the corridor out to the parking lot as a school district employee. It was a short 14 month stint that flew rather quickly, but in that time I sure got to meet a lot of interesting people. Bright and early on the morning of Tues. Feb. 7th, I switch hats and take on yet another new chapter in my life. Alarm clock will go off at about 3:30am as I start my new job driving trucks, and report to the wearhouse at 4:45am! Quite a change from school schedule of 8am to 3pm, but I'll be driving 4-10's...meaning 10+ hours a day, but with Sat-Sun-Mon off every week. I'll be delivering cartons (or are they called crates? I honestly don't know yet) of wine for a wine distributor to liquor stores, grocery stores, and restaurants. I always take the optimistic approach to new opportunities. Even though my friends told me to get rid of the commerical driver's license, as I would probably never need it again, I always hang onto it, as I think once driving buses or trucks gets into your system, you never completely leave it. I've gone years without driving for a living, only to again return to it. So it goes, I'm back behind the wheel again. Deep down inside, I must like it on the highway, or I wouldn't keep going back to it. Anyway there it is. I suppose 5am starts will limit my ability to play music late on weekday nights, but now weekends are even better-- with the addition of Sunday nights free and clear. We shall see. Life always manages to stay interesting...does it not?nondisclosed_email@example.com (B3Burner)Sat, 04 Feb 2006 08:56:23 +0000