j_martell

@gearhead204: I know what you mean, that's why I get the little work I do in the slow months. Much more than just a driver....and the boss mans knows that. I'm not an expert at anything by any means, but I can and will do what ever he asked of me....and it will be done right. But after three years, I also feel it's time for a change. new adventures await. I'm still worried that Im making a huge mistake, but every time I have changed jobs I have worried.....I'm a creature of habit, and do not like change, but I think this will help me more than just solid year round work.

@thomastractorsvc: Thing is, work or not that day, I'm required to show up Mon-Fri.....and often give up Saturday or Sunday or both to get hours if the weather will be good....and there is a bit of yard/shop stuff to do, but not enough to fill the day, and certainly not enough for the 30 or so guys that are all needing hours.

Got a call this morning that I'm good to go....giving notice tomorrow. Looking forward to a change...

Thanks for that. I really wanna poke around one someday.....old technology is so much cooler than modern crap!

Thanks guys!

@snowdog85: i take a tremendous amount of pride in doing what I do well....and appreciate big time when other notice. At 29 I've worked many different jobs in many different industries, and can't bring myself to "half ass" anything....thats not the way I was brought up. I tend to obsess on knowing not just how, but why things are done a certain way, or how things operate etc....

@gearhead204: funny you mention that lol. I was allergic to hay, till I mucked stalls on a horse farm for a summer when I was 16, had hay fever till I worked on the first farm, and spent alot of time bush hogging the fields/property and allergies to dust before spending a year in the dusty, miserable environment of a hammer mill.....

*long winded rambling post......*

Well.....as the title states, I'm done with this seasonal, high-dollar-per-hour-inconsistent-hours bs.

Started looking awhile back....problem is, most jobs around for DZ drivers are also seasonal.....dump, concrete, snowplow(crap-shoot).....

Then it hit me....feed hauling. As much as grinding feed on the farm sucked, it never slowed down. Matter of fact, I could barely keep up. So that's where I focused my search. Even called the dispatcher on the farm (father of a good friend from highschool, he and I go back to when I was 16) I work on to see if they would take an excellent roll off operator willing to upgrade to AZ on his own dime as that's what the boss wants. He has roll offs/wiggle wagon and tankers and vans. nothing from them yet.....but....

Applied for a job a few weeks ago and got a call last week for an interview. Went and met with him and it went really well. 10$/hr cut, but OT after 40hrs/week, always something to haul somewhere, he offered to guarantee me 50hrs/week bare minimum. And all the usual stuff, benefits, yearly raises etc. Evn said because I have a phone already, they'd pay half (40$/month, and my plan only cost me 45$/month ) as they dispatch by phone....so I only have carry one now lol.

Only hoop was insurance, which shouldn't be a problem, as I have nothing on my record. He even looked surprised a little when I handed him an abstract with nothing on it. I don't think I should worry, but it's up in the air till he calls back. It was Friday afternoon when he sent it off, so I figure by Monday.

I'm really looking forward to moving on and trying something new. Since I got my licence I've only driven roll-off, except one time when I just got my learners I went out with my buddy Shane in his 2010 GU813 dump.....If the number work out like I worked them, I should gross more per year despite the pay cut. And I'll get to work everyday. No more going in and waiting for free to be sent home....and no more cleaning up after roofers, being pulled in 3 directions by three crews who screwed up their planning of switches or gravel delivery, no more getting home at 2100 one day and 1100 the next....

While I am grateful that (current company) took me with no experience and got me 3 years/130,XXXkm, I can't afford another 25 hr/week winter. As the sole provider for 4, I gotta do what I gotta do. They were good to me while they could, but there's only so much "make work" to be done. I hope whoever drives #85 next gives her respect.....she's a good rig, even tho no more than a Volvo with a dog on the hood. Had 36,XXXkm when I started driving, and is at 161,8XXkm (~5400hrs) when I parked it on Friday morning, and has truly given little trouble.....

I asked what trucks he ran, and his response was "tandem axle bulk blower trucks, that's the only consistency....". He said it would be either a V***in or a Western Star.....God I hope I get the star, otherwise there won't be alot of pics from me

I was reluctant to post this, as someone I know may see it, and I use my real last name in my screen name, but I don't care, they're gonna find out when I put my notice in anyway.....