Welcome to "Ask 18 Wheels of Justice". All questions are welcome, anything and everything Trucking... Column will run every Monday and more often as some important questions can't wait and need to be answered immediately. Thank you for submitting all of all of your questions and what great questions they all were. It was difficult to pick only one...
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Names have been changed to protect the innocent and the guilty.
From "Soft Taco" Chino, CA...
"Soft Taco" asks - I have been driving for three years, I have had 7 jobs. I take my work seriously and want to own my own truck. I quit these jobs because I get promised all of these things before I start and then they never happen. I think it looks bad on my record and I'm afraid it will affect me buying a truck in the future.
Thank you for your question, "ST". I wouldn't worry too much about your past, you can't change that. You are right in that it can effect buying a truck in the future. Changing jobs does "tell your story" so to speak. This is important for all drivers to think about when deciding to switch jobs. It's not discussed very often, but it does reflect poorly on your credit if you switch jobs a lot. Not just for buying a truck, but a home, car etc.
We realize, "ST" that this is a common problem in our industry. So stop changing jobs, Soft Taco! It's not that easy and takes work, but it does payoff. Do not be discouraged, there is a process to finding a job. I wrote an article about the 10 best ways to find a driving career and not just a job a few months ago(click here to read).
The most important thing to remember is to take your time! Sometimes we tend to wait too long to look for another job before we quit. Don't wait until you have finally had enough and quit when your angry or upset. Be a gentlemen and give two weeks notice. There is a lot to consider and please read the article(follow link above), because you lose a lot more money than you think when you switch jobs.
If were to try and guess what switching jobs 7 times in 3 years cost you. I would bet that you lost between 2 weeks and a month of work and pay each time you changed jobs. Between trying to get your last paycheck, deductions, withholding, time lost waiting for MVR approval and drug testing, driver orientations, and on and on. Hiring is not a quick process in our company.
Let' be conservative and say you lost two weeks worth of income every time you changed. If you average $1000 per week.
$2000 Lost Per Job Change
x 7 Job Changes in 3 years
$14,000! Yes, $14,000 Cash. $14k would have been a nice down payment on a truck plus some cash for emergencies. It also would have bought a car, a pick up truck, or a whole lotta' chrome...
The moral of the story is to take your time and do your research! It pays off time and time again...
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