A Door Closed Yesterday... Another Opened

[Lasgambler]

Good Luck, Scotty and be safe. Terry

 

[scott_vt]

Congrats Scotty,
I read awhile back where you were talking about hazmat driving, but you really did it! How long have you had the cdl?

At least with those hours there's less traffic on the roads, good opportunity to get the experience those reluctant employers are looking for.

Working around the trains should be pretty cool to.

Definitely wish you Good Luck!!!

JB.

Good Mornin Guys,
Thanks all for the well wishes !!! I think I may have a bit of gettin used to those hours, but Im willing to give it a try !

John, I have driven for the FD for about 20 years and just a couple of months ago I went and got my hazmat and tanker endorsement. I just thought this is something I could do for the last few years, I guess we will see. I know my wife Kathleen is not thrilled about those hours, but we are trying to look at it as stepping stone to gain experience and hopefully a more normal job hour wise !

George, thanks for your input along with everyone else, I will try and get enough rest between shifts !

I will update as time goes by, and thanks again !

 

[EddieWalker]

Hey Scotty,

It's always good to hear of those who overcome obstacles in life. Getting laid off after all those years would send lesser men into depression or onto the blame game. You just go out and get another job and keep moving forward. I read about all these people losing their jobs, but also hear about all these companies and job fairs going on where nobody shows up and they can't find employees. Here in Tyler, I drive around and see help wanted signs in front of stores and businesses. In the 6 years that I've lived here, I can't remember seeing so many help wanted signs!!!

If you want to work, then there is always work available. You didn't have any experience, so you went out and learned how to do something new. That is what I admire in a person. Just go out and make it happen!!!!!!!!!!

Congrats on the new job.

Eddie

 

[jmc]

Scotty,

Most of the tool and die makers I have known are smart, organized, and disciplined. I bet your new employer will be glad they hired you and won't risk losing you in the long run by making you work unusual hours.

John

 

[Thumper & Buttercup]

Scotty,

Glad you got your foot in the door, with those hours you can manage a day job or do those honey doo's.

 

[billbill1]

Scotty, I admire you for getting the Hazmat CDL. At 56-3/4 years, I am going through the same thing. Got let go on Feb. 26th, total shock!! I found a job at a pet food company in Lawrence and start on the 20th of April. Less money and 4pm to 12am but at least I found something. Work is scarce around here and I took the first thing I could find. Losing my day shift job and starting over is tough but I know that's probably the hours I will work for the rest of my career. I can do it just like you can do it. I too thought about getting a CDL and also checked into HVAC, the school is 15 months long and the cost is $20,000 (just a tad under). I have been in industrial maintenance my entire career and was lucky to find another job in my field. Best of luck to you and glad to hear you're moving forward.

 

[Sigarms]

Nice to hear you found something Scotty.

I know the feeling very well after leaving my old company after 15 years with absolutely nothing lined up after I left (ever been unhappy and afraid not to make a change?)

and also checked into HVAC, the school is 15 months long and the cost is $20,000 (just a tad under).

A lot of local community colleges have some great HVAC programs (training labs that would make you salivate) and in N.C, for "displaced" workers they have programs to help make the cost minimal, if not free to aquire new job skills.

 

[Kyle_in_Tex]

While its great you have a new job, it still saddens me that a skilled tool and diemaker machinist can't easily make a real good living in this country. A skilled machinist should be able to make as much as any mechanic or heavy equipment operator. The years of training and learning are just as long as any other field. They can't hide incompetancy, either the part is to print or not. The government doesn't know what damage they are doing not keeping a strong mfg base in this country. They let the garment industry go many decades ago. The let the high production mfg go to 3rd world countries over the last 15-20 years or so. Now, their going to let the car industry go down. I'm not in favor of bailing them out, but I would be in favor of putting tariffs on imports that pollute and use labor in ways that are barbaric compared to the rest of the modern world. In the old days they would have done some protectionist measures. They did it for Harley Davidson in '84 during Reagon's term. I personnally think that's why the smarter foreign car companies are setting up assembly plants here just in case the gov't returns to protectionist measures which apparently they won't. Oh well, what are we going to do about it...... I guess I'll get off my soapbox now.

Please note, this about economics and not necesarily about politics. I didn't want to get into politics and kill the thread.

 

[sal64]

hello all i have been in machinist for 27 years ,i have a small buissness my grandfather started in 1945 then my father went into it we always scrached out a living ,but since 1998 when the free trade with china was sined i have lost 60% of my work imppossible to compete,even with modern cnc ,why dosent the goverment make fare trade ?at this rate we are going to loose a lot of trades and become a service country. IBM just laidoff 4000 in my area ,the word is the work went overseas.

 

[scott_vt]

Happy Easter Guys,
I would like to thank each of you guys for all your replies ! They were all great !

Kathleen and I just came back from our little place up in the Vt mountains, we had some pretty serious talks over the last couple of days. I also had another conversation with the fella that hired me on friday, mostly because I still had some answered questions in my mind ! What i found out was that the shift was not always 6pm to 2 am. Sometimes you get stuck waiting for the trains until 4 am. Kathleen and i just felt that at almost 58 I could not do that too many nights in a row ! In the end they are still interested in me and if something becomes available in the next few months they told me they will keep me on file ! Im going to go see the fella that interviewed me on friday, and thank him with a quart of genuine Vt maple syrup I think that can only help down the road !

I really do want to work there but a few 5 am nites in a row might do this guy in !

I will find that truckin job, whether there or elsewhere, I wont give up till I do !

Im still capable of doing machining work, I just really had my fill of it after 36 years ! The trucking jobs dont pay that kind of money, but I can deal with it at this stage of the game, I want to enjoy what Im doing these last few years !

To all again, thanks for the kind words !