Back In Black

So SD has left and Kmorg has given up ownership. Quite a lot of things sure do change in 6 months don't they?

When I was last here I was starting a trucking career and I was making some mistakes but doing better each day. Then I announced that I screwed up and that things took a bad turn. I never explained what happened and wasn’t going to say what happened and just come back when things got better. However, I’m ready to say what happened.

I was supposed to pick up a load one night but the load was delayed and instead of picking it up at 7pm I got it at 2am. I got to the weigh station only to find the load was way too heavy and had to go back and get it reloaded which it finally was at 8am. I get to find out it’s still a bit overweight. I spent over an hour trying to adjust the trailer to where I was 100 lbs overweight on each axle. Dispatch said I shouldn’t have too much trouble at a weigh station and to go ahead (knowing how anal the DoT is with trucks I wasn’t so sure).  I was given a few days extension for the delivery and had some extra time to make it. I decided not to chance the weigh station and took a longer route to avoid it. I missed a turn and despite trying to go to Denver, almost ended up in Kansas. I was able to find a way to turn around and get back on track. Then because of a confusing sign took another wrong path. Already I was behind schedule and panicked. I thought I found a large dirt path with room to turn around but I misjudged a sign placement that ended up busting the back tires of the trailer and the truck got stuck. I panicked and tried to move back but it was too late and I ended up messing up the back tires of the truck itself. I had to get a ticket and wait for a tow truck to get it out of the road. Luckily it was a back road but still blocking traffic nonetheless. I knew that I had been very stupid and that I was sure to lose my job. I stayed at a hotel while the company sent their tow truck driver to take me and the truck back to Ft. Worth. All this time I was never told if I would lose my job or not. For three days I was left with the dread that I lost my job or the small glimmer of hope that I would have one more chance (though I was pretty sure it was the former). I got home on a Saturday night and wouldn’t find out my fate until Monday. Sure enough when I got back to the yard they told me I was being let go due to that incident, the previous one with the truck bumper, and the LATE deliverieS.  I know we had a big argument about falsifying my logs but I was adamant about the necessity of doing so. I only did it to make deadlines that were destined to fail due to not enough time. Even so, there were times that I just wasn’t going to make it on time causing them to have to reschedule. While my screw-ups were completely my fault, the only late delivery I was responsible for was the last one. However, I was still held responsible for the others and there would have been more without cooking the books. However, now that I’m out of there, any arguments are moot.

I screwed up very badly and knew that the trucking career had reached an end. I didn’t have enough experience for local jobs and most OTR companies mostly only accept little experience for people without a CDL. Also after losing my first truck job in such a short time was not going to go in my favor. Also let’s face the fact; I’m not cut out for trucking. I remember Eyesore telling me to get out but I kept believing my dad’s word that I could do it. I was determined to make it work despite my constant worrying about screwing up (in hindsight, very self-fulfilling prophesy) and not being comfortable driving something so big (which I was getting more confident in until my final incident). As you guys who have been familiar with my journey into trucking know, I never wanted to be a truck driver in the first place. I was doing this because I thought I had to and my dad pretty much pressured me into it. I’m not blaming my dad as he just wanted what was best for me but making a decision out of desperation and fear ALWAYS ends in disaster.

My dad was furious with me and made it clear that I need to grow up and that he believed I NEVER appreciated having a job which is why I kept screwing up. He wanted me to move to a job where you work so hard you only have time to get home, sleep, and start it again. He felt that constant work without rest would be best for me. With no money, no unemployment insurance, and my mom having limited resources to help me, I knew that if I didn’t find something soon I WOULD have to do such a job. I was so desperate that I was looking into doing ANYTHING.  I avoided talking to my dad until I could find a job. It was excruciating because I’m so close to my dad and I was in deep depression from the fact that failed him so badly. I wasn’t suicidal, but if I were to die then and there I would have been perfectly fine with it. To make it worse, I had very bad hemorrhoids that put me in so much pain I couldn’t spend any amount of time sitting without a rubber ring (even then it was almost unbearable). I know many of you might think that’s TMI, but it is very important to the narrative. Nothing would alleviate the pain. I would take 4 Advil every 4-5 hours and it would only give a small amount of relief.

On the job front, I kept getting many leads but nothing concrete. The only job I could find was a seasonal job at Wal-Mart changing oil and it was only going to be part time. I was willing to take a part-time job if I was able to get another one on top of that. I was only going to get paid $8.50/hour. I considered this a great insult as that is barely about minimum wage (plus I worked for them for over 4 years getting paid a lot more than that). I’ve been in the workforce long enough to where I’m worth more than that. I however, would have accepted it because I REALLY needed some income. However, I needed to be able to get another p/t job to supplement it. Unfortunately, Wal-Mart told me the seasonal job has a constantly changing schedule so that wouldn’t have worked. I finally applied for a seasonal job at an Amazon fulfillment center. It was almost an hour from my home and only temporary, but it would be an income and it would be more than Wal-Mart ($10.75/hour full-time) and there would be 10-20 hours of overtime every week. I finally had a job and was able to talk to my dad. Turned out it was a good thing I avoided him, because he later admitted he was VERY pissed at me. I never told him it was seasonal because I was determined to be so good they would want to make me permanent.

I ended up being an order picker and exceeded their expectations in less than two weeks. They want a minimum of 105 units/hour and my numbers were around 120. I had quite a bit of quality issues because of my speed but I managed to improve my quality while maintaining my speed (I eventually was at 140-150 units/hour with almost no quality issues). When it came time for the first conversion to permanent I was passed over. I was devastated because my attendance was almost perfect (dangerous road conditions caused me to miss some time). However, I was determined to continue improving and while my numbers stayed the same, my quality was MUCH better. I was now doing 150-160 units/hour and had no more quality issues. I was still unhappy because I thought I’d have to wait another several months for another conversion opportunity. Well, they had another one soon after. I was ready to try to find another job if I didn’t get it this time despite the fact that I LOVE what I’m doing and Amazon  is considered one of the best places to work. My hard work has paid off because I am now an official Amazonian. Apart from having a permanent job with plenty of advancement opportunities in a great company, I have stock options that will vest in two years, a 10% employee discount, a $0.50 raise, and a plethora of other benefits.

I really love what I do and despite working 10 hours a day, they go by so fast I feel like it’s less than 8. I do a lot of walking (an average of 10+ miles a day) which is getting me in better shape than I’ve been in years. I’m also considered one of the top pickers and my numbers have only improved in my first week as a permanent employee (this past week my numbers have been between 170-200 units/hour). I’m getting closer to the top despite the faster pickers being younger and in better shape than me. I will probably never be the top guy but I’m not going to make it easy for the others to stay ahead of me. The pace I keep up everyday still amazes me as I never seem to slow down no matter how tired I get. However, on my 3 days off I spend about 40% of the time sleeping but once the work week starts I’m ready all over again. The dress code is t-shirt and jeans (cut-off sleeves and shorts accepted), I can keep my hair long (though I have to put it back when it gets long again-I cut my hair at my neck line when I had to job search) and I’ve grown my goatee back though it’s still a bit shorter and can’t get much longer anyways. I can’t listen to music but the radio in my head will have to do. Also, having a job is much more important than having music. Plus I don’t listen to much music anymore anyways. This job is great and as long as I don’t screw it up again, I have nowhere to go but up.

One of the greatest reliefs is my hemorrhoids which have all but disappeared.  I think that while the stress of everything that happened contributed to it, I’m thoroughly convinced the truck driving is what caused them in the first place. Even before I screwed it up I was having bad problems. I now believe that prolonged periods of holding it in while driving the truck were the reasons for how bad they got. When you drive a vehicle and have to go, you can pull into the nearest fast food joint and use the restroom. Not so when driving an 18 wheeler. For frontal assault, you can always use an empty Gatorade bottle along with skillful steering. However, for an attack from the rear, you have to wait to find a place where you can park the truck or a rest stop. You could easily spend almost an hour holding it in which is a major cause of roids. With some unconventional treatments, a good prescription, and a job where I’m very active I was able to bring them under control.

I will probably not be here as regularly as before I left (which is not as regular as I used to even before that) as I don’t really buy music much anymore.  Since I was here last I’ve only gotten the new Place Vendome (with credit card points) and the new Iced Earth (with my tax return). Even with a decent income and no rent, I won’t be spending money like I used to. I will start buying some music here and there but mostly I will be downloading stuff. In the past I spent money I had no business spending because I thought I was going to be financially secure and when things went south I would lose what little I saved. I will not let myself get that cocky ever again. I will be putting money into a 401K and saving what I can. I will work to pay my debt as much as I can while still setting money aside. I buy a little frivolous stuff here and there but mostly buy food, gas, and what I need on a daily basis. My mom has Netflix and Amazon Instant Video so I always have something to watch. I will go to the movies now and then but not much. There are some websites that have new movies for free and sometimes (as long as it’s safe to do so) I will partake in those but mostly I wait to get stuff on Redbox if I want to see newer movies. One thing my dad said when he was mad with me, is that I act like I’m in my 20s despite being in my 30s. While that hurt, it was the truth. There is nothing wrong with being a kid at heart (which I still am) but you need to realize when your dreams are not going to be attained and when it’s time to face reality.  This career I’m starting is not the ideal one but it is a decent one that can give me a real life. I will never be wealthy, I will probably never become the vocalist of a band, and I may never even have a family of my own. However, I can at least support myself, get out of debt, and stop being dependent on my parents. That won’t happen overnight but I have a chance if I hang in there (and as long as I don’t screw it up again). Things aren't perfect and I have a long way to go, but things are looking up which is why I’m finally ready to come back here.

Well anyways, Dallas is Black!

So good to see you again, brother D. Thanks for sharing the details; we were all a bit curious as to what happened. Sounds like you got an entry level position that us Californian's only dream of at this point. Keep up the amazing work over there, and welcome back.   

Glad to see you back. I hope things keep going well for you and congratulations on having a job that you love.

Great to see ya Back here Black!

  

Welcome back DB,and congrats on the new career.Glad you seem to have lived and learned,so to speak.A lot of times part of growing up is realizing your mistakes and making things better.Sounds like things are looking up for ya!

I can't read all this right now (bed time), but SD left? Kmorg did what?   

S.D. leaves, Kmorg quits, DallasBlack returns...it's the Circle of Life...

Welcome back, DB. See? We tried to tell you that a trucking career was gonna be a pain in the ass

Good job and welcome back !

Welcome back brutha

Quote :

I can't read all this right now (bed time), but SD left? Kmorg did what?

S.D. is cutting back his participation on this board, and tho Kmorg sez he's still gonna hang around, he has handed over full ownership of the forum to Ultmetal.

Meanwhile, I'm still here because this is the closest thing I have to a social life. Yes, I realize how sad that sounds.

Welcome back!

Good to hear from you again DB!

Glad to see you back and best of luck with whatever path you choose in life.

welcome back DB!! Glad to hear things are better! Save that cash for the future!

Sorry about the 'roids. We chipped in and got you a welcome back present.



A constant reminder to "Be Happy".

Wait.. I didn't know you were black.   

There are perks to that type of job that you mention and I can concur the increased fitness is near the top of my list. Also, yeah, the hair.

Orion Crystal Ice wrote:

Wait.. I didn't know you were black.  

Yeah, I think I have that disease that bleaches the skin. My parents assure me that I really am white and their son, but I'm sure they are lying.

Orion Crystal Ice wrote:

There are perks to that type of job that you mention and I can concur the increased fitness is near the top of my list. Also, yeah, the hair.

It will change in the summer when they go with their new computerized system where the bins I pick from will come to me. In order not to lose what I've gained, I may have to find some kind of exercise to do on my days off. I know my mom's dog would love to go on a long walk. That would also give me a reason to start listening to music more often again.

So now I know who to blame if my Amazon order gets messed up.

Fat Freddy wrote:

Welcome back, DB. See? We tried to tell you that a trucking career was gonna be a pain in the ass

Touché

  

Welcome back!

Good to have you back.  No need to answer if you've signed a confidentiality agreement or anything, but I've always wondered exactly how orders are fulfilled at the amazon warehouses?  Like what's the procedure once an order comes in?  Always been curious about it.  And I'll admit I've never had a single problem with any order from them I've done.

Quote :

I may never even have a family of my own

I always say that if I can be in a stable long term relationship (going on 12 years) and be a father (2 girls) then it is possible for anyone.  Plus you are still young.  At 40 I'm still trying to figure stuff out and suspect I'll still be trying at 50.

Welcome back.

jstate wrote:

Good to have you back.  No need to answer if you've signed a confidentiality agreement or anything, but I've always wondered exactly how orders are fulfilled at the amazon warehouses?  Like what's the procedure once an order comes in?  Always been curious about it.  And I'll admit I've never had a single problem with any order from them I've done.

It's pretty simple really. Every item we sell are stored in bins all through out the pick floor. Orders come in and us pickers get a bin location on our scanners. We take them, scan the bin then scan them into a tote that we then send on a conveyor belt that takes them to the packers who take them from the tote then package them up and send them out to the appropriate people.

Welcome Back, DB!

Sounds similar to the job path that I recently went through.

Glad to see you back!!