Laid Off at the Foundry

[mikethompson]

Proper mindset is key, which you already have. Good luck in your chosen field and your future.

 

[daveinlax]

Check in at the Laborers hall and see if they need help. If things work out they can get you a CDL. 8O

 

[jvnshr]

Bravo to you sir. I like the way you are thinking and staying strong. All my best wishes to you.

 

[winton]

Keep up the good attitude. I also have been unemployed since June.

 

[tbradsim1]

Had somewhat the same thing and you’ve got what it takes, ATTITUDE, wish you well and i know you will succeed.

 

[captpat]

Best wishes for success in your new career

 

[Civil War]

Thanks for the post and sharing your positive attitude. Best wishes on your future and your new career!!!

 

[seanv]

The trucking industry has afforded me a good life. It is tough, demanding and will eat you up and spit you out if you let it. I’ve seen many come and go very quickly. Keep your wits about you, find a good company and just do what ever they ask for a few years, eventually you will make it and don’t be tempted to buy your own truck or lease to own with a company. That is a scam.

As for driverless trucks, I doubt they will have a major impact in the near future. Certain lanes and counties they will be used but the majority of trucking will be done by humans for the foreseeable future.

 

[seacaptain]

Best of luck, I've been through layoffs twice in my career and I know where you're coming from.
As you mentioned above, being in debt makes it a lot more stressful.
Check out some Dave Ramsey videos on youtube. His debt free plan turns many of life's crises into inconveniences. The next one won't be such a gut punch.

 

[mso489]

elbert, you sound strong and you have a plan. Trucking is severely shorthanded right now, so I hope it serves you well. Stay safe. Always be figuring what could be next. I think the automated trucks will be a long time in coming, and then mishaps will put them off the road for a long time after that. Man, I've been there, between nowhere and nowhere, and I'm not sure I handled it anything as well as you have. I didn't have a pipe at the time, so that might have helped. Truck drivers are a hero of our age, and there's a reason for that. Safety first. (Just bought a freezer 'cause the old one faded, and it's been fixed too many times before. One of the big appliance warehouse places told me they didn't have any in stock because of the trucker shortage, so that's a good omen.)

 

[peckinpahhombre]

Wishing you luck on your next endeavour.

 

[npod]

Well written, sincere and moving piece. God speed in your next chapter.

 

[brian64]

I think the automated trucks will be a long time in coming

I hope you're right...but it's a major agenda item that is being developed more significantly than most people think...and to some degree is already here.

Uber’s self-driving trucks are now delivering freight in Arizona
https://www.theverge.com/2018/3/6/17081626/uber-self-driving-trucks-delivering-cargo-arizona
Waymo’s self-driving trucks will start delivering freight in Atlanta
https://www.theverge.com/2018/3/9/17100518/waymo-self-driving-truck-google-atlanta
Self-Driving Trucks – Timelines and Developments
https://www.techemergence.com/self-driving-trucks-timelines/
The Self-Driving Car Timeline – Predictions from the Top 11 Global Automakers
https://www.techemergence.com/self-driving-car-timeline-themselves-top-11-automakers/

 

[davet]

Sounds like you've got it figured out along with the proper attitude. Just remember there are many, many people that drive truck but there are few Truck Drivers. Be safe and good luck.

 

[elbert]

Automation is certainly a concern. It'll be interesting to see how much of the industry can go "humanless", even if it goes autonomous. One other thing I learned at the foundry; the machinery needs babysitting. A lot of babysitting. Sometimes you still just need a husk made of meat human to check and add fluids, do the pre-trip inspection, do the air-brakes test, put air in the tires, secure the cargo, move the cargo, change a light bulb, put on chains, jump/charge/replace a battery, talk to the shipper, talk to the receiver, talk to law enforcement, talk to other drivers in the event of an accident or emergency, tarp a load, put up placards, connect tanker hoses, move the truck during a comms blackout, drain water from the air tanks, use the runaway-truck ramp in the event of a brake failure in the mountains, etc.
I have no doubt silicon valley is working on all of that, and a hundred other things I haven't even considered besides. Hopefully by the time they figure it all out I'll be in a position to move to something they haven't figured out yet!

 

[woodsroad]

I don't want to digress too far, but we've all seen the videos of trucks sliding down icy highways. What happens when there's nobody at the wheel? Ditto for flooding, major potholes, detour/construction signs etc., etc.

 

[workman]

I don't know much about the robotification of American highways. Is it imminent?

 

[brian64]

What happens when there's nobody at the wheel?

Self-Driving Uber Car Kills Pedestrian in Arizona, Where Robots Roam
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/19/technology/uber-driverless-fatality.html
Tesla's Autopilot Was Involved in Another Deadly Car Crash
https://www.wired.com/story/tesla-autopilot-self-driving-crash-california/

 

[woodsroad]

How does the accident rate of autonomous vehicles compare to that of manned vehicles? I know that it would be an unfair comparison, being that the sample set is so small and that the autonomous vehicles are primarily being tested under ideal conditions. I'm not in favor of pilotless anything, but I will concede that most "accidents" aren't. They are the result of action/inaction by idiot drivers.

 

[alan73]

Elon Musk just gave a very interesting wide ranging interview with joe rogan. he asserts that autonomous cars will be significantly safer over time. Tesla and googles waymo cars are amassing massive amounts of data with test vehicles. the electronic safety systems will be to identify and react to the problem within milliseconds. The slip on the ice is autocorrected so it doesn’t happen .