Many of you may already know that for the past year and a half or so, I was working at a job that, quite frankly, I despised. Money was tight and our situation was growing grim, so when the opportunity came along I took the job with the following caveat: I would only work there until I was able to find something else, and then it would be over. A year and a half went by, with application after application, and not so much as a callback for an interview. The ones that did call me back never so much as sent a "no thank you" letter.
I knew that one way to improve my worth was to get my class A license (essentially, a license to drive a tractor-trailer), and there was only one way to do that in my case. It would require me going over the road for at least a year to not only get the experience most employers are looking for, but to enable me to pay off the school loan at a reduced rate. I waffled over this decision for a long time, and in August, after another in a string of hellish days at the old job, took the plunge and made the call.
Three weeks of training to get the license and operate the trucks, and I now have a class A CDL. I am awaiting assignment to a trainer to spend the next five weeks on the road. I am nervous and excited, and I am ready to start a new chapter in my life. Given that I just turned 44 on Friday, I don't think I have a lot of pages left, and should get to continuing the story as best as I can.
At some point this week, I'll be setting off across the United States, driving hither and yon and learning about my new trade. I'll update when I can.
