The only solution I could see to my problem was to somehow find a way to drive the trucks I was loading at work. I didn't think my boss would let me take time off to go out and practice with one of the company tractor trailers so I told myself that desperate times called for desperate measures. I began coming into work two hours early each day. Nobody was there at that time and it would give me time to get in the trucks and familiarize myself with them. I had learned a lot on my trip with Tom, now I needed to be alone to take my time and learn more.
Within the first few days I had started the truck, practiced shifting through the gears while still parked, read the owners manual to get familiar with the buttons, valves and gages and after the third day I felt I was ready to take a little drive. The bottling plant was located within a limited access Industrial Park so there was no traffic other than people coming to and from work who were employed at any of the several warehouses and factories that comprised the park.
On that third day I released the brakes on the truck and slowly began pulling out and away from the loading dock that it was backed into. As I looked into the big side view mirror I was in awe of the length of the vehicle. It looked to me as though I was piloting a freight train. Once I felt I was pulled out far enough I turned right onto the service road that goes all the way around the bottling plant.
I stayed in first gear and just drove straight down the road. I took my first left to go around the plant but I failed to swing wide enough to allow the trailer axels to turn with adequate clearance so those big trailer wheels cut over the corner of the lawn quite significantly. I was soon ready to make my next left which would take me down the service road behind the plant. I did much better with the turn negotiation. Then came my final left turn which brought me back to the loading dock again. I wasn't nearly able to maneuver and back the huge truck back into the loading dock so I just left it parked adjacent to the building in hopes that the boss would think one of the drivers had left the truck there the night before.
The following day I did the same, and the next day and the next. Within about a month I felt I was ready to take that refresher course at the tractor trailer school. So I called the school and enrolled myself. I used my rent money for my down payment, I borrowed some money from my parents and some more from a Pay-Day Loan company. I was still about $150.00 short but I was able to persuade the recruiter at the school to let me take the 6 weekend course and I would have the $150.00 by the time the course ended. She reluctantly agreed.
I completed the course to in my class and I received my graduation diploma. I took my next two paychecks and paid the balance of my tuition. I volunteered for overtime everyday over the next month to make up for the rent money I had used and to pay back my sources for the borrowed money. Within two months I was back on track.
Soon after the summer season was approaching which was the busy time of the year for the bottling plant. This meant more employees had to be hired, including truck drivers. I had heard that the company was going to run newspaper ads in their search for two additional truck drivers. It was my job as Shop Steward to make sure the company followed the guidelines of the labor contract with the Union that specifically stated that no jobs could be filled by outside people unless the jobs that were available were first posted for any existing employee to bid on first, if he/she was qualified for that job.
The boss told me he saw no reason to post the tractor trailer job because he knew that no one from within the plant was qualified to fill the position. I told him I knew differently so he agreed to post the job opening. I of course, bid on the job. I had to show the transportation department supervisor my newly earned diploma and license and I had to pass the standard Department of Transportation physical which I did. On the 1st of June that year I began driving the trucks I used to have to load and unload. I was suddenly making 4 times as much money for my family and I was both happy and proud! From that day forward I knew that I could now accomplish any goal in life I wanted if I wanted it bad enough. I also became convinced that day that any of us can!
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