Concrete Mixer Driver or Similar Job

http://cosprings.craigslist.org/trp/4246736530.html

As I understand it concrete truck drivers are in demand because they are overworked, underpaid, and their jobs become available very often. You don't just "deliver" concrete, everything involved with concrete that I know of is work so hard a little bit will satisfy, and it's dangerous.

Get some miles and then think about UPS or something... cab driver, maybe.

 

I drive mixer in Arkansas. I love the job, but be ready. It's alot different than hearding a truck down the interstate. (no offense) It's easy to bury up to the frame when you're going off road with 77k on a single vehicle, and can be scary considering that your load is not quite solid, but also not quite liquid; and is rotating. Drivers are in demand here, and my company has operations in Colorado. (look up Martin Marietta Materials) Average pay here is around $13-15/ hour plus load bonuses. And the hours depend on the weather. Two weeks ago i got 65 hours and 23 loads, last week i had 14 hours and 4 loads.
Good luck, and give me a shout if I can help you with anything!

 

http://www.martinmarietta.com/Employment/job.asp?ID=987

It says 1yr experience required, but I hired in as a Loader Operator and they provided the OJT and a truck to take my CDL test in.

 

You won't find concrete mixer jobs with Martin-Marietta Materials south of Denver... they shut down concrete in all of southern Colorado, and you don't have enough experience for them to hire you for the trucks they do run out of the shop on Wayland Place.
The name on the truck says Martin-Marietta, but this is the remnants of what used to be Lafarge, and Lafarge in this area was built on what used to be Western Mobile (itself being built on what used to be Broderick and Gibbons). Martin-Marietta is an ag company which dabbles in the construction industry.
There are people in Colorado Springs with a lot more driving experience than you who are still tasked as plant workers and asphalt and dirt crew members.
You're not going to get hired on as a driver with Martin-Marietta in Co. Springs, I can pretty much guarantee you that. The transportation supervisor is a man named Alvin, I've dealt with him plenty when I worked in their shop in Co. Springs... matter of fact, I've just left that company within the last week to turn wrenches for an OTR company, because I kept getting smoke blown up my rectum when I tried to get a transfer to Denver (we're in the process now of moving from Co. Springs to Broomfield).
You might have better luck with Pioneer Sand Company, instead. If you're able and willing to learn how to do some basic load securement and operate a truck-mounted forklift, they're always in need of flat and fork drivers.
Let me know when you get here. I'll give you fair warning - the job market in Co. Springs is less than desirable, and if you have to option to move to the Denver area, instead, I'd highly recommend it. I've managed to stay employed in the three years I've been in CS, but it hasn't been easy. In one day of job hunting in Denver, I ended up with four offers... two for mechanic jobs, and two for driving jobs.
Let me know when you get in the Springs. I'm staying in Broomfield Wed - Sun, but I'll be coming down to CS on my days off (Mon, Tue) at least for a couple weeks. At the very least, I can show you around the city some, and maybe put you in touch with some people who'll have openings. I can at least show you where to look.
Off the top of my head, if Pioneer doesn't work out, there is a beverage distributor off of Mark Dabling who always seems to be hiring.... coming off of I25, get off on the Garden of the Gods exit, and turn towards Nevada Avenue... if you're coming from the south, it'll be a right turn, and a left turn if you're coming from the north. Take a right on Mark Dabling (one light up from the Interstate)... you'll turn opposite of the International dealership... and it should be the second building on your right.
Good luck.. you'll need it in this city.
I'm assuming fireman5523 works in an ag pit... much different operation in Colorado. I don't know about Metro or Northern, but MMM in Southern will not give you OJT to get you qualified to run a lowboy, belly dump, or feeder (the only T/T types they run here). They MIGHT train you on a dump truck, but if Alvin doesn't have to bother with it, he won't, and there is no shortage of people in Co. Springs looking for jobs.
If you're looking for mixers, there's Rocky Mountain Materials, Trans-Colorado Concrete, and I can't remember the name of the other one.. they have a subsidiary which runs their end dumps called Daniels Sand Company. Other companies in the Springs running various types of trucks include Cornella Brothers, C&C Sand and Stone, Rockyard (located in Monument), HVH has daycabs running out of Co. Springs, Al's Carefree Trucking (although they require two years, IIRC), Waste Management, Front Range Disposal, L&L Disposal... probably a few that I'm missing. There's a moving company next to Martin-Maretta's shop in Colorado Springs.... there's companies here, but finding ones that are hiring isn't so easy.

 

How many months experience do you have? My advice to you would be to get at least six months experience and then try to find a company offering local tractor trailer jobs that require six months experience. There are plenty of them out there. That way you can still get tractor trailer experience and set yourself up for better opportunities in the future. If you don't have to be home daily, try a flatbed company; off on the weekends.

 

I've never understood why a cdl driver just don't go to a ltl company and work the dock if they don't want to drive far. Our dock workers make $22.85 and yard hostlers make $23.35 an hour and we are not the highest paid ltl company. Ltl companies love hiring cdl drivers to work the dock. It's not a sweat shop like some warehouse's.

 

I was in the same boat as you friend. I started my career in Schneider's tanker division back in June. Left there because I did a little too much sitting and not enough running, plus their equipment is horrible. Went to a small covered wagon company here in Ohio and planned on spending at least a couple years there because I enjoy flatbed work. But then I got married at the end of November, and that's when I decided I just didn't want to run OTR anymore. Hit my six months at the end of December and got a local job with Werner hauling beer out of a The Budweiser plant in Columbus, OH. Honestly I wish I would have went with Werner from the start. They're a great company. But anyway, get on monster.com and indeed.com and look up local trucking jobs in your area and see what you can find. Best of luck to you.