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Post by BillyCement on Sept 17, 2007 17:25:51 GMT -5
In my case I was living in a two family house in Northern New Jersey. The landlord sold the house and the guy who bought it was working for a ready-mix company. After a year or so he mentioned that they needed a couple of drivers. Back then (1974) you didn't need a CDL so anyone could drive. I was working at a cosmetic factory on the assembly line and hated it. So, I quit my job and went to work driving a mixer. My first truck was a 6 yard mixer made by Challenge-Cooke Bros. (now out of business) on a Ford F900 (gas engine). The mixer had a separate engine to power it. It was a Chrysler six cylinder. The water was gravity fed from a tank over top of the cab. There was a hand pump that raised and lowered the chutes. No inside controls at all. If I was pouring a sidewalk and the mason wanted me to stop the barrel I had to open the door and reach behind the cab for a handle and throw it down to take the barrel out of gear. Our boss back then was very "frugal" and would never buy any upgrades to the mixers until they stopped making the old versions. As I said in another post, they never got a/c in the trucks until the State of NJ made it mandatory. Anyway, that's how I got started. Anyone else?
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gant
Junior Member
Posts: 12
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Post by gant on Sept 17, 2007 19:08:29 GMT -5
I was driving a roll off and the company i was driving for went out of business so I hit up every place in town with a truck lol.. and I ended up here.. I'm still on my first truck 97 L9000 Ford.. we have a few 6 yard mixers with the seperate gas motor sitting in the back of our lot.. i drove one the other day around the yard. talk about a dog
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Post by Mort on Oct 1, 2007 9:44:38 GMT -5
I answered an ad in the paper that Rinker put in advertising for non-CDL drivers for training. So I weeded my way through the crowd, and here I am. Main truck is a 91 WhiteGMC which is a total pile, but sometimes I drive a 2006 OshKosh, so that's a nice break.
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kirky
Junior Member
Posts: 10
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Post by kirky on Oct 8, 2007 14:36:10 GMT -5
pure bad luck ha ha hay ho!!
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Post by slumpy on Oct 10, 2007 17:43:50 GMT -5
I dont know but i should have turned the other way  |
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Post by cfconcrete on Oct 12, 2007 12:11:29 GMT -5
my first post.....!
I was driving triaxle dumps hauling sand & gravel, one day the redi mix division needed extra drivers, they asked me, i said yeh, so here I am.
In winter I usually go back to the quarry and haul out of there, while the jr drivers are laid off for winter.
Drive safe......
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vaupell
Junior Member
Driver / Security Advisor.
Posts: 23
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Post by vaupell on Dec 12, 2007 16:12:15 GMT -5
got shanghaied.
* got drunk, kidnapped, woke up in a truck.
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Post by concretejoe on Dec 13, 2007 9:50:13 GMT -5
I had my own business selling and installing Dish Network systems back when you could make good money off just 2 or 3 a week. My wife became pregnant and I decided to look for something more stable. I called around looking for a CDL school and just happened to call a ready mix company. They said that they would train me if I agreed to work for them for a year. "Cool," I thought,"I'll get my CDL (I was too stupid to get grandfathered in while in the military) and have a guaranteed job for the next year." Little did I know that it would soon become my life. It's like that old movie line. (not verbatum, but you get the point) "Every time I think I've left, they just suck me back in!" I've given up. I'm stuck until my body gives out.
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marc
New Member
Posts: 6
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Post by marc on Jan 10, 2008 3:12:23 GMT -5
I was doing my trade as a boilermaker, had a accident at home in which i lost the movement in my left arm for about 18months, found out cant lift anything for than a 6 pack with that arm, did IT training for about 8 months got sick of no income and my dad who is a agi driver said he will put me thru my licence so i can cover for a guy in his yard who was going to be off for surgury and fell into a full time job havent left, that was about 3 years ago. p.s Sorry for bringin up the old thread but new member so i guess it will give you some background  Cheers Marc. |
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Post by Ideal Driver on Jan 11, 2008 14:55:05 GMT -5
I was working in a Rubbermaid factory that closed down and moved south. Well from there I went to school to get my CDL. I went over the road for about four months and it took me all of about a week to figure out that I had chose a wrong career for me.
I was at home one weekend and Monday morning before I had to hit the road I seen an ad in the local paper for a mixer driver. Luckily I was driving back through my hometown later that day, I stopped and got the app. Got a call the next week I was picking up a load in Nebraska heading to St. Loius. My terminal was in Des Moines I dropped the truck off and quit that night. Next day I was starting my training as a mixer driver. That was last March, I have not one regret. I actually like my job now and am happy as ever.
I know it wasn't cool to up and quit the over the road job, but I REALLY was misserible and sometimes ya just gotta do whats best for you. I never quit a job like that before and I made sure that the company I was going to work for knew that was not normal for me.
So far its turned out pretty good. When I'm having a bad day I just rember that at least I'll get to go home tonight and sleep in my own bed!
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db2179
Junior Member
Posts: 22
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Post by db2179 on Jan 11, 2008 20:30:27 GMT -5
Well I got out of the army and started out with a trash company hated that job one day had to fill in for a driver so i got his rout and it took me right passed a ready mix out fit so i pulled in and applyed new the human resoure ladys husband from the army so it was a slam dunk.So i drove for that company in colorado for a year the moved back to oregon and work for this new one for 6 years now.
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Post by LEAD DOG on Mar 13, 2008 15:25:44 GMT -5
Ya know, when I told my Ma & Pa that I was gonna be a mixer driver...well  ...They acted like they was gut shot  ! |
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Post by highlander on May 30, 2008 16:30:40 GMT -5
I just got started driving a Mixer a little over 2 years ago. I guess it was inevitable since my Dad drove for 36 years for the same company. In Fair Lawn, NJ as a matter of fact. I tried doing everything else I could for a whole bunch of years but now I'm doing the job that feels like the most natural thing I've ever done. Maybe BillyCement knew my Dad?
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Post by BillyCement on May 30, 2008 17:16:57 GMT -5
I just got started driving a Mixer a little over 2 years ago. I guess it was inevitable since my Dad drove for 36 years for the same company. In Fair Lawn, NJ as a matter of fact. I tried doing everything else I could for a whole bunch of years but now I'm doing the job that feels like the most natural thing I've ever done. Maybe BillyCement knew my Dad?
If your Dad drove for a ready mix company in Fair Lawn, NJ (there's only one) then I must have known him. What's his name? |
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Post by highlander on May 30, 2008 17:36:20 GMT -5
I just got started driving a Mixer a little over 2 years ago. I guess it was inevitable since my Dad drove for 36 years for the same company. In Fair Lawn, NJ as a matter of fact. I tried doing everything else I could for a whole bunch of years but now I'm doing the job that feels like the most natural thing I've ever done. Maybe BillyCement knew my Dad?
If your Dad drove for a ready mix company in Fair Lawn, NJ (there's only one) then I must have known him. What's his name?His name was Ed Anderson. Sadly he passed away last year though. |
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Post by BillyCement on May 30, 2008 18:09:41 GMT -5
Sure I knew Ed. He worked for Joel Tanis & Sons. In fact, when he went on disability I got his truck. It was the last Ford the company ever bought, truck #100. An eight yarder. The company started buying Macks after that. Sorry to hear about his passing. Good to hear from you.
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Post by highlander on Jun 3, 2008 23:41:55 GMT -5
Wow - what a small world. Thank you so much for responding. My family all checked out the pictures of your plant that you have posted - not much has changed over the years.
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Post by BillyCement on Jun 4, 2008 18:54:25 GMT -5
Wow - what a small world. Thank you so much for responding. My family all checked out the pictures of your plant that you have posted - not much has changed over the years. |
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Post by mixedupdiesel on Jun 26, 2008 20:49:16 GMT -5
Well, I was 20 years old, and our family reunion was held at one of my cousins' home, about 80 people showed up, but something made us stay behind and talk way after everyone had left and gone on home. So I found out this cousin worked for Chandler, and well one thing led to another and he said "you want a job? I can get you a job driving a mixer I think" I was working fast food at the time, nothing else in this small town, cause all the factories and such have closed, everyone commutes, and of course I said "YES!"
So I turned 21 and got my permit, and they hired me.
I didn't know what my cousin did for them until I went to the corporate office, and turns out he's the sales manager over the entire company, lol.
9 months later, here I am with a CDL and a really nice, really tiny interior Mack R series, and I couldn't be happier than if I had won the lottery (not really, butt you get my point)
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Post by Mixer Driver 69 on Jul 15, 2008 21:31:48 GMT -5
I wouldn't say I ended up as a mixer driver. More like I chose it. And glad I did, for now. My first winter I might be whistling a different tune.
I was a courier in Nevada for a few years. A few of our clients were concrete plants. I've had a number of driving jobs over the years, and I wanted to get paid better for it. So I asked at one of the plants. I knew I wanted to drive a mixer when I saw what those trucks can do.
I moved to California last year, and applied to Robertson's, and went through the training. Now I drive a mixer, and I love it.
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Post by lounge on Jul 30, 2008 21:52:10 GMT -5
well for me i was working in a tire and lube shop and hours got thin and the pay wasn't the best. My father in law worked for the redi mix as a mechanic/mixer/bulker driver. He said he was looking for a mechanics assistant to do minor repairs service and what not so i said yes and went to work at the redi mix, my first job was welding a new bottom in a loader bucket. The head boss told me to get my cdl because he wanted to put me in a dump truck and send me to another plant about 50 miles away to run dump truck. after i got my cdl i went to the other plant which just lost their only driver so the threw me in a old international s series worked that season was laid off for a month than came back to the plant in my town and been there ever since
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Post by Mixer Driver 69 on Jul 31, 2008 22:44:01 GMT -5
How long have you been driving, Lounge?
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Post by lounge on Aug 1, 2008 19:15:58 GMT -5
How long have you been driving, Lounge? 3 years and loving it |
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Post by Mort on Aug 2, 2008 0:10:09 GMT -5
That plant only had one driver?
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gant
Junior Member
Posts: 12
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Post by gant on Aug 2, 2008 8:28:23 GMT -5
one driver and you got laid off??
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Post by BillyCement on Aug 2, 2008 13:07:04 GMT -5
That plant only had one driver?  |
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Post by lounge on Aug 3, 2008 1:30:10 GMT -5
well to answer every one questions i was the only driver for about 5 months than they hired a long time friend of the batch mans and i was having to drive 100 miles a day so they laid me off and brought me back at the plant in my town so would have to drive two blocks lol. the plant i started was in a a town of about 1800 people so work gets scarce in the winter, plus the batch man was kinda of a prick. so i was glad to come back to a better plant.
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Post by Yard Bird on Dec 23, 2008 14:24:29 GMT -5
I was a US Congressman in my last life, this one is much harder. Its like I awoke in a mixer and have been there ever since. |
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Post by concretejoe on Dec 24, 2008 8:46:58 GMT -5
O.k. Congressman, give us the scoop! Where are they keeping the U.F.O.'s?
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Post by Yard Bird on Dec 24, 2008 9:51:04 GMT -5
“I’ve chased pumps for 25 years. I only saw a few of them. They’re real, too. I’ve never seen Tokyo. It’s there. Do I have to see something to believe it?” area 51 has the good stuff, never seen it but its there. ;D
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...They acted like they was gut shot 
!
