Question for everyone

[MADLUX]

I'll explain my little situation. I will take a local cdl course here in Virginia ( Tidewater community college). The date of the class I will take is from July 30th to September 24th. I wont turn 21 until November 27th, and I will be out of work for 2 months. All the companies I have talked to don't have a problem with it. They have a problem with were I live! So far I have been accepted by Swift, Schneider, Werner, and Central Reefer. Mostly the big companies.

I have talked to Cfi, Trans Am, Transport America, Rohel, some of the better companies and they wont take me, they want me but because I live in Virginia Beach, Virginia they wont take me. I could understand if this was a small little out of no were town, but this a major city on the east coast!

I'm probley ranting and venting more than anything, but does any one know of any companies I might have overlooked? I would like to get into flatbed, but my options seem limited and I am up to do anything at the moment, to get the experience and move on to a better company and area of trucking I want to do.

Thanks for any help guys and gals,

Have fun

MADLUX

[continental]

Flatbed is an excellent choice :wink: , but not right out of school.
I would recommend pulling vans for a year before going flat.
There is just more stress involved. Get comfy with the truck first.

[JamesD2]

Looks like might have to go with what you can get. Thanks for the info I to live Va Beach Va and was thinking of going to ATI . Its more money for the school and like you I would have to quit my job to goto TCC. There hours are just too long and they are so damn far away. I too thought a big city like VA beach that you could run local with the big boy companies. I guess the guys from small town America are less likely to bail out of a big company if the can't find a good trucking job there small city. I would Love to Drive for Mc Lane or MBM foods out of Rocky Mount NC. they start you out at like $45,0000 a year but both companies reqire at lest 2-3 years experince :sad: . Good luck

[silvan]

Virginia Beach is a big city, but it really is an out of nowhere town. You have an ocean to your east, swamps to the south, and I've never had any occasion to run north of there up the Virginia coast in 10 years, so I presume there isn't much up that way. 17 out of there is basically a scenic byway more than a freight route. Running it in a truck sucks. Basically the only road out of where you live is I-64, and I-64 is just not that busy. Get on I-95 or I-81 and there is no comparison.

So you would have a lot easier time finding someone to hire you if you lived closer to I-95. Then they could get you home with any old load going north or south, which is a billion loads a week. Anything you could park at your house and deliver on Monday would do, but where you live, they've got to find you a load in or out of Hampton Roads, which is a lot smaller target area than the entire northeast or the entire southeast, so there is less chance of finding you a load, and less chance of you getting home.

The companies that won't hire you are probably doing you a favor, and the ones that don't care where you live are probably lying to you about how often they will be able to get you home.

If I lived where you do, I'd shop for somebody who had a terminal in the area, or nearby. I don't know anybody off hand I'm afraid.

[4roses]

If your interested in working for CFI ... tell them you'll sign a wavier ... saying that getting home every 2-3 wks isn't important ... that's their concern .... unless ... home time is of importance to you :?: ... a few drivers could care less how often they get home :wink:

[MADLUX]

Looks like might have to go with what you can get. Thanks for the info I to live Va Beach Va and was thinking of going to ATI . Its more money for the school and like you I would have to quit my job to goto TCC. There hours are just too long and they are so damn far away. I too thought a big city like VA beach that you could run local with the big boy companies. I guess the guys from small town America are less likely to bail out of a big company if the can't find a good trucking job there small city. I would Love to Drive for Mc Lane or MBM foods out of Rocky Mount NC. they start you out at like $45,0000 a year but both companies reqire at lest 2-3 years experince :sad: . Good luck

I believe ATI has weekend classes also, which is there only benefit I can see, thats what I was originally going to do, but you have to be 21 already, and the price is ridiculous. The price for TCC is right for me, training is just as good, I'm ahead on my bills, and I have a nice sum of money in the bank, so I'm set to get this career going on the right foot.

If your interested in working for CFI ... tell them you'll sign a wavier ... saying that getting home every 2-3 wks isn't important ... that's their concern .... unless ... home time is of importance to you Question ... a few drivers could care less how often they get home Wink

Right now I want to be able to get home every 2 to 3 weeks, once I get out there my mind might change, just depends on how it all works out. :wink:

Virginia Beach is a big city, but it really is an out of nowhere town. You have an ocean to your east, swamps to the south, and I've never had any occasion to run north of there up the Virginia coast in 10 years, so I presume there isn't much up that way. 17 out of there is basically a scenic byway more than a freight route. Running it in a truck sucks. Basically the only road out of where you live is I-64, and I-64 is just not that busy. Get on I-95 or I-81 and there is no comparison.

So you would have a lot easier time finding someone to hire you if you lived closer to I-95. Then they could get you home with any old load going north or south, which is a billion loads a week. Anything you could park at your house and deliver on Monday would do, but where you live, they've got to find you a load in or out of Hampton Roads, which is a lot smaller target area than the entire northeast or the entire southeast, so there is less chance of finding you a load, and less chance of you getting home.

The companies that won't hire you are probably doing you a favor, and the ones that don't care where you live are probably lying to you about how often they will be able to get you home.

If I lived where you do, I'd shop for somebody who had a terminal in the area, or nearby. I don't know anybody off hand I'm afraid.

Swift has a Terminal in Richmond, thats only 2 hours from me, and Schneider has one some were down in North Carolina, I think it was Greensboro, but I'm not sure.


Thanks for the advice guys, keep it coming if ya got some more!

[madii'swife]

Who did you talk to at TransAm? Seems weird to me that they won't take you, as my husband has been through there several times, and it at least seems to be on their hiring map. Unfortunately I don't have any other ideas for you. Pretty country though, need to get back for a visit one of these years...

[rontwo]

Madlux,

While my husband was in school, I just started going threw some of the *advertisement* books he brought home.. first i made a list of all of the companies that would hire out of school, and than i visited websites and made a list of the companies that we liked best.. and we went from there.

You could try contacting Maverick, you might have more luck with their specialized decision than their flatbed division ~ my husband works for maverick specialized.
Other than that might i suggest TMC .. the only issue i might see are you age with these companies ~ i believe their hire'n age is 23 yrs old however dont quote me on that and go ahead and give them a call.

if your looking for more of a local type job, might i suggest checking out GSF (golden state foods) they are local their in VA (this is the company that delivers to Mcdonalds stores) I know they do come down into NC but not sure where all they go, with GSF you do assist with the unloading of the products but hey if they will hire you its a step in the right direction until you get to where you want to be.

BOL to you.. rons wife

[coastie]

The Biggest problem about Virgina Beach, it's more of a Tourist, and Navy Town. Yet most there in VA Beach hates to see a Guy in Uniform, least when I was going to School there.

But as someone did say since VA Beach is located and not really that much frieght going there is your hold up with a company taking you on. WHat you do have on your side is Norfolk, Sufork, and Portsmouth are all right there. With those Cities, you really do not know where one City ends and the other starts. all one Gaint City

[jnk2001]

The Biggest problem about Virgina Beach, it's more of a Tourist, and Navy Town. Yet most there in VA Beach hates to see a Guy in Uniform, least when I was going to School there.

But as someone did say since VA Beach is located and not really that much frieght going there is your hold up with a company taking you on. WHat you do have on your side is Norfolk, Sufork, and Portsmouth are all right there. With those Cities, you really do not know where one City ends and the other starts. all one Gaint City

It's a very large navy base, you'd think they'd have truckloads of stuff coming in all the time.

[millersod215]

MADLUX, have you checked out Commercial Carriers, they have a pretty major terminal there in West Point, i worked for them back in 05, and was hired with no OTR experience, they will get you home on the weekends, the pay isn't great but about the norm for the newbie companys, good thing about them though is they keep you running, i can attest to that, you'll knock on the door of 3000 miles on a pretty consistent basis. You'll probably get on to a beer run out of Williamsburg, it doesn't get much easier either, drop and hook almost 99% of the time, i think i live unloaded maybe twice in a 3 month period. If you have any questions PM me, i think CCC might be a good option for you.

[ColtsFan]

If tankers interest you...you might check out Superior. http://www.superior-carriers.com There are a few good recent post on about tank yanking. cyanide and skywalker work for Superior and say they are very happy and make good money.

[MADLUX]

They might be a good option in the future, I don't qualify right now because of age.

[fireman932003]

COLTS RULE!!!! Sorry to Hijack the thread!

[Skywalker]

CFI may have elected to not take you...because they do not get much freight into that area...and that would keep them from getting you home according to their "go home policy"....and even if you signed a waiver....you might end up a very unhappy driver, and thats not what they want.

In the seven years I was with them... I only got to that area about 3 times.

Call them and tell them you'll pull all the beer they want out of Williamsburg..
:shock: That would probably get you hired though..... 8)

Other than that...either relocating or finding another company would be the way to go.

[ColtsFan]

COLTS RULE!!!! Sorry to Hijack the thread!