requiters that go to CDL school I'm looking at.

[glasman2]

TWT, system transport, James J. Williams Bulk, Gordon, Swift.

Swift is out of the question, tho my wife still wants me to talk to them.

But what about these other companies? going to there websites shows very little about pay, load/unload , home time, How the training is done and how long.


Anyone work for any of these companies?

[Twilight Flyer]

Why would Swift be out of the question? Not a bad way to get your start and from what driver's have told me, it's a far sight better today than it was a few years ago. Still, it's a school and they crank out lots of drivers, but you have to start somewhere. Swift is probably as good an option as some of the others.

[dieselgrl]

Why would Swift be out of the question? Not a bad way to get your start and from what driver's have told me, it's a far sight better today than it was a few years ago. Still, it's a school and they crank out lots of drivers, but you have to start somewhere. Swift is probably as good an option as some of the others.

That's always been my opinion, but then, I spent my first two years behind a wheel over in at the Swift camp. *shrugs*

Like anywhere else no matter where you go, you're paying your dues. I don't regret starting with Swift at all. At least with Swift I very rarely had to worry about poor freight volume, and with the size of the operation, if I got stranded in an area with no freight, they could afford to run me empty to someplace else with a load. Now with a few years under me and a clean MVR, I have a much larger selection of companies that cater to specific needs for me. Most of the guys I started with over there have since left and moved on for different reasons... some wanted to pull tanks, some oversize flatbed, some wanted a better regional deal for hometime, some found better money. Some are even still with Swift to this day, and enjoy their jobs. It's all what you make of it.

[classicxl]

all the big companies are a good place to start and get your experience and then if you want to move on do so

[USXRecruiter4080]

Just beware of contractual obligations. If you go to their school, spend all of that time, and decide you want to go somewhere else it will be near impossible.

BUT there ARE ways around it. >:~)

[glasman2]

I'm going to go to a CDL school here in town... I'm not going to get my CDL through any company. Mostly because if you you get your CDL through a company they want you to do a contract with them and your stuck with that contract and or you have to pay for school that you might think was inadequate. Reason I really don't want to go to swift, is because of all the horror stories I've read here and heard from other truckers I've talked to.

I will make my final decision about swift "after" I talk to a few company drivers from swift in person. I hit truck stops and rest areas trying to look at different companies that drive through my home town in hopes I can talk to them and get a better idea about trucking companies and trucking in general.

So that said, besides saying why not swift.... what about these other companies I asked about? Never got an answer there.


Lets just say swift is not out of the question but until I hear more from the horses mouth, there on the bottom of the list.

[classicxl]

that is right i paid for my own school when i first started and did not have to worry about any contracts with the company i hired on with

[terrylamar]

I don't understand all this advice about paying for your school yourself so you are not obligated. You pay for it, maybe you are reimbursed, maybe not. If you are reimbursed you have to stay with that company until it is payed off. In some instances you might be able to move to a second company and they will pay off the balance as long as you work for them. I haven't seen a third company willing to pick up tutition reimbursement. What's the difference, you pay nothing, you have to stay with the company until tuition is payed off. You are out nothing. You pay for the tution, you have to stay with the company until it is payed off. What's the big difference?

[classicxl]

well like werner if you paid for your own school and was hired by werner they would pay 100 dollars a month to you school loan as long as you worked for them. So if they paid 100 and you were paying your payment the loand go paid off sooner but you had no obligation to stay with them

[dualqwad]

I drove for Gordon, the baby blue crew, for awhile but I do not know firsthand how good the training program is. I had already been driving for awhile before I went with them. I think that they have a tuition reimbusement plan available. I do know that they expect you to be on time every time no matter what the weather is like. If you do not like hanging chains in winter then you should look elsewhere. They also expect YOU to keep their trucks clean for them so plan on paying for your own truck washes there. Aside from that they are probably not a bad outfit to start out with. You could do alot worse. Best of luck to you!

[classicxl]

your saying that gordon makes you pay to get there truck washed out of your own pocket?

[glasman2]

I don't understand all this advice about paying for your school yourself so you are not obligated. You pay for it, maybe you are reimbursed, maybe not. If you are reimbursed you have to stay with that company until it is payed off. In some instances you might be able to move to a second company and they will pay off the balance as long as you work for them. I haven't seen a third company willing to pick up tutition reimbursement. What's the difference, you pay nothing, you have to stay with the company until tuition is payed off. You are out nothing. You pay for the tution, you have to stay with the company until it is payed off. What's the big difference?

I'm not worried if I get paid back or not. Infact I don't want the money back, because I'm being retrained and the state is paying for it... I don't feel I should get the money back, just because I'm a honest person.
One thing I do like is going to a school where the ratio of student and teacher is very small say 3 to 6 students and 3 instructors , 4 weeks of actual learning and driving instead of 20 plus students and 2 or 3 instructors wondering if you got everything right and can be a safe driver.


If I wanted to I could pay for it out of my pocket, send the receipt to the state... get my money back , and have a company reimburse me for money spent out of pocket, and be ahead 4k. In fact it was suggested I do this, but I can't bring myself to do this.

Now if I could do this to my former employer I would think about it, just to get back at him.... " long story there "

[Drakmare]

I don't understand all this advice about paying for your school yourself so you are not obligated. You pay for it, maybe you are reimbursed, maybe not. If you are reimbursed you have to stay with that company until it is payed off. In some instances you might be able to move to a second company and they will pay off the balance as long as you work for them. I haven't seen a third company willing to pick up tutition reimbursement. What's the difference, you pay nothing, you have to stay with the company until tuition is payed off. You are out nothing. You pay for the tution, you have to stay with the company until it is payed off. What's the big difference?

Also to add to this post. Your not gonna want to job hop your first year anywho, its just gonna make it harder to get a job somewhere else later. I dont see why everyone has a problem with the contracts. Free school, but you have to work for a company for a year....It will pay off in the end.

Its only a year!

[classicxl]

i am sure there are schools up your way that have that ratio. i went to AIT in phoenix and I know they have a school in vegas. My class only had 4 people so we had alot of one on one time with the instructor

[USXRecruiter4080]

well like werner if you paid for your own school and was hired by werner they would pay 100 dollars a month to you school loan as long as you worked for them. So if they paid 100 and you were paying your payment the loand go paid off sooner but you had no obligation to stay with them

Thing about that tuition reimbursement though is that you're still paying it. Most recruiters WILL NOT TELL YOU you're getting a pay decrease for taking the reimbursement. Most companies take out (depending on length of imbursement period) 2 CPM off your pay for tuition reimbursement. You figure you run 10,000 miles in a month you pay OUT $200 and your loan institution gets paid $150. You lose out on $50. Thats a potential $600 a year you lose.

I always advise my drivers to steer AWAY from tuition reimbursement.

[classicxl]

well when i started the pay at werner was so low i would not have noticed

[USXRecruiter4080]

well when i started the pay at werner was so low i would not have noticed

Not a whole lot has changed then. lol. I had a team I tried to get to come work for me as STUDENTS making 20cpm each on all miles driven with $4,000 sign on...for students for crying out loud! They turned me down and went with Werner last month. They just called me about 5 minutes ago wanting to jump ship to over here. I have them coming in monday.

I just don't know what the Werner recruiters tells these people to sound so good.

[mikey4069]

Stay away from usx !!

[Soladad]

My late husband drove as a O/O for System Transport for 13 years back in the late 70's to mid 80's. We were happy with them back then and I still see many of their flatbeds out on the road. TWT (Tinie Wenie Truckers) have been around for many years also but running just the west coast. Stop at the truck stop out there in the Tri-Cities and see if you catch them coming through to fuel and talk with a driver. Also you are not all that far from the main office in Spokane. Just drive up and check them out.

Soladad

[dualqwad]

your saying that gordon makes you pay to get there truck washed out of your own pocket?

Basically...YES.
The policy there was that the company did not pay for truck washes but it was the driver's responsibility to keep his power unit clean.
Mine typically only got a bath whenever it got rained on and I got major demerit points in the eyes of management for it.