[BigDabble]

Hello Everyone-

I am new to this post but have been lurking around the forums for months. I have been seriously considering this profession. I am not going to ask alot of the conventional newbie questions, just want some insight on starting out.

I have basically grown tired of corporate management and in essence
"dealing with people". Anyone who has been in management will know what I mean. I have talked to my family for months, my wife and daughter, and they are supportive and understand the sacrifices. I have some money behind me to support myself and family while I make a change.

It seems to me in applying for company sponsored CDL training there is alot of playing around with prospects. CR England basically sent me an email, never contacted me or ask one question, saying come join next week's training. This sent a red flag to me that I will avoid their company at all cost.

Swift sent a mass email to me and about twenty other prospect with an application and no greetings, instructions, or information attached. I find that to be extremely lazy of them and will pass on Swift as well.

Another basically said that if I quit my job now, they may be able to take me in a week or two, but may not too. (I want to give my current employer proper notice so this was not an option).

I am seriously considering taking CDL training locally and then trying my prospects from there if other applications don't look promising or I receive no reply.

I want to be a professional, not a wannabe and I want to be successful. It seems to me that I need to make the right decisions to do that. Seems the recruiters' game is to fill seats in their training class. My goal is to be successful. How best do I do that?

[-FlyByNight-]

Originally Posted by BigDabble

Hello Everyone-

I am new to this post but have been lurking around the forums for months. I have been seriously considering this profession. I am not going to ask alot of the conventional newbie questions, just want some insight on starting out.

I have basically grown tired of corporate management and in essence
"dealing with people". Anyone who has been in management will know what I mean. I have talked to my family for months, my wife and daughter, and they are supportive and understand the sacrifices. I have some money behind me to support myself and family while I make a change.

It seems to me in applying for company sponsored CDL training there is alot of playing around with prospects. CR England basically sent me an email, never contacted me or ask one question, saying come join next week's training. This sent a red flag to me that I will avoid their company at all cost.

Swift sent a mass email to me and about twenty other prospect with an application and no greetings, instructions, or information attached. I find that to be extremely lazy of them and will pass on Swift as well.

Another basically said that if I quit my job now, they may be able to take me in a week or two, but may not too. (I want to give my current employer proper notice so this was not an option).

I am seriously considering taking CDL training locally and then trying my prospects from there if other applications don't look promising or I receive no reply.

I want to be a professional, not a wannabe and I want to be successful. It seems to me that I need to make the right decisions to do that. Seems the recruiters' game is to fill seats in their training class. My goal is to be successful. How best do I do that?

First of all, do NOT quit your current job. I'd suggest you contact your local community college and vocational schools about training programs. IMO, it's best to obtain your CDL on your own dime. That's what I did. That way you're not in a contractual agreement to a carrier. It's also usually less expensive and several companies will reimburse all or a portion of the cost of your school when you hire on.

If you're considering OTR driving, I highly recommend Crete. I feel they're one of the best OTR companies to drive for. You can call recruiting and ask them if there's a school near you they hire out of. They'll also be able to get you info on hiring on as an entry-level driver. The link to their website is in my sig. Hope that helps and good luck!

[evertruckerr]

Hey BigDabble,

I know exactly what you mean.

I left the restaurant business and a damn comfortable living to take to the Big Road. It was something that I always wanted to do and finally took the leap.

Your in for quit a lifestyle change, but if your anything like me, you will eat it up. It will be something that you will revel in and never be able to get out of your blood. You may try something different down the road, but trucking will always suck you back in because it will be the only thing that makes you truly happy. The hardest thing about driving is the family. It will be difficult for them to have you gone for extended periods of time. But if you put in a good safe year of driving and live close to major traffic lanes, it is easy to find regional or dedicated routes that will get you home on a regular basis or nightly if the gods are with you.

Anyway, with that babble out of the way, I just wanted to point you in the right direction. I've been driving for 10 years and have finally found an incredible company. The only one I've worked for that I would suggest to others. That company is Crete Carrier.

http://www.cretecarrier.com

Crete does not train an you will have to attended a PTDI certified school. But you will not be tied into a contract after your training you will be making very good money for a newbie. They will start you at .33 cpm after training and you will be at .41 cpm at the end of you first year.

Sorry. I'm getting a little long winded here.

If you have any questions, let me know and I will be happy to ans were them.


Best of Luck

[GoldiesPlating]

BigDabble, If you have any questions about TMC (flatbed company) feel free to PM or call me and I'll do my best to answer. If you wish to see what I went through when I started driving, visit my website below.
Good Luck to you!
Fred

[Eagle Eye]

BigDabble your in the right place...Do lots of research about the different companies. Read what drivers say...and what they don't say. Check out other websites I chose CFI you can read my story at www.bigriglife.com or you can call the same person I did (Christine Lathan at CFI 1-800-641-4748 Ext: 5718) she can answer all your questions. Tell her Eagle Eye told you to call she will tell you about the new tuition assistance program that does not require a long contract to work for CFI. Good luck and have fun out there!

Originally Posted by BigDabble

Hello Everyone-

I am new to this post but have been lurking around the forums for months. I have been seriously considering this profession. I am not going to ask alot of the conventional newbie questions, just want some insight on starting out.

I have basically grown tired of corporate management and in essence
"dealing with people". Anyone who has been in management will know what I mean. I have talked to my family for months, my wife and daughter, and they are supportive and understand the sacrifices. I have some money behind me to support myself and family while I make a change.

Don't do it. It's a burn-out job. 80-100+ hour workweeks for 40-50k and sleep in a broom closet. Works out to like 8-9 bucks an hour. No overtime and the bennies suck.

Too much waiting around (unpaid) to talk to someone behind a glass partition who regards you as one step below a common household plant. Too much BS for the $$$:

"sorry driver. The load's not ready you'll just have to wait"
"we don't have any record of that app # call your dispatcher to set up another one for tomorrow."
"you're not allowed in the truck while we load/unload you, driver. Give us your keys and sit in the breakroom until we're done."
"we don't bang on the sleeper to wake drivers"
"absolutely no overnight parking"
Dispatcher: "looking for a load for you but freight's short in that area right now"
DOT man: "can I see your logbook, driver?"
Local cop (writing ticket): "No big trucks allowed on this road driver. Didn't you see the warning back there?"
Sign: BRIDGE 12'6"
CalTrans: CHAINLAW IN EFFECT
Scale ticket: Steers: 12,100 Drives: 35,200 Trailer: 36,400
Mechanic: "looks like the injector's shot. It'll take a day or two for the part to come in"
Wife: "but it's our anniversary for christsakes. What do you mean they can't get you a load going this way?"
Daughter: "Daddy I miss you when will you be home?"

[devildice]

:lol: :lol: :lol: This thread looks like some kind of recruiting feeding frenzy....... :lol: :lol: :lol:

[jmilici]

Originally Posted by devildice

:lol: :lol: :lol: This thread looks like some kind of recruiting feeding frenzy....... :lol: :lol: :lol:

More like a referral bonus frenzy....

Seriously, pay your own way through school. Ask plenty of questions when in school and listen to the old timers. Also, watch what other drivers do. Even when you are in your 4-wheeler. Everything a good driver does is deliberate. Sometimes we make mistakes but you can always tell the good drivers from the bad. You can get a good idea of what to do and what not do.

I was an electrical design engineer before I started driving. I also however have spent a good chunk of my life around trucks. My brother has driven for 18 years and he is only 4 years older than me. My grandfather started driving in the twenties and drove till the early 80's when he passed (in the truck by the way). Diesel was always in my veins.

An alternate to the mega carriers are local companies in your area. Alot of time you can find a small outfit the can get you home every weekend and sometimes during the week. You have a better chance of finding a company like that if you live close to warehouses and factories. I live in a small town in Ohio and my company is located 12 miles away in a little bit of a bigger town that has the above. Al ll outgoing freight is dedicated to companies in the area and we broker loads coming back. Average trip is 3 days and I can do my 10 hour at home.

Well good luck to you and remember this. Strive to be more than just a professional steering wheel holder. Driving today is considered to be un-skilled labor, and a lot of drivers are just that. The truth is, driving is a skill, and like any other skills it needs to be honed. Don't become one of the "lazy truck drivers".

[scythe08]

Well said, Coldfrostymug!

Before you commit to the OTR life, look around at some of the other options. I don't work for as good a LTLcompany as coldfrostymug does, but I still make as much as I did OTR and I work have as hard and I'm home everyday. I averaged 14-18 hours working a day when I was OTR to try to make a living and this was 3 different companies with 3 set of DOT regulations changed in that time.

Where do you live? You mentioned CR England, do you live in SLC? Anyway if you want the OTR live then CRETE,CFL,or TMC are very strong choices to start off with. CAD has some excellent members who can answer any question you have on these companies. But in my own selfish opinion, I hope you go LTL :wink: [/quote]

[BigDabble]

Thank you everyone for their information. I am keeping all options open. I would just like to point out a few things about my current position that shows that trucking is not the only profession with its problems. I work in Human Services and here is the lowdown on the problems that are daily reminders that there are issues everywhere . .

1. I am the manager of the program but their has been 3 in the last four years. I have been in this role for almost two, thus far I have lasted the longest. My company does not have a good reputation due to the huge turnover and business suffers for that. None of which I had anyting to do with, I have tried to make the situation better.

2. 50%-79% turnover per year in the program as far as staff. Remember these our managers and counseling types. That is a huge turnover for this type of work but not the 100% that is claimed in trucking. (By the way, where does that number come from? I know truckers tend to jump from company to company, but there is a percentage who make this a career for a number of years. 100% turnover for certain companies I could see but as a profession as a whole? I really question that).

3. I basically do the job of two people on a good day.

4. Eventhough I am the manager of the program, I rarely get to make important improvements to the program in terms of personnel or finance. There is always somebody in the many levels above me who trump what I want to do.

5. I come home daily griping to my wife and kid. And feel horrible about it. Also feel horrible about where I am. I made it to the top so to speak, and basically found out it is miserable.

6. Work 5 1/2 to six days a week now.

7. Rarely get appreciation from superiors or staff.

Not that if I jump into this profession all things will be better. I understand about management, I am management afterall, and there are always people who live to make your day miserable. And no I really do not look forward to spending my nights in a sleeper cab or encountering the many negative aspects of this profession. But I do look forward to making a change, to coming home and being with my family when I can and enjoying the time I have. It is hard to do now when you are constantly worried about your office, the politics of it all, and where you want to be in a few years. I also look forward to the measure of independence trucking offers, and the wide range of types of freight and companies that are available once you get experience.

I have requested some info. from some of the local CDL schools, one a CDL mill type school, one a voc. school, and one a community college. If things don't work out with my current applications, I will give this route a try to enter the profession.

I am not afraid to work hard, and not afraid of starting over again. If I make this jump I will do it knowing a good bit about what I am getting into, and also with my eyes wide open about want I want to do. I want to be a professional, and be far away from the type of work I do now when I make a change.

BigDabble