I'm new to this stuff so bare with me, I made a post to my Needs advice post so i'm reiterating here just in case. First off I wanna thank you guys for the replys, I didn't expect it to be as positive as it has been, its greatly appreciated. I get a billion questions going through my head at any given moment when I think about this career move. Nothin but raw nerves and confidence, what a bizarre mix.lol My question of the day is what are the better companies to work for? Who provides "paid-training"?
Whos just a driver-mill and who really gets you there? My needs are fairly humble, I am not looking to make a fortune, I just want to make a decent living and be with my wife as much as possible. I think local dedicated or regional hauling would be my aim. I am moving to nj and was looking at the Bradway site. Do any of you know anything about them? Stevens looked promising also, but I'm not sure 8 or more weeks in Dallas would be conducive to my marriage.lol She's pretty supportive but I'd like to keep it as close to home as I can. However if the best companies are not in the area I"D be willing to go where I need to.
Thanks again guys and gals for listening,
Be safe, be well and I promise I won't yell.
TCAT :mrgreen:

 

This is really going to depend on 2 things:1. Your location 2. Your needs, such as hometime, income, etc. Some companies are good for some but bad for others normally because of 1 of those 2. Here are some companies that are above average that I would recommend for training: Schneider, TMC, Maverick, Crete, Prime, Watkins and Shepard,and CFI. They all have profiles in the company listings so do some research based upon your needs and location.

 

FWIW, Watkins & Shepard has a terminal in Sayersville NJ, you'll go to training/school for 30 days in Missoula MT then, because you'lll be living in NJ, drive mostly East coast out of that terminal.

 

And another thing to add: if you don't have a CDL yet and have to go through training first, do not count on being back home anytime soon. Most companies will keep you on the truck for 8 weeks (at first) so you can get your CDL faster (read: get into your own truck quicker and move more of their freight). Once your training period's over, depending on the company, you'll have more regular home time. I had my training through Prime; mine was free because my husband was my CDL-instructor and he didn't get paid for training me in turn. In your case you would have to pay for training at Prime, which is not upfront but they will deduct it out of your paycheck every week in increments. Whatever you decide to do: do not get yourself talked into leasing a truck please. That's more than likely a loose-loose situation.
You might have to go far away from home during the training period but this is also temporarily.
Then maybe to get more info for your wife, there's a women's section on this site as well as loads.org where most women are at home while hubby's driving and they are a great support group. Maybe that might interest her.

Don't make a rush decision; make a list of what you're looking for, ask questions, call a bunch of companies and make your own comparisons. Ask how long you can expect to stay out during training etc. how much pay and all those things. If possible, get on forums and do a search for companies you're interested in. On a side note though: there are a bunch of professional negatives on here so take some comments with a lot of grains of salt :lol: :wink: I wish you the best and hope you'll find something you like. Personally I wouldn't want to do anything else anymore. Diesel got into my blood and now I'm hooked! :lol: I was a manager for Hilton hotels so it's not like I never had a 'regular' job.

Some love this job, some hate it; only 1 way to find out but 1 piece of advise: please make sure your wife's aware of everything that's going on in the process as it'll also be a big adjustment for her having to take care of everything herself. Loads.org has a lot of survival tips for women in case you need it.

 

I haven't posted enough here to send a personal message, so I'll just put this on the thread...

WONDERFUL that your husband trained you at Prime (that's a marriage that works obviously).

I'm a professional woman also (university background, legal secretary, corporate executive assistant - Beverly Hills); got my CDL at a PTDIA school, but then with Trainers for two companies I had nothing but nightmares. FOR THE PAY, drivers with little experience take "Train The Trainer" classes (listening to a few lectures), and then they go out on the road with students. Now if these Trainers have personal problems, you find yourself in weird situations.

One Trainer talked non-stop about bringing a Russian girl to the States whom he had met over the internet, and he was planning to marry her, sight unseen. He was obsessed with this, and I heard every detail many times over. True to form, since he pictured having a wife he could control totally, completely dependent on him, not even speaking English, guess what? - He wasn't interested in teaching me how to do anything, and gave me minimum driving opportunities, while he was behind the wheel up to 18 hours a day himself. Any conversations we were able to have ended up with his telling me I didn't know what I was talking about, on anything - and then he told the company I would never learn how to drive, took me back to the terminal, and they fired me. I think he was really angry with me because I simply said I didn't want to cook my logs when I went solo, but sure I would do what he wanted me to do during training. Nothing I tried to do to get along with him worked. He had a lot of experience with that company, and they believed him, not me, about everything. He wanted me out of driving. Period.

The next Trainer was a woman who had been driving under a year. She needed the extra money, and I was her first student. The problem was that as a student I was not supposed to drive at night, and she had never told the company she is NIGHT BLIND and CAN NEVER DRIVE AT NIGHT HERSELF. Needless to say, we were dispatched team loads, which ended up hours late. I volunteered to drive the night shift anyway, but she wouldn't let me. Also, she was just getting over bronchitis, which she had had for a month already. Of course, I caught it from her, and soon became very sick with sore throat, huge coughing fits, the whole nine yards, and I decided to take a leave of absence and go home. I had not been getting along with her well anyway, after she told me one morning I didn't have to go to a restroom - "Go do it behind the truck, like everybody else," she said.

My third Trainer was a veteran driver, happily married he told me, and he arranged with the company that he would train me as required, and then we would go out as a team. I had some debts at the time, and good money right away made sense to me. I am married also, and it seemed this experienced driver gave me the opportunity for a solid professional future. But there were hints in his behavior, once we were on the road, that his ideas of the relationship didn't match mine, and I made it clear I wasn't considering any 'extras'. So he changed his mind and dumped me back at the terminal. I wasn't terribly disappointed, because in addition to his being of two minds on how happily married he was, he was a poor trip planner and disorganized. Cooked his logs, too.

My fourth Trainer was recommended by a woman driver who is sometimes on this Messageboard. She said he was the best Trainer out there. However, it turned out that she already knew he was a sex addict, and had just lined me up to be his next plaything. After a couple of days on the road, avoiding his inappropriate touching and his playing nothing but dirty comedy on his Sirius radio, REALLY LOUD when I was supposed to be taking my turn to sleep on the bouncing bunk, behind the curtain, I finally reported him to the company for sexual harassment. Whatever policies the company has in their manual is a case of rubber not meeting the road. They talked to him on his cell phone, in front of me, and of course he denied everything and said I was looney. However, he was obviously so angry that the company knew they should get me off the truck -- BUT they would only do this AFTER THE DELIVERY THE NEXT DAY. So what happened? The screaming abuse became so bad I had to get a security guard from a truckstop in Chicago to watch while I got my stuff off the truck. I felt I was in physical danger. When the security guard walked away, this Trainer wanted to take off when he still had my paperwork. I literally had to stand in front of the tractor to stop him, and then he threw my log and briefcase out the window.

I flew home from Chicago. That was the end of May 2007. Another "leave of absence" on my record. Weakling me, I should have just gone back to the terminal and signed up for another Trainer - problem was I was traumatized.

I haven't driven since, except in my dreams, for months; and I would have to take a CDL Refresher course to go to another company. But I have a phobia now - FOT. Fear Of Trainers.

People on the boards who haven't been as unlucky as me just ridicule and make fun of me, without knowing the facts.

I am so happy for you, CrazyTulip. I know EXACTLY WHY you are enjoying this type of work. I would, too, if I could find a protector like you have. Your husband was committed to see you through to success. My husband would never want to drive a truck in a hundred years, though.

Because of my educated manners and ladylike attitude and dress, frankly, I have observed that staff at these companies think I don't belong in a truck cab at all. But I have just as much right to become a driver as anyone else. I have never been faulted on my driving skills during all these experiences.

The economy, by the way, is a lot worse than most people realize. I read a great deal, and I stay informed. I plan now to wait until the industry gets shaken out a bit, 2008-2009, and then I will DO MY CDL REFRESHER AND GO BACK. Our house sold, we own another outright with no mortgage, and are not carrying ANY DEBT. I can afford to take my time.

Cabhappygal

 

WOW....you really had some bad experiences. :sad: I know there are a lot of people out here who don't care about another person and that's just really sad.

Let me guess....this first trainer? Works for IDC and his name starts with a C or K (don't know spelling of his name)? If so, then I know him.

I'm sure you will get your dream realized if you're really wanting it (which it seems like to me). Gosh at this point I'm even willing to stay home and let you train with my hubby; I know he really wouldn't do crazy stuff like that. I know there are more guys/gals out here that take their job and your training seriously, but you got to find em (not easy, I know!). I've heard plenty of horror stories from others, hence why my husband resigned from his previous driving job to go to Prime, get his CDL instructor certificate so he could train me as I refused to go on a truck with someone else.

I hope to see you out on the road soon!