Hey everyone,
I'm new to this forum & I think It's a great source of Information. I'm very happy to be here I start truck driving school March 5TH. It's an 8 week full time school & It's PTDI certified they tell me. I'm sure It's a good school, I'm very exited & motivated to attend.
Now for my questions.... I'm looking to drive OTR dry van (solo) after the company 3-6 week training once hired. I know what companies are out there, but I can't figure out which ones are good or bad for a school graduate. Which ones would you all recommend? *I have a clean license & criminal record, but I worked off the books for all of 2006. My boss won't sign or give me anything stating this because I was not on the books. I have work records from 2000-2005 just not 06' Is this going to be a problem? If so, what can I do about this? Someone mentioned getting signatures or something~but I'm not sure.
I don't want to make this too long, so any advice or tips regarding this or anything else that could help me at this stage of my career change would be great. *Thanks for taking the time to read this :wink:
~CHRIS

Chris,

Get two or three friends to say you were self employed during that time. Have them sign and notorize the letters. That should take care of the employment issue. Just be sure to list that period as self employed on your job applications. Also include in those letters any period of unemployment over 30 days in the last 3 years unless you have other documents to support it. While companies may ask for a 10 year work history, they will only be verifying the past 3 years.

As far as companies go, the 2 biggies I suggest you stay away from is Prime and CR England. Since you are attending a PTDI school I would suggest you check out Crete.

Thanks! That's a good Idea. I heard that Crete Is a pretty good company to work for, I have a few other companies I may be Interested In too. So hear they are: (Gainey) (KLLM) (USF Glenn Moore) (WH Trans) & maybe (TransAm) Have you or anyone else heard anything about these places?
I really could use some help on this everyone, I'm trying to study at least 8 hours a day to get a head start for school. I just don't want to get Into the wrong company when I graduate~I'm new to this scene & actually a bit worried from all the negative stuff I hear about certain places. Any responses would be great. Thanks again~

ya might try

CFI: www.cfidrivers.com this Forum is of drivers not CFI themself

Interstate out of Wash.state

Gordonut of Oregon

Good Luck

You will definitely need the notarized letters and make sure that you can cover all time in the last ten years. Like it was said earlier they only need to verify your last three.

Might want to watch the internet talk of working for cash all of last year, that might wind over to the wrong eyes, ya, never, never, know.

Good luck, don't sweat the small stuff. There is not much studying to be done going in. Enjoy the ride, go into sponge mode for those weeks and be willing to listen and learn from those that are teaching, you'll be fine.

If you want study go buy a toy tractor trailer with a true pivot point at the 5th wheel to simulate a true setup and make a test hole in your living room and play with the thing for hours until you can back it into a hole a few inches (which will be a few feet in a month in a parking lot) wider than the toy trailer in 1 shot.

You will learn more from that than reading a book and leap frog the rest of your class when it comes time to hit the back in maneuvers, go for it.