I'm a veteran with only two full time employers over the past 13 years. I was in the military for six years (honorable discharge), finished up my degree over the next two years, and then spent a little over five years with one employer. I've driven large buses in the past as an extra duty, so I do have some experience operating larger vehicles. I have had no issues with the law and I have a clean driving record. From what I've been reading, the consistent work history and clean driving record are big pluses in my favor.

I've been toying with the idea of getting a CDL-A for some time as it would be a big departure from what I've been doing for the past several years (desk job). As luck would have it...the local CDL school has a full-time class starting up in a week. This class would be 100% paid for with the remainder of my G.I. bill. I've got a friend that went to this school and they helped him with job placement (they had him lined up for a job when he graduated), so I'm confident that this school will be a good route for me to go.

My question for you...what would be a good option for me, in terms of carriers (i.e. Northern Virginia and East Tennessee)? I would like to make decent money, but I've been around long enough to known that things like benefits and spending time at home are of more importance to me...so I won't be focused strictly on the base salary. I would like to get setup with a company that values their employees. By that, I mean a company that has an "environment" that would encourage someone like myself to stick around for a while. I'm not afraid of hard work, but it is important to be to be part of an organization that values its people. I would appreciate any advice that you might be able to offer. Thank you.

Edit: I'm currently living in Northern Virgina, but I'd like to relocate to East Tennessee in the near future. A company that has a presence in both places (I've found a couple just Googling around) would be a big plus to me.

Okay, if you're just hellbent on doing this, then PRIME, Inc. and C.R. England are two fine, reputable companies that offer excellent lease operator contracts that would be well suited to meet your needs!!

Haha. Thank you. I'll check those two carriers out. Another that I've heard good things about is Schneider. It sounds like my main limitation will be my lack of experience (many carriers seem to require at least a year of documented experience).

CRE wouldn't even make my top 100, let alone the short list.

Yeah...when I read "lease operator contracts," I assumed that he was just being sarcastic.

The main thing you need starting out is experience. Once you have a year or two behind the wheel, your options will be greatly enhanced. Schneider used to give priority to military personnel. They also had a training program. I don't know if the training program is still around. Millis, Roehl, Swift, US Xpress and Covenant are some who still offer training and all of them should service the areas that you are interested. A good company that has a terminal near the tri cities is Big G Express. They are based out of Shelbyville, TN and usually manage to get drivers home most weekends. I think they still require some driving experience. If you lived in southern Virginia or around the Tri Cities in northeastern Tennessee, it might be something that will work for you. Covenant has a school in Chattanooga. Millis has a school in Cartersville, GA. I don't know if US Xpress actually has a school near Chattanooga, but they are based in the area and have a terminal just south in Tunnel Hill, GA. Good luck.

I'll have to check them out. I don't live down there at the moment, but I do have friends in the area (I might be able to work out a rental arrangement if I can find a carrier down there). I've got a roof over my head at the moment is why I opted to just do the training up in Northern Virginia. My other thought (maybe incorrect) is that if I already had the CDL and required endorsements before applying...companies might be more apt to give me a chance than they might otherwise be if they had to literally train me from scratch and wait on me to pass the tests.

If I had more time to think this out (my employer folded this past Friday and I locked in my spot in this course on Saturday), I might/could have gone with one of the companies that have an in-house training program. I'm just happy that I won't have to wait too long to get going on the course (it starts next week).

As you said...at this point, I understand that I just need to get in with a carrier to get some experience before I'll have the luxury of being too picky. Getting down to the Tri-Cities area is definitely my top goal for the near future (hopefully within the next year). Thank you for your advice.

Edit: It looks like Covenant is an option for recent CDL graduates.

Start calling companies and putting in job app's NOW, don't wait till after schools out. Your new cdl has a very short shelf life with out experience. A new employer wants to get you into a truck as soon as possible following graduation. get as many pre-hire letters you can and then start culling the herd.

I started this process a couple days ago. I already got a positive response from one (Werner), so that is encouraging.

How short do you think the shelf life is (you're not the first person that I've seen mention this)? i.e. If I go to part-time for the class (I have a probably work conflict coming up soon)...that will likely put me somewhere around 12/20 for a graduation date. I wouldn't want to start orientation and be gone for Christmas, if I can prevent it. That and I have to assume (maybe incorrectly) that no companies are going to want to start orientation Christmas week...so maybe this is a non issue.

So my second question would be...do you think I'd have a problem getting a company to agree to a orientation on or after 1/1/2015 if I don't graduate until approximately 12/20? Thank you.

Bear in mind that I've been out of the industry for quite some time now, (nearly a decade) and I was never a "career driver"; I drove for a few years because it was something I had always wanted to do, and I had a very limited window of opportunity in which to do it. That was also before fuel hit $2.00 per gallon.

I was much luckier than most noobies, as I worked for a fine, family friendly, midsized carrier (N.D.I.; National Distributors Inc., which is now N.D.L; National Distributors Leasing) out of Sellersburg, Indiana. They were small enough to know me by name and kind enough to care about my family, yet they were large enough to keep me running steadily. I also had an honest recruiter, an incredible trainer an excellent dispatcher, and yes, I was able to spend Christmas at home. How did I get to be so lucky?? I can only say that The Good Lord watches over children and fools, and I was no child!! Once again, that was about a decade ago, and much has changed in the industry over the last ten years.

After the economy entered into recession in the latter part of 2007, and entered into free-fall in 2008, the dynamics of the industry shifted most dramatically. In addition to the recession, fuel prices shot upward, and quite a few long established trucking companies shut their doors. Many experienced drivers suddenly found themselves on the outside looking in. Since that time, the overall economy has recovered, and the trucking industry industry has recovered to varying degrees, with certain parts of the industry being hotter than others.

In the oilfields, the demand for drivers is screaming, but even that boom won't last forever. While those jobs pay well, you'll earn every dime they pay you. The hours are long, the weather can be horrendous, and a lot of things can go wrong. Those industry jobs are usually filled by experienced drivers, and even if it's possible for a rookie to get hired, I'm not sure that attempting to begin your career in that industry would be a good idea.

Please understand that I'm not trying to discourage you, nor am I trying to be overly pessimistic. Here's wishing you the best!!