[bigpapa7272]

the thing is is i have 1 accident in 5 years which result in only 1500 vbucks in damage and i have had no tickets in 5 years thas what didnt make sense.

Yeah i still live at home so i have no responsibilities

Originally Posted by bigpapa7272

The list of companies wanting to hire me is growing by the day. I guess only 1 accident in 5 years and no tickets in 5 years makes u a an easy hire.

The real reason is that these companies can't hold on to drivers for very long due to the astronomical 120% turnover rates. That's why they're constantly hiring even when freight is soft like it is now. Because once people figure out what a burn-job it is, they leave the biz ASAP.

The irregular work-shifts, poor diet/excercise, and long hours on the job will take a toll on your mind and body. That type of lifestyle is pretty much begging for Type II diabetes. Way too many freebies.

What if I bought out your pizza shop and paid you by the slice instead of hourly/salary? And then out of every 10 slices you served, I'd only pay you for 9 due to PMG (Pizza Movers Guide). If no customers showed up, you'd have to stand around unpaid. Same deal if the pizza oven broke or the lights went out. No pay for cleaning tables, mopping floors, sacking the trash, fueling the deep-fryer, etc. Ano no, I will no longer furnish brooms, mops, gloves, uniforms, etc - you must pay for all of that out of your own pocket. No more overtime after 8/40, either. The new workschedule I've posted in the breakroom goes like this: 14-hour days, 7 days per week, with no weekends off. Shifts will be determined by rolling a 24-sided dice: one day start at 0800, the next 1300, the next 2100, etc. Due to such irregular workshifts and the "on-call" nature of the job, employees are no longer permitted to go home. They must sleep on cots in a double-wide trailer with no indoor plumbing out back behind the shop. Oh yeah, and after all that you'll make the same money you're making now.

Honestly, would you still do the job? If you answered "yes", then you're either desperate or you've got some sort of deep-seated mental problems going. If you answered "no", then why on earth would you even consider OTR trucking?

P.S. - in the above pizza-shop story, I'd end up in jail if I tried that. But it's SOP in OTR. :lol: :roll:

[Jimbpard]

Try Millis Transfer.
Roehl doesnt seem to be too bad either.
When I was looking to get training, Millis paid the best, although you only got home about 4 days a month if that. But overall, seem like a very good company. The one thing I can suggest is dont get on Mike Millis's bad side. I hear he can be a j/o

[Cluggy619]

Originally Posted by ColdFrostyMug

What if I bought out your pizza shop and paid you by the slice instead of hourly/salary? And then out of every 10 slices you served, I'd only pay you for 9 due to PMG (Pizza Movers Guide). If no customers showed up, you'd have to stand around unpaid. Same deal if the pizza oven broke or the lights went out. No pay for cleaning tables, mopping floors, sacking the trash, fueling the deep-fryer, etc. Ano no, I will no longer furnish brooms, mops, gloves, uniforms, etc - you must pay for all of that out of your own pocket. No more overtime after 8/40, either. The new workschedule I've posted in the breakroom goes like this: 14-hour days, 7 days per week, with no weekends off. Shifts will be determined by rolling a 24-sided dice: one day start at 0800, the next 1300, the next 2100, etc. Due to such irregular workshifts and the "on-call" nature of the job, employees are no longer permitted to go home. They must sleep on cots in a double-wide trailer with no indoor plumbing out back behind the shop. Oh yeah, and after all that you'll make the same money you're making now.

:lol: :roll:

HAHAHAHAHA ........PMG...I knew JB was pay me by the slice. They ate the topping off before they gave it to me, though.

This is a great analogy..... :lol: :lol:

[fatman]

Yeah that's about the best analogy I've ever read. Kudos.

[feederfred]

That was a really good accurate analogy of the way it REALLY is in the trucking business today. Way to go CFM !

[arky]

Driving is definitely a different job from anything you've ever done before...and yes, you will provide a lot of unpaid labor. But, at the same time, when the week is done, you'll probably earn quite a bit more than your making slinging pizza dough. These guys can run down the industry all they want, but I'm bringing home $500-$800/wk and home most weekends. I do put in close to 70 hours a week to get that money, but it's not as bad as they make it out to be. At least not for me. I've worked as a tool and die maker for the last 15 years where you punch the clock everyday and listen to the same old tired, disgruntled bs from the same people every day. At least out on the road, your hearing it from someone different! LOL.

My suggestion to you is to look very hard for any type of government assistance for your schooling. If you can afford to pay for it on your, I would do that too before signing a contract. If you find that you just can't live with the negatives, a year is going to feel like an eternity...I doubt you'll make it if your not satisfied. With no commitment, you could simply walk away.

You need to do a lot of research for schools in your area. Find one that suits you and then talk to them. They should be willing to help you get assistance if it's possible. Be cautious of them if they try to sign you up to a carrier, they are probably getting paid to recruit you, and that contract is the same contract you would be signing with Swift or any other training company. Once it's signed, it's binding. You do have to be careful, there are a lot of sharks out there feeding on newbies.

As for companies. I work for Maverick and would recommend them...but I really don't think they hire in your area. It would be worth looking into. The school I went to was full of USA and PAM students. Most of them didn't even know who they would be working for when they arrived at school. The school assigned them a company and a contract. It was ridiculous. The stories we were hearing of those two companie's training programs were plain scary. I wouldn't consider either of them on their best day if I was desperate for a job.

CFI, Millis, Crete (if they hire students), TransAm, KLLM. I hear good things about most of these companies. Start out as good as you can. Go with the company that has the best reputation and will hire you. Do everything possible to do it without a contract.

That's my advice,

Arky

[arky]

I left out something :roll:

I think just about everyone on this board would agree that LTL is the way to go if you can get it. Being from Baltimore, your probably in a good location to get into LTL freight. Some of the LTL companies provide training too if you live in an area where they have to recruit drivers. Where I live it's not going to happen, but where you live, it's possible.

I would check into Old Dominion for sure. I know they have a dock to driver training program. You would work the dock as a regular job, but when it's your turn, you'll be sent to CDL training. I don't remember for sure, but I don't think there is even a contract for the training at OD, but don't take that to heart, I could be wrong. This is a VERY good set-up for anyone who lives close to a terminal...especially a young person. You could find yourself in a VERY good paying job within a few years and be home every night.

Arky

[silvan]

Originally Posted by feederfred

That was a really good accurate analogy of the way it REALLY is in the trucking business today. Way to go CFM !

Me three. It just underscores my whole rant about us being FLSA exempt. We keep this country running by sitting around for free, and it's a crock.

[feederfred]

Yes, I know all about the FLSA "rants", been in a few of them. It amazes me how you always get the defenders of "thats just how it's always been"....I don't give away any of my time, and NO-ONE who drives for a living should either.