[bigpapa7272]

Hi everyone!

I am Mike Im 26 from baltimore md. I am currently in the pizza business and want out. I want to get a job in the truck driving industry as a solo company driver and possibly be an owner operator one day, see the country and stop seeing the boring humdrum sights of baltimore that i see everyday and meet new people.

I apllied and serveral companies want me to go to their school and i read a bunch of good and not so good stories about certain schools.

I have applied to and currently have talked to the following companies

Swift
Pam
USA Truck
CR England
Schneider

Ive been debating among all of these and dont know which one to go with, as i need cdl training.
A guy I work with told me either go to swift or go to a private truck driving school like allstate.

Also is it a good idea to get my cdl permit on my own before I go to school?
I would appreciate any input you may have.

Mike

[YoungZ.W.]

Hi Mike, Welcome to the forum! As far as the companies go I would say stay away from CR England. Do a search on here and see what you find. They have caused a lot of drivers great misery. Swift from what mainly everyone says is pretty bad also. I've never driven for either one. Between the companies you have on your list I would say either USA truck or PAM. A lot of people were unhappy with Schneider schools because they were unhappy with their trainers. But I will suggests some others to you as well CFI, Crete, U.S. Xpress, WH Transportation, Roehl. Most of these companies have profiles in the company listings section. Most companies also offer tution reimbursement if you paid for your own schooling.

It is better to pay your own way through school than to go to a company sponsored school. If you go to a company school and you drive for them and leave before 1 year you will have a bill in the mail for the cost of the schooling :evil: As far as getting your permit before school I would say go ahead and do it. Most schools have the cost of you obtaining a permit included in the tution so they will most likely reimburse you for it. But different states have different time periods before the permit expires 3 mo., 6 mo, etc. so keep that in mind. Good luck.

[jjcasper]

Mike, What company depends on what you want out of the job. In the Baltimore area there are 12 companies that want you on this sight alone. So, pick and choose. How do you want to pay for it is another factor. If you go out of state for your CDL training you will waste your money on the permit. The out of state school will assist you in obtianing that states CDL then you transfer to your home state.

[Cluggy619]

Hiya Mike.

Welcome to the trucking world. Let us start by letting you know not everyone who learned to drive a truck stay to become truck drivers. There is alot more to it than just driving.

Pay is a big factor. If it's not for you, then this is the right career move, with lots of travel involved. Just take some time to see what you pass.

However, after a while, you might want that pizza business again. I hope some of the other truckers can expand on why I tell you this. Me, I'm a local driver hauling fuel. I did the OTR thing, and it wasn't for me.

Anyways, good luck, and drive safe.

[bigpapa7272]

Well I talked to some recruiters today. Scheneider called and asked me like 50 gazillion quests about 1 accident i had.
I get the feeling they wont be calling back.
I also talked to swift and she told me everything is good when i want to start school just give her a call and she will get me registered and setup with bus tickets and all i asked her why i had to go to memphis instead of richmond for training. i dont remember the reason why but swift wants to have me on board. She didnt asked me 1 question about the accident which was give a brief description.
I was talking to a guy who works for me 2 nights a week part time and hes a truck driver during the day on a local route for a local company. He told me that schneider has some shady ethics and practices he doesnt like When he started out he worked for swift he said his experience with them was nothing but positive all the way around. He also told me to stay away from cr england and pam.

He told me the best thing to do is to get trained get my first year under my belt, then go from there and decide wether to be a company driver or an owner operator. But he told me he makes good money as an o/o.

I think Im gonna get the training and 1st year under my belt and move on to a better company like r&l or crete or one of the other good carriers and be an owner operator a year or so down the road.

any other thoughts you guys might have would be aprreciated .

how hard is the dot physical?? I havent had any major health issues ever so i think i should be free and clear on that. do i have to take the dot physical that swift provides or can i go to my physician and have him do it for me?

[coastie]

Originally Posted by bigpapa7272

how hard is the dot physical?? I havent had any major health issues ever so i think i should be free and clear on that. do i have to take the dot physical that swift provides or can i go to my physician and have him do it for me?

I'm disabled and I was passing them with no problems.

[usdyver]

Before you sign on with any company step back and look at the offer. Don't obligate yourself to a years servitude to pay for training. If they have a payback plan thats great but letting them pay up front lends itself to you being stuck if it doesnt work out.
Remember there are hundreds of jobs and as many companies. The bigger the carrier the more impersonal it becomes.
I drive for a company with 700 trucks and its small enough that my dispatcher knows my likes/habits and quirks and keeps me happy and rolling.
Look at the local community college to train, its less money and you might e able to get some paid by the state.

Harry T
Star Transportation #3624

[spencerian]

I would look into CFI or TransAm. I just started with TransAm and like everything they tell me. If it all happens I will stay here for quite a while.

As far as school I would try to get in at a trade school or community college. Their training is BY FAR better than the CDL mills.

[silvan]

Originally Posted by bigpapa7272

how hard is the dot physical??

It's not bad except for the part where the doctor shoves both his fists up your butt. That part kind of sucks. The thing where they test your reflexes by thocking you in the nuts with a rubber hammer is not cool either, but it's all part of what you have to go through to drive for a living, and it's not as bad as what the DOT does to you.

do i have to take the dot physical that swift provides or can i go to my physician and have him do it for me?

That depends on the company. I have two medical cards in my wallet that are both good. My current employer would not accept a physical unless it was from THEIR doctor, so I had to drive 16 hours round trip for the @#%@#% physical. The DOT doesn't give a rat's ass who signed the card, as long as you have a card. It's all up to your company. In my case, the company physical was a joke compared to my regular physical. He only put ONE hand up my butt, and he actually used a soft hammer to thock me in the nuts, instead of a ball pein.

[Jumbo]

So you want to be a truck driver. Tired of making dough and want to make some dough?