[rontwo]

I have posted a few times but not many. But I have been lurking here for quite some time. Trans am Diary gave me the idea to do one on Maverick. Now I know most of you are probably thinking *oh geesh another Maverick post :roll: * but the difference between mine and the rest is that I have decided to go with Mavericks specialized division and well to be honest I haven't been able to find any information about that anywhere. So I figured I would add what Im learning along the way.

I recently graduated the Truck Driver Training Course at Cape Fear Community College in Wilmington NC. A rather long feeling 10 week course which I drove an hour and a half for each way every day for the past 10 long weeks. I didn't think getting started would ever happen but I must say that the folks in charge of the Truck Driver Training Course at this school are GREAT! They told me where I needed to go, where was the cheapest place to go etc to get everything that I needed done completed before I started school. It was a mad dash and at times I wasn't so sure I was going to make it but believe it or not, I got everything done in 3 days.

The school itself was great as well. The school has a lot of different tractors and they rotated us out every day driving different types. I have driven a 9 speed, 10 speed, super 10, super 13, cab overs, doubles, tankers,.. you name it I pretty much drove it.

During this time, my great wife started doing a lot of research by going threw tons of trucking companies, when she found the ones that she liked she than passed those on to me and we went threw them together. It was at this time that I found Maverick and started doing my research on this company.

I than decided that out of the companies I was looking at after all my research that I would give Maverick a call. I called and spoke to a recruiter and was very pleased with everything he had to tell me. Now one of the big things with me is that I tend not to believe a recruiter, 9 times out of 10 they are making their money by convincing me to go with their company however Maverick is not like that, my recruiter told me the first time I spoke to him that none of the recruiters with maverick get paid any type of commission for getting a new driver for the company. Sure he could have been blowing smoke but he seemed more interested in what I was interested in and what I was looking for than what the company was looking for (another bonus in my book). I decided after that first phone call that I was making the best choice for me.

So once we got off the phone, I went on-line and filled out my application, called my recruiter back and let him know I had applied. Within 30 minutes of me hitting the *submit* button, my phone was ringing and it was my recruiter again, calling to go over my application with me. Once that was done, the ball was in his court to do what he needed to do on his end. A few days later I got the call that I was pre-hired. Now where most people would get excited, I learned not to count my chickens before they hatch. I still had a bit of schooling to get done and than after that I have to complete all that Maverick requires before I am out on my own.

My wife has been celebrating along the way and although I keep telling her not to get to excited I haven't gotten a job yet, she keeps telling me to let her *woo whoo* along the way!

I had been keeping in contact with my recruiter while I was in school just to touch base from time to time and let him know how things were going. I received my CDL about a week and a half ago and knew that the end of my schooling was coming soon so again I contacted my recruiter and we started the ball rolling on when I would head out for Orientation. I had my options on 2 different dates either the 25th of March or the 19th of March and of course, I decided to take the closer one.

Today was my actual graduation day and I started the morning out with a phone call to my recruiter again to make sure everything was in place for me to be there for Orientation on the 19th. Now where Mavericks flat bed drivers head to AR, Maverick Specialized Division is all handled in the Great State of NC about a four and a half hour drive from where I live. Everything is set up and I will be heading out on the 18th to head up to Laurinburg NC for my Orientation Monday morning.

I want to say a special thanks to Arky who has given me tons of information on what to expect when it comes to Maverick, as well as redsfan, Stevedb28 and whoever else posted about their experience with Maverick.

and *thanks again* to madii's wife for giving me the idea to do a diary on the specialized division.

I will keep you all updated along the way as I am going threw things, well, I will be having my wife update you as I let her know how things are going.

Stay safe out there!

[GTR SILVER]

all the best to you!!!!
does "specialized" mean anymore hometime................or dedicated, or heavy haul????

[arky]

Congratulations rontwo!! Your on your way to making some pretty decent money.

I really like the idea of you starting a diary. I would also suggest that maybe you do it a blog format and link the blog to your profile like others do. I have a lot of people (yourself included) that have asked me questions about the specialized division that I just couldn't give an honest, knowledgeable answer. You should be able to fill that gap in time. That would be a great help to anyone considering specialized.

Keep up the good work!

Arky

[arky]

The specialized division's main freight base is glass hauling, as I understand it. They also haul alot of other stuff, such as heavy machinery and I've even seen airplane hulls on those trucks. They also haul some of the general flatbed freight at times.

Give rontwo a couple of months and he'll be able to tell ya!

Arky

[tinbender8700]

I look forward to reading this. I'm in Thomasville right now working on my CDL for Maverick Specialized, and should be in Laurinburg for securement training in 3 or 4 weeks.
BOL

[rontwo]

Originally Posted by GTR SILVER

all the best to you!!!!
does "specialized" mean anymore hometime................or dedicated, or heavy haul????

The difference between the specialized division and their flatbed division from what I know so far is..

specialized you are gone 12 to 14 days at a time, pay wise is a bit higher cpm (ends up being about a penny more per mile after the first year), and their is a 70 something percent no touch when it comes to specialized.

flatbed they guarantee you home every weekend although you have to keep in mind that as with any company, there might be some weeks where they cant get you home that weekend (according to my recruiter he said their drivers average about 3 weekends per year that they don't get home), pay like I said is about 1 cpm lower than specialized after the first year, and from what I understand its alot of tarping (no big deal really but its one of the differences).

I'm not sure what all they haul but arky answered that with what he knows or has seen. I will find out more once I head out there this coming weekend and will let you know what I find out along the way.

you can check out their web site and compare the differences by clicking on both flatbed and specialized. maverick's website

[rontwo]

Originally Posted by tinbender8700

I look forward to reading this. I'm in Thomasville right now working on my CDL for Maverick Specialized, and should be in Laurinburg for securement training in 3 or 4 weeks.
BOL

Congratulations on getting hired on with Maverick! Good Luck in school, hopefully we will run into each other along the way.

Is Thomasville the school that Maverick uses? If it is and if you don't mind, can you post about the schooling.. just to give other people information on what to expect if they are looking into going threw that schooling. There is alot of information on here about the school in AR. that Maverick uses but I haven't seen much on the school in Thomasville.

BOL

[GTR SILVER]

thanks rontwo..................be well............ be safe...........& god bless!!!!!!!

[tinbender8700]

Ronto.
The school that Maverick Specialized uses is in Thomasville, NC. This school not only services Maverick Specialized, but most of the students there are folks wanting to get a CDL for any number of reasons. I have seen more recruiters there in the past 3 weeks than I can shake a stick at!...lol
The schooling itself I can find no fault in. They teach a pretty intense course, but they do give plenty of classroom time for you to study, work on tests etc. etc. The teachers are top notch in my book. They know what they're talking about, and I have yet to see an instructor either in the classroom, or on the yard who does not have at least 10 years experience in trucking.
This one school I wouldn't even begin to consider to be a "CDL Mill". It's explained to you on day one, "we will work with you and help you, but if you're going be here, then put in an honest effort. If you miss a class then you'll be held back until the course you missed is taught again. (usually about 2 weeks) Now don't anyone get me wrong, this isn't a boot camp type of schooling, but the way they see it, if you're going to spend the money to get a CDL, then you need to apply yourself.
They'll even work with you if your test score fall below their minimum requirement.
All in all, I like the school, and have learned alot in my few weeks there.

BTW...this is a privately owned school, not company owned.

BOL...Tinbender

[BobMack]

I understand the flatbed division has a pretty vigorous fitness test. Does the specialized division have the same test?