[dle]

A point of order if you would please allow me.

I would not be too concerned about what the particular terminal is like. Because more than likely you will be driving 48 states during the time that you are out, and then they will try to get you back to your home terminal. You would be better served if you were concerned with what the company as a whole is like.

Since you don't have your CDL, and you are planning on going to a CC, get that out of the way first. You still have time to decide what company you want to go to.


I drove for Swift for a year, and overall my experience with them was a good one. At least up until the point when a moose and I had an encounter. I also drove for Werner - a nightmare of a nightmare.

From the few drivers that drive (or driven) for knight that I've had contact with - the impression I get is that they are a close tie with Werner.

I would also suggest that before you commit yourself to one of those programs - learn what it is like on the road first.

[Retired in Nevada]

Originally Posted by dle

A point of order if you would please allow me.

I would not be too concerned about what the particular terminal is like. Because more than likely you will be driving 48 states during the time that you are out, and then they will try to get you back to your home terminal. You would be better served if you were concerned with what the company as a whole is like.

Since you don't have your CDL, and you are planning on going to a CC, get that out of the way first. You still have time to decide what company you want to go to.


I drove for Swift for a year, and overall my experience with them was a good one. At least up until the point when a moose and I had an encounter. I also drove for Werner - a nightmare of a nightmare.

From the few drivers that drive (or driven) for knight that I've had contact with - the impression I get is that they are a close tie with Werner.

I would also suggest that before you commit yourself to one of those programs - learn what it is like on the road first.

I appreciate what you're saying here, dle. I am concerned with what the company -- any company -- as a whole is like. In Knight's case, I have heard and read that the staff at each terminal has quite a bit of autonomy regarding how they run that terminal.

Did Swift fire you after your encounter with the moose? If they did, why? If the moose ran out in front of your truck, wasn't that an unpreventable accident? Did Swift ding your DAC report for that?

As I mentioned in an earlier post, my only choices as a complete noob in southern Nevada appear to be Knight, Swift, and Werner. Werner is out, as they do not take anybody with even one DUI lifetime. As I also mentioned earlier, I have one 14-year-old DUI, so my choice is between Knight and Swift.

So, given a choice between Knight and Swift to get one year of "starter" driving under my belt, which of the two would you suggest. One or the other . . . death is not an option

[geargrinder]

Originally Posted by jd112488

i have always wondered how people make money on this deal. 7 days on...i would venture to say 2300 miles?? then 7 days off..i would venture to say 0000 miles. i see only 2 paychecks a month at that rate???

it's a part time job for persons looking to augment another source of income - read retired military, government, state.

Roehl's hometime program keeps ya hopping at a 3000+ mile clip (no it isn't 1500 out and do a U turn!).

[dle]

A shortened version of the story is that somehow the accident got coded as hitting a cow (which is preventable) and I was terminated. After doing some pushing they realized oops they made a booboo and coded it correctly for hitting a moose. BTW Swift doesn't use DAC. Currently, we drive for Panther.

Pretty much all of the companies, swift, werner, covenant etc etc will claim that individual terminals are autonomous. The question needs to be - where are the load planners and dispatchers located at? For instance when we were at Swift, we were based out of the Lancaster term (where are normal hours dispatch was) - after hours dispatch was out of Memphis. Any load planner out of any terminal and the two previously mention dispatch locations can give you loads. Don't know how Knight works it.

One guarantee for you, if you talk to enough current and former drivers for any carrier you will end up with the same number of good experiences and bad experiences. The thing when you get bad reports - is to push for information. If they don't give much - count that as a no-vote, they probably have a case of sour grapes. For example,
Them: Yeah I left xyz because they just weren't giving me the miles I wanted.
You: Ok, how many miles are you looking for in a week?
Them: As many as I can get.
You: Well how many miles did you get?
Them: Not enough.
You: Ok thanks for the info. <Walk away and put this as a no-vote>

Based on my overall experience with Swift it was good.

IMHO.
Focus on these things first. 1) will the companies I'm interested in accept the school i want to go to 2)
will they reimburse me for the school, what are the terms of that 3) what are the training requirements for the companies i want to go to ( 2 weeks, 3 weeks, 6 weeks) 4) during training how / what am I paid 5) after training what will i be paid 6) When will the benefits that I need start and how much do they cost.

Keep in mind that recruiters are used-car salesmen. The more you talk to with the same questions will give you the correct answer.

[Smooth]

Originally Posted by geargrinder

it's a part time job for persons looking to augment another source of income - read retired military, government, state.

Roehl's hometime program keeps ya hopping at a 3000+ mile clip (no it isn't 1500 out and do a U turn!).

The Roehl 7/7 program was fantastic when I was on it a few years ago. I averaged 3350 miles at .38 cpm. I made the mistake of quitting and going to Yellow, as of now I'm local but that is the one OTR job I was happy with.

[jd112488]

i wasnt trying to be a dick..just asking cause i didnt know.

[scythe08]

Hey Retired,

How are things going?

[jonp]

Originally Posted by Syncrosonix

no, what i NEED is some snatch ("dinner" tomorrow night with a hot chick. it's gonna happen for sure.), and i need to continue my education. the so-called OTR lifers do it because they can't do anything else in life. they're either too dumb or have jacked up so much that it's OTR, go back to jail, or the halfway house. although there are those who are intelligent to do other things in life. however, they're stuck because of their age. i feel sorry for those guys and gals. i don't want to end up bitter like them. i'm already jaded as can be. any intelligent person can see that the over-the-road trucking industry is pure garbage. too bad jonp can't see it. even after taking an african safari.

my tolerance for morons OTR has come to a very sharp end. i sometimes feel like i'm gonna smash somebody's face in. i hate dumb, uneducated people. my tolerance for them is even lower when i can smell them from 10ft away, and it's not their cologne i'm smelling. i wish it was. instead, the stench is from an uncouth, disgusting man-piglet who rolls around in his own ******* filth.

This life certainly isn't for everyone. I started it after getting my B.S. Biology because it's what I want to do. If you value it as little as you do women ( would you call your mother "snatch"?...don't answer that) then find something else.

Your second paragraph substantiates my post. Nothing is stopping you from going back to school. Why don't your do the motoring public a favor and get your angry butt off the road before you hurt someone.

[jonp]

Originally Posted by geargrinder

it's a part time job for persons looking to augment another source of income - read retired military, government, state.

Roehl's hometime program keeps ya hopping at a 3000+ mile clip (no it isn't 1500 out and do a U turn!).

I did the 7/7 for almost 2 years or so. Got 3000+ every week I was there at .42/mile.

[Retired in Nevada]

Originally Posted by scythe08

Hey Retired,

How are things going?

I continue to read this board and other truck driver message boards. I have until the second week of December to decide if I want to attend the CDL training program at my local community college -- fully paid for by the state -- and then plunge into OTR trucking.

I'm really torn as I read these boards. So many of you seem to hate OTR trucking. A minority of you seems to like it.

Knight's Las Vegas terminal incessantly runs ads in the Vegas fishwrap and on Vegas Craigslist, which makes me wonder if there is something very wrong with driving for Knight out of its Vegas terminal.

As I mentioned before, it appears that Knight and Swift are my only choices. I have read plenty of negative stuff about Swift on these boards as well.

Frankly, I would rather do something else, like entering the health care field. But I have neither the time nor the money to do that.

I am certain that I will make my decision regarding OTR trucking at the very last moment in December.