It's not an easy row to hoe. My guess is that your experience is mostly equipment and supply hauling in day cabs? If so, your experience most likely won't count in the eyes of training companies; which is what you'll be limited to because your wife needs training. That means that most companies are going to require you to, at a minimum, go out with a trainer. Your wife is going to have to attend truck driving school to get her Class A. You can either send her on your own dime or sign on with a company that has a school of its own or an affiliated school. If you have the resources, I would recommend the former. There are only a few companies that are doing full-fledged schooling and most of them (England, Central Refrigerated, Swift) don't have great reps. There are better training companies that will hire new graduates of driving schools and have reimbursement programs. Schneider and Gordon come to mind as two operating in the NW that have better than bottom-feeder reps. Schneider, in particular, is decent for teams. Your time with a trainer is much more palatable because you train as a team and the trainer doesn't drive; he simply observes from the passenger seat. They also pay for hotels so the training team and trainer aren't sharing a truck. Often the team gets the hotel because the trainer prefers to stay with his truck/stuff. Now, this is how they used to do things and I haven't heard anything to the contrary, but things may have changed.
I believe Gordon hires graduates, but I don't know anything about their training methods. They have a decent rep as far as training companies go. Interstate is in your area, but I don't think they hire graduates anymore. Might be worth a call though. May Trucking is NW heavy and I do believe they hire new drivers. Market Transport out of Portland may also hire newbies, but I'm not sure. TWT used to, but I don't believe they do anymore. I'm not sure if Knight is hiring graduates these days; they might be.
There are several mid-size companies in the NW. Most require some experience due to insurance but you never know until you call. Do some research on the web and make a few calls. As a husband/wife team, you'll be in demand. After you get that first year under your belt, you'll be able to hire on with just about anybody. But getting your wife her Class A and getting the two of you trained might be a trying time. Really, it all depends on your attitude; if you're good at adapting and not too high strung, it'll be a cakewalk. Most of the problems that drivers have, they bring on themselves. Keep a good attitude and an open mind, do your research and don't rush into anything and you'll be fine. Don't be afraid to ask questions. Good luck.
|
