some advice please

**firefox3006** · 07.27.2012

I am thinking about a career change to truck driving and am looking for any helpful advice about which truck companies offer school then becoming a company driver. I am married with four kids and home time would be great. I also know that as a truck driver it's would be my job to deliver freight where I'm told. I have talked to recruiters from Swift, CR England, Central, and Prime. I'm leaning towards Prime and the fact that I live in Kansas and Primes training is in Springfield Missouri. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

**CenutryClass** · 07.27.2012

Please use the search function. We get a few of these threads per day and your situation is not unique. Browse a few pages in this forum and you will see what I mean.

**Balakov100** · 07.27.2012

Where do you live in KS?
Swift has a dedicated acct for Walmart out of Harrisonville Mo.
They have some guys pulling containers running out of Edwardsville also.
OTR Swift is OK, not the best but definitely not the worst.

Don't know anything about Prime.

CRE Cross them off your list.

**TRKRSHONEY** · 07.27.2012

Originally Posted by firefox3006

I am thinking about a career change to truck driving and am looking for any helpful advice about which truck companies offer school then becoming a company driver. I am married with four kids and home time would be great. I also know that as a truck driver it's would be my job to deliver freight where I'm told. I have talked to recruiters from Swift, CR England, Central, and Prime. I'm leaning towards Prime and the fact that I live in Kansas and Primes training is in Springfield Missouri. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

I would suggest holding off on truck driving if you have children. Very few companies can give you 'guaranteed' home time on a regular basis. At best you can expect to be home a day and a half per week (34hrs). The other extreme would be a week off after 7 weeks on the road. For the most part, you 'earn' one day of home time for every week you run. Most drivers with a family find that there is a tremendous problem with being away for such an extended time. They miss their kids and wife, and often the wife gets resentful because the full load of day to day responsibilities falls directly on her shoulders.

The best option would be to talk to some local companies about any job openings & if they would be willing to hire a new driver, then get your CDL through a community college or local trucking school.

Most importantly though, sit down and have a LONG talk with your wife about the pluses and minuses of such a career change.

Good luck.

**OpenRoadDreamer** · 07.27.2012

Hometime can be difficult. Depending on where in Kansas you live, we have places there to pickup from, at least on the flatbed side (only know bout Dodge City on reefer side). If you want to know more bout Prime check out the Prime section on here.

**trainer007** · 07.28.2012

I have worked for prime now.for.over three years. I have worked.for other companies before this one. Some.had schools. Some did.not. I can tell you this, prime is the better school and company to go with. Home time is always hard. You.will be away from family a lot. As a company, prime tries to.work with you for your hometime. Normally it is 4 weeks out and then hometime. But if you are set on driving a truck, I would highly suggest prime. Good luck.

**firefox3006** · 07.28.2012

i live about a hour from edwardsville

**Keyster** · 07.28.2012

If you're confident your wife is an extremely strong and mature woman and your children will easily adapt to you being gone for weeks at a time, you'll do OK. Based on the statistics however, the odds are in favor of you becoming a "single dad". At $350 a kid, that's $1400 a month in child support, and if you don't pay, the court pulls your license to drive ANYTHING. Really think this one through friend.