Looking into a Trucking Career

Check the SVTN website.
Houston area is tanker heaven.
Hazmat/tanker you can make, $60K on the low side & on up in the $80K, without having to do the oil fields.

 

Big companies are easy to get info about but smaller companies are everywhere and we all know they may appreciate your service as much or more than a big carrier. Here's a website that'll help you see what's out there:

http://ai.fmcsa.dot.gov/SMS/Data/Search.aspx

Thanks for your service to our country Steven and welcome back.

 

Roehl... I was air force..theres a whole slew of us here.. called Roehl honor program..send me a pm if u want. there is a special recruiter.

 

Thanks for your service and keeping us safe. God bless you.

 

I suggest that you sit down and make a list of what you want to do in the trucking field. Do you want to drive vans, flats, or tanker? Would you like to try specialized trucking? Where would you like to operate out of? Do you want long haul or dedicated? Where do you want to be in 1 year, 5 years, and retirement? Do you have a family if so how do you want to integrate them into the business? These are just some of the goals you should be setting down for yourself. If you just jump in with no knowledge of the company or the business there's a good chance you may fail. In this line of work you have to go by the rule of " the more you put into the business the more you'll get out". Do a huge amount of research and then do some more. There's ways to find out about a company to see their true standing. A recruiter will never tell you the absolute truth about a company he or she may be pushing.

You'll need to understand how important it is to keep your driving record clean and your character in good standing. Never take one person or one point of information as the way things are. Back up any information you get. When 5 or 10 people are telling you the same thing then there's a very large chance the information is correct. This site is very good for research, you'll find drivers that may have worked at the company your looking at. Just remember that there's no two drivers alike. What may be good pay, a great company, and so forth may not work for you.

Set realistic goals for yourself. You can shoot high but always have a backup plan. Once you get into school you find that companies send out pre-hire letters. There's not much reliability in those letters IN MY OPINION. You will have people telling you that your only chance in this business is to sign on with the mega carriers. These large companies have set their programs up to allow a new school graduate to easily transition into their company. Some will even train you if you sign a contract to work for them a set amount of time. These companies have the highest turn over rate in the business. There's a reason for that. Mostly because of the pay. But then again there have been some that have made good on that path and have moved on to bigger and better things. It's what fits you and no one else.

Right now you should be looking for the best school you can find and weigh all the options. Learn about the company paid training and the pros and cons as well as private schools. Of course you want the best because it will help you later on. Keep a good attitude during your entire career. You'll never stop learning and try to do the job better today than yesterday. You do that for yourself and no one else.

That should be something to think about. Most of us are here to help the new drivers along. We may tell some whopper stories and if you ask any dispatcher they will tell you all truck drivers lie but we do try. Just like the military you'll want to work yourself up the ladder to the best job that fits your needs.

 

Age shouldn't matter unless you're under 23. Even if you are, I had one recruiter tell the 21 year old that just got out of the service that it wasn't an issue for military. As long as you're history isn't terrible, no accidents or criminal history, you can get almost anything you want I'd think. Trucking companies seem to jump for military background, especially if you drove.

 

Not sure where you are, But I want to First Say Thank You for your Service, It never goes unnoticed nor does it go unappreciated by the true Blooded Americans that mostly hang around these parts, There are steering wheels holders that hit and miss in here every now and again, But for the most part we are all here for you. I would certainly check into the Roehl(pronounced RAIL) Site or P.M. the poster previous to this. I wish you luck in the process of coming back to Civilian life, it is often not a easy thing to do, If I were you I would certainly get in an Accredited School where you can go most anywhere you want to go as soon as you are finished with school, there are companies that will come to your school to recruit you. Plus you can also go out out get prehire letters of intent meaning they will be interested in you once you finish your schooling, If you go into school with try and figure out which one you want to go to once you have completed the training, I don't think that many of them will officially accept or acknowledge the training you have received in the military but that knowledge is good to have, Now don't let me discourage you in that your training in the Military was appreciated but may not be accepted as time doing what is done in civilian life. If you were going to a company like a Dry Van company I would highly suggest that you stay there for at least a year, But since you want to go Tanker then you should be starting at an above average company where you should be away from the starter company antics. i hope this helps. Feel free to P.M. any of us as we are always willing to help a Vet. coming back to Civilian life. Again Thank You.