Questions from a Central Florida newbie! Oh boy! - Truckers' Trucking Forum | Message Board

Cub · **^ Top** #1 01.09.2008

Heya friends!

Despite the silly title, these are serious questions.

I'm seriously considering learning to become a trucker as a life-long career here, but I want to know more about trucking and the state of things in Central Florida. This seems like something I could enjoy doing for a living while balancing my personal life along with that of my lady's (who, God bless her, supports me in becoming a trucker). Unlike most folks I know, I don't suffer from road rage; in fact, driving helps me to keep peace in my soul. Being out there on the road, especially alone, it's like... it's just you and God and the open sky.

Of course, there's traffic, weather, the roads, and the speeding joker who just cut you off and so forth, but those can be okay too. Especially when Mr. Full Grown Bear pulls over said speeding joker.

My questions thus far:

1. In Central Florida, what companies would you recommend to work for? So far, Con-way and Roadway seem decent, but I've never worked for them before. Have you?

2. It sounds like becoming a union member is the way to go. What's your opinion of this? Will being a union member increase or decrease one's chance of getting a job because of discrimination towards union members among trucking companies? Which unions really "walk the walk"?

3. Getting a CDL license is important of course, but learning how to be a good trucker is equally important to getting the license. It sounds like the best places to start are the community colleges. What do you think?

4. I want to drive locally so I can still be a strong part of that aforementioned lovely lady I'm married to, and come home as many nights as I'm able. Is driving locally the best way to achieve this?

I've taken a bit over an hour to read through recently-made posts and I've yet to come up with answers. I'm sure to find my own, but it'll definitely be made easier with your shared experience.

God bless and be safe,
Cub

K&J · **^ Top** #2 01.10.2008

My questions thus far:

1. In Central Florida, what companies would you recommend to work for? So far, Con-way and Roadway seem decent, but I've never worked for them before. Have you?

Conway and Roadway are both LTL companies and I'd imagine would be hard to get into with no experience. That type of job would be good for home time however if you can get one to hire you.

2. It sounds like becoming a union member is the way to go. What's your opinion of this? Will being a union member increase or decrease one's chance of getting a job because of discrimination towards union members among trucking companies? Which unions really "walk the walk"?

I'm not a union member and you'll find there are not really too many companies that are still union anymore. From what I understand, you start at the docs, work you way up to yard jockey and then maybe to driver with most unions. Again from what I understand, while union jobs pay more and have good benefits, you also pay out a lot of union dues... The unions are not for everyone and my trainer was x-union. Its not what we were looking for in trucking.

3. Getting a CDL license is important of course, but learning how to be a good trucker is equally important to getting the license. It sounds like the best places to start are the community colleges. What do you think?

I think everyone here agrees that the CC programs are the best ones. In Central FL Mid Florida Tech is the best and only CC program I know of in the Orlando area. The cost is right and that school is accepted by all companies that hire recent grads.

4. I want to drive locally so I can still be a strong part of that aforementioned lovely lady I'm married to, and come home as many nights as I'm able. Is driving locally the best way to achieve this?

I used to be the Parts Manager for a local Land Clearing company in Central FL. The only problem with local driving in CFL is the pay. Starting driver jobs are around $11.00-$13.00 per hour and they often want experience. My wife and I went team OTR to actually make some money. Many OTR drivers get tired of the road and come back to those jobs. While it is a good place to get some experience, many of the OTR companies will not accept local driving as experience although that is just plain stupid IMO. There are lots of local jobs... have you considered trying for a City or County driving job... All the benefits of the unions and you go home each night. The key to the good jobs is to get documentable experience however you can get it.

I've taken a bit over an hour to read through recently-made posts and I've yet to come up with answers. I'm sure to find my own, but it'll definitely be made easier with your shared experience.

Keep reading and researching companies that sound good to you. There are a lot of good threads in here. Us, Daytona45 and others have kept running dialogs of our experiences from the start of school to present. Check them out and many of the others.

While all of this is my opinion, I hope it helps a bit.

Cub · **^ Top** #3 01.10.2008

K&J,

Thanks a bunch for your time and wisdom, friend! This is just the kind of advice I am looking for.

What little I've heard of Mid Florida Tech has been very positive. I'll be checking into them to get some answers.

As far as unions are concerned, I've still got mixed feelings about them (though mostly positive; these are the folks who got two good friends their promised retirement benefits after Walt Disney World pulled back on their end of the deal. If it weren't for the union (Teamsters 351, I believe), they'd have been out of luck after over a combined 50 years of service. There also seems to be a nasty side to unions too. There seems to be an anger in many of them and in some, downright hatred towards the very companies they work for. Why work for someone or something you hate, union or no union?

Concerning local driving in Central Florida, I've a friend of a friend driving for Budweiser who started at $18.00/hr. I hadn't realized other companies paid $11.00-$13.00/hr. And I agree that OTR companies not taking local driving as experience is stupid. Experience is experience (or it should be).

I've considered many a city, county, and state job but I haven't seen many driver positions available. Maybe I haven't looked hard enough into that. I'll change that.

I value your opinion sir, and I thank you much for sharing it with me.

God bless and be safe,
Cub

P.S. If anyone else is willing to share their opinions, you're more than welcome to.

JBCUDA · **^ Top** #4 01.10.2008

Hi Cub
I'am Going To School In St Pete. Fl. At Ptec 2 More Weeks Of A 10 Week Program Our Instructors Have Giving Us Names Of Co. That Will Hire Us For Local Work.we Have Had Recruiters That Came To Our Class, Ask When You Register, Chances Are Trucking Co. Will Come Looking For New Drivers [fresh Meat]

Strngs012 · **^ Top** #5 01.10.2008

I can't remember the name of the school, but I'm pretty sure it's the one on Orange Ave just north of Sand Lake Rd, I heard bad stuff about them a few years ago. So you may wanna steer clear of them.

Cub · **^ Top** #6 01.11.2008

JBCUDA, that's good stuff to know there. From what I've been reading, these trucking recruiters sound a lot like military recruiters; they'll promise you a whole lot but they might not be able to come up with everything they're promising. According to other folks here, Schneider and their recent cut-off of the $500.00/wk was one such promise. I don't mean to insult them by saying so.

Strngs, I don't know which school that would be, but Mid Florida Tech's on John Young Parkway and Oak Ridge Road in Orlando, so it doesn't sound like the school you're referring to. Thanks for the warning.

God bless and be safe,
Cub

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