I want to learn to drive semi's. I am 56, male, divorced with no kids. I have a class "B" with pass/school bus endorsements. Have been driving 40-45 foot buses for 2 1/2 years. Charters are way down due to the price of fuel and not enough hours driving school buses.
I live in Phoenix and it seems there aren't too many schools/companies to learn from here. I was going to go with Swift until I read all the horror stories here.
Does anyone have any ideas on what I should do in Phoenix to learn and get a position? I am not rich and would probably have to work full time, school part time or ? I know you can't get a job with a company without at least 6 mos of experience so, am I gonna have to learn from Swift or CR England or some other local no name driving school in order to start a new career driving a truck?
Any help would be very much appreciated.
.

Thanx,, Ray

Do some searches on this site for Schneider....... they will put you up in Fontana, California and train you if you meet their requirements..... they might just be perfect for you........

Btw........WELCOME!

__________________


The definition of stupidity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. — Albert Einstein

WELCOME and good luck

__________________

Have you gone to the truck stops and talked with Swift drivers? While there pumping fuel talk to them. Just walk up and tell them your thinking about driving and you'd like to know what they think about Swift. I have.

Have you gone to the Swift website? If not go and look at the training info and wage info. Like you I was scared off Swift until I thought about the things I read and talked with some drivers. If you live close, they train. They fit you. Why not go with them?

Glendale College offers an excellent Class A program... To upgrade your Class B, you'd only have to take the hands-on part of the class, which is four hours per day (or evening), five days a week, for four weeks. Excellent instructors, and the cost is about $2800...

Go over to ARCO, Chevron, Texaco and any others and explain your situation and you've been driving a 45' bus. Don't call them go see them. I'm talking about where the load their trucks and not the gas stations. They just might have a position that you could work up from. You never know and it's worth a shot because if you do get lucky you'll make more money with them than any 2 swift drivers. Tell them you like what you see and you'll do anything to get hired on. I've seen a guy say that and the boss told him he'd have to have more experience so the boss picked up the phone and said he was sending a driver over so you could look at him. If that happens you'll have a job because the other companies do what the bigger ones say to do. I've also seen a person right out of the service with no experience get hired and trained by that company because some of the tank companies don't want the bad habits that some of these schools teach. Go around to all the trucking companies in your city before you even talk to a recruiter for the bottom feeders. And that means go see them and not just calling them. Good luck.

thanks to those of you with suggestions. I called Glendale College and it sounds like that may be the way for me to go (found an ad for them in a "free jobs" paper yesterday) then, today I hear one of you mention them
Thanks again guys/gals. If I get on with a good company I will let you know.

Happy Trails,

Ray (mrcatlover)

Why go to a school. At the very least do what gas hauler suggested. And if you don't do that go to a trucking company that trains. I told you a friend told me the trucking schools are having problems getting students jobs. I mean except companies like Swift. Swift is not bad. They are right next door to you. Why pay for training? A year at a company is nothing.

Hope this helps.

Welcome and Good Luck to you. There is alot of information here and a good place to be prior to making any decisions.

__________________
I HAVE A NEED FOR GOD AND A GOD FOR MY NEEDS