Carter Express - My New Hom

I had another thread going and I guess a few people started arguing so admin closed it. SOOOOOO.... I'll make this short and you guys can ask more specific questions.

Carter Express in Anderson, Indiana has a program that they pay for you to go to SAGE at Ivy Tech in Muncie to get your CDL. They do not take anything out of your check for the schooling. They just ask that you work for them for 1 year. They do not pay you during your time at the school.

After you get your CDL you start orientation the following Monday and are immediately an employee. Orientation and training pays a flat rate. Orientation is 1 week, then you have 1 week of training with 2 different trainers with local runs. Then a total of 4 more weeks of training that may include local, regional and over the road (OTR) runs. Personally, I LOVED the training. You went through a bunch of different people so I never got bored or tired of one person.

After training you have a post orientation that includes getting your comdata card, go over a few rules again, get your truck assigned to you and talk with the OTR manager to see how you are going to run - usually the board.

I had a unique opportunity. I made a deal with them to run out of their Vandalia (Dayton, Ohio) terminal. Because of that, I got a new Freightliner Cascadia Evolution and a sweet dedicated route.

My route is from Vandalia at 1:30am to Anderson terminal. I sit there for an hour or two to get loaded and then head down to Paragould, Arkansas. I do my 10 hour break there after I drop my trailer, pick up my new trailer and head back to Vandalia without stopping in Anderson. On the weekends I can stop in Anderson to see family since my freight doesn't need to be back to our cross dock until Monday. This run is a 3/2 run. We run it twice one week and three times the next. So, one week I'll go down Wednesday and Friday (retun on Thursday and Saturday) and the next week I will run down on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.

The company really does take care of their people, their trucks and their routes. It may not be the highest paid, but they take care of you and you will ALWAYS have freight to run, if you are willing to run.

Another sweet thing for those who want it. Most runs and routes will have you home every other day. Maybe once every 3 days for the long ones. So those who like to be home often, this is perfect for them. Those that don't want to be home and just want to keep it moving, that's totally possible too.

I'm having a blast! Wish I would have jumped into this when I was 21.

Let me know if you guys have any questions.

 

Yes all 48 states but u have to work certain termibals to hit certain states. You will start at .315 unless u run the board then youll make .325 cpm. Yes its auto. Yes dayton will always have dedicated i think. Anderson will be harder to get dedicated routes as a rookie.

 

I just stay in the truck and go home on weekends

 

not at all. trucks are nice and comfortable. the truck stop by the terminal is very clean and nice. terminal is full of great people.

 

I will try to post some interior pics later this week. Here are a few of the tractor that I took a few weeks ago.

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