honua gal. I have a lady I work with who's parents work team for interstate and I guess the love it. I tell you this because they are based outta tacoma.

I hear Interstate is better for team running and Gordon is better for solo. I expect to run solo, so I am hoping to hear from GTI soon. Also, I hear that GTI's new driver training is pretty good, and driver pay goes up pretty quickly. I want to develop good habits early, so I want to run with the best I can find.

We had a couple of instructors who worked for Interstate and Gordon and they said they are both good companies. They also stressed that attitude is everything. Newbies won't get the best truck/loads/etc to start, but if they prove that they have a good attitude and are willing to work hard, they'll get to that point sooner.

Both Interstate and GTI said it would be fine to visit their main yard up in Tacoma if I wanted to, so Seattle-WA... I'm sure you could too. Might want to give them a call and set something up.

Honua Gal

(BTW... I passed my WA State CDL exam yesterday. What a bear that was, especially the pretrip! I'm glad to have it behind me.)

Honestly you are NOT what most trucking companies are looking for in a driver. I know I will catch some flak over this post, but it's true.

#1 You are older than the average driver.

#2 You have a sense of purpose and values, good ones too.

#3 You are financially sound.

These are BIG red flags to the majority of "training" companies. They want people who can be manipulated and controlled. They want people who MUST work.

My experience...turned down at multiple "large" companies. I haven't had a moving violation in almost 20 years, ZERO accidents, a squeaky clean DAC, and little debt. My credit sucks...but I don't do credit..therefor no credit score.

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I'm gonna kill the next SOB who tells me I look stressed out.

--Unknown

LOL Well... It wouldn't be the first time I was told that my values were getting in the way of someone else making money. Big corporations can be pretty much the same, whether you're driving a truck or a desk.

One of our instructors told me that his best gig was running O/O with a small family business out of Utah that only had about 50 drivers. Said that they really treated him and his wife like family. Would have stayed with them, but his wife got tired of OTR after about 2 years.

I figure there are a few folks out there that do want smart, hardworking, ethical and mature people as drivers. I'll find my niche.

Honua Gal

DING DING DING!!! You won the prize. If a driver is independent thinking, and has enough money to be able to walk off when ticked off, then big companies do not want them as a rule.

I have seen this even with smaller companies.

Very good point. I think you are right on. The companies that seek inexperienced drivers are looking for just what you mentioned. I never looked at it that way. Excellent info. Thanks.