New CDL class A with lots of questions

I had to take what i could get but was upfront with the boss on work/life balance. I had to remind him again tonight as my hours were creeping back tonight and would have been well over 80 had i agreed to go out and train on a run (7-10 stops and 2 offloads). My nephew thought the grass was greener and can drive like a machine, never gave the boss the work/wife riot act i advised him to and has hit 120 hours. He's feeling that pain only wisdom brings, lol. Am i the new guy?

Small understanding carrier (unicorn i know) is better than a mega corp imo. These guys i drive with are very hard on the equipment because of the nature of farm pickups and it would be all to easy to wreck a drivers csa score doing what they do... cowboy shiiiiiii

 

@Truckingdaytrader --

No one is really implying/suggesting that maybe you're a kid (although there's nothing wrong with being/remaining "young at heart" ).....

However--the thinking here is that you'll likely be more successful starting out....if you go into this with your eyes wide open--and with more accurate expectations.

At least now....you have a better feel/understanding for why the 1st-year (or so) "wash out" rate for new drivers is so incredibly high.

Prime, Inc is another good place for brand new drivers to start out. I didn't recommend them earlier for you, because:

• They don't have a dry van fleet (& that's the easiest way to start out in trucking).
• You won't have access to nearly as many terminals/dropyards as you do with the larger carriers (like Swift, Knight, or even Schneider). Been there, done that--& believe me, having access to more terminals/yards in a lot of locations (especially in larger cities/urban areas) is a HUGE PLUS--& especially for a rookie driver.
• You wouldn't have a terminal anywhere near you within a reasonable driving distance. If you needed to drop your tractor/rig off for repairs/maintenance, and then go home for hometime--this could be a real problem. Again--been there, done that.
• As mentioned earlier, because of their size and very large freight base--Swift is more likely to keep you busy and on the move, if the overall economic situation should later slide into the crapper.
• Swift...being the biggest...more than likely has the most driving options for you there, than the others. Because of their immense size, they're more likely to have the most choices for OTR, dedicated, regional...or even local-area jobs for you. For all we know--they may have a (dedicated) customer that's practically in your backyard, and (after your time out with a trainer) you could be home weekly--or even more often than that.

But of course the only way to find out for sure....is to inquire within.

--Lual

 

A common mistake at this point is the decision is made that a carrier is a apparently a "loser"....because the potential driver has one (or more) less than good experiences with recruiters there.

That's like deciding Ford or GM (or whoever) builds nothing but bad vehicles--after talking to a few salespeople who turn out to be jerks.

A much better strategy: talk with drivers who are already part of the fleet there. Recruiters are really just kinda like hotel front-desk personnel...to get the necessary paperwork done.

--Lual

 

Go figure. When I first joined this forum, people dissuaded me from wanting to be a train conductor. I thought what an easy sweet job, just push the lever and away we go. No traffic, no worrying about turns or fighting over parking spots, could probably even take a quick catnap while at the helm. But I was informed that the control freaks took all the fun out of that industry too.

 

Well put. I remember after 3 months driving (after driving with a trainer), everything started feeling natural. While there hundreds of things I was yet to experience and learn, I remember looking at the calendar and being amazed at how different everything felt. I've had a CDL since 2016, and I still start/stop with new routines to try and break bad habits and keep things that work best for me. Diet, exercise, inspection, driving courtesy, hygiene, self-care, how I talk to people at home when I'm away, etc. Just like the Oilmen, Soldiers, Forest Rangers, and so many others, this is our Lifestyle. This is our Culture. This is our Country. We keep things moving.

 

CON-GRA-TU-LA-TIONS!!!!

Now....comes the tough(est) part--scoring that ver-ry first gig--and sticking with it.

--Lual