applying for jobs too early?

yeah, apply job fast you can. basically what i've heard, the longer you haven't driven, the less chance you'll be hired. Keep trying.

What school did you go? Smith & Solomon helps newbie get jobs. If your school help newbie get a job, ask to help you.

If nothing, either go to Schneider National. They are good company for newbie to start out and stay with them for 6months to 1 year, then you'll get local job easily.

 

actually you would be wasting their time since you do not have your license yet. wait till you actually get your license in your hands before you apply. or at least one week before you go for your driving test. you see, if you apply now, then say you fail your driving test (an all too real occurance) then they won't hire you. get that license first, then apply.

 

i agree with PRO1DRIVER. wait 'till 1-2 weeks before you are ready to go to the Co. to work. that is what all have told me about going to their schools. gotta give them time to get ya into orientation.

 

During the time I attended a two month Truck Driving School, the instructors encouraged us to apply during the first month of training. Actually, we had only been in class two weeks, when one of Covenant's recruiters visited. So, apply now if you want. It wouldn't hurt. Good luck.

 

I'm not in your situation, but something similar. I called the companies I was interested in and told them my situation. All of them said 2 weeks from when your ready to start employment send in your application.

There's nothing wrong with calling the companies asking about the hiring process, benefits and required qualifications. It's kind of premature for them to call you when you don't have a CDL yet, unless you want to go through their training program. Plus it's not to your benefit either. There are different types of driving jobs out there. As you start your training and talk to other people in the industry you might find a direction you would rather follow. I would just consentrate on getting through the training and worry about that job later.

 

I understand your situation. The idea plan would be to have your CDL and then choose a company. You'll have a better selection of comapnies to choose from , and your not obligated to a year contract for a company. But in your situation in might be beneficial to consider going through company training for your CDL. it will get you in the driver seat a little faster and the immediate cost is much less. Becareful about the company, this sites provides a lot of good information for future truck drivers, and you can use this information to weed out the good and the bad companies. Good luck.

 

I started applying about two weeks before CDL school. By the first week of CDL school, I already had 5 pre-hires. (invitations to attend orientation) Two of the pre-hires were from my "A" list companies. In other words, I really wanted to work for those companies. Another pre-hire was from my fall-back company. The company I was going to work for if nothing better came through (and I was pretty sure they'd hire me). Another two pre-hires were from my B-list. Kind of a last resort type scenario.

I learned something from the application process, though, which you NEED to be aware of. The company I'm going to has a waiting list for trainers. In other words, it is NEVER too early to apply. If you want to start working right after graduating from CDL school, the time to start applying was yesterday. You need to get on that list for a trainer!!! Otherwise, you could end up waiting up to 8 weeks to start OJT.

BUT, something else to be aware of is that carriers look more favorable on applications if they are forwarded THROUGH a trucking school. So especially if you live close to the school, it might be better to fill out hardcopy applications, then drop them off at the school to have them forward the applications for you. -Dave

 

There's risks with all the bigger companies, and there's no quarantees with the smaller ones either. The first year will be hard on a new driver no matter who you're with. I think Schneider has a better reputation than most for a biginner company. There seems to be more positive feedback than negative. Roehl seems to be a good carrier for newbies, and Crete offers training through a Nebraska tech school, but you have to pay for it I think. there are other companies as well that offer training. Bottom line you know better than anyone how desprite your situation is. If you have plan to be able to pay for a school on your own, and make your monthly payments than go for it. If not, the fastest way to get your CDL cheaply, and in the driver seat is with a company program. But again there are risks, I don't think the risk are much different than if you get your CDL privately with no experience, or you get your CDL through the company and have no experience. The key word is experience with any company. The magic amount seems to be 6 months -1 year experience and things start opening up. It's just something to think about. Don't rush to a conclusion without doing the real math.