I Need Help ! ! ! (contract)

don't sign a contract if at all posible. too many negatives. get a grant or financial aid and look into local colleges that offer the training. you now have the upper hand and can choose more wisely. if you do sign a contract then you better stay for a year or it will cost so much more than money.

 

YES! In the driving industry there is a company that compiles a drivers work history. They are refered to as DAC, but are now known as USIS. People will talk of their DAC report. If you have an accident while driving, are fired, renege on a contract, your employer reports it to USIS. All employers check a drivers DAC report before hiring them, so your next employer will see you broke the contract. If you don't have a good explaination, it COULD be a serious smear on your reputation, you don't want to start your career out that way.
As I said on the other thread, DON'T rush this. Answer all your questions and be satisfied that you are doing what YOU want to do. Central and every other firm will still be here next month, you don't want to make a choice until you have covered all the angles, school financing costs, driver training reputation, and trucking company reputation.

 

I agree with taking your time. I elected to go with a contract. But I spent over a year checking things out, making sure I was ready, and at the end of that year the same company I almost went too last year picked me up again without hesitation.

to contract or not to contract is (from what I have seen) one point that has very split opinions. I agree in most cases it is a bad idea. However no one really knows you and your own personal situation beter than you do. So for that reason you can only decide if you can live with what might be a bad thing.

Contract drivers is likely to see less miles in addition to lesser pay. We are new, and we owe them money. We climb into the truck with 2 strikes against us. If you decide that contract training is the best way for you, then by all means go for it. Just know what to expect before you do. I would suggest calling several diff companies. Ask questions, gain some idea of what feels right for you.

Like most people I do agree strongly that a company that pushes you for an answer is likely one you want to stay away from tho. It's good that they want you, but if they begin to act like an over-eager used car salesman, you probably are looking at a lemon.

Bottom line is take your time. Trcuking has needed new drivers as long as I can remember. This will be a life changing decision not only for you, but for any family around you. Spouse/kids/parents/siblings/friends/fishing partner/the wal mart greeter, it will effect everyone. This board has answerd a lot of my questions and no doubt will continue to do so as I progress thru my new career. But I think the best advise they gave me was do not rush your decision.

 

You really need to take time to look around this forum, there are dozens if not hundreds of comment threads about specific companies and specific situations from chosing a company to arranging training. Spend a full day or two reading everything you can find here and following leads left by others to specific companies - take notes with pen and paper listing pros and cons that are mentioned.
I don't know enough about you to give you a strong recommendation -
do you have a decent bankroll beyond your $400 spending money?
are you currently working f/t so can financially wait a month or more before making a decision?
maybe you want to stay near Maryland?
You don't want OTR specifically, but the year of experience you will get, will open the doors to you with smaller, local firms who will not hire you without experience.

I was in Md. when I chose CR England (they have a school up in Mt. Holly, NJ). Many companies have their own schools and I THINK, all have "the contract", they have to. You are training on their dime and they need to know you will stay long enough to pay off the loan!
I was very happy with my CR England school, even 12 years later I would point to my clean record and give credit to the training I recieved up there.
I would recommend them under the terms I mentioned earlier, you understand there is a tradeoff - the contract, the lower pay - to get a good year with a good company under your belt.
Having said that, from what I have heard, and based on their payrate, I probably would NOT suggest they would be a good company to stay with as a career. I know 2 others who went to CR England (not with me) one leased with them his first year and quit his second year, in debt. The other left England's OTR fleet after 4 years of happy employment and returned to MD to run with a local outfit hauling mail (JR Trucking)
I understand, financially, you may have other options you want to look into like community college, commercial driving schools, or other firms. Do some research, then come back within those threads to ask specific questions of the people who are sharing their experiences. I'm a thumbs up to a training contract with England, but you may find, in the CR England threads, a dozen people who disagree with me - it all boils down to : it is your decision so YOU need to be happy about it.
There is a search funtion for these threads so just try different company names or training, cdl school, stuff like that, you'll find a motherlode of information if you dig around a little.bb.

 

What seems to be left out of these threads is that many companies won't hire you straight out of CDL school without thier training and that's after you may have dropped $2,000.00 to $6,500.00 for school or committed by loan either way your paying for it. Or go to community college who has 4-6 months to go to a community college to drive a truck, might as well take a computer course and get a job making more money.

I keep hearing people say don't sign a contract because you'll be committed to the company. Every job I took in my life I committed to the job and the company, I never walked in thinking well I'll stay here until things get tough or I don't like how they run it and then I'll jump ship. Personally I think that is a major problem in the trucking industry today, no one makes a commitment to their profession or company.

I had a company 15 years ago sent me to school to learn how to design document imaging systems it cost $2,500.00, I had to sign a 1 year agreement if I left before then I had to pay it back. I didn't have a problem with it so why should people have a problem with committing to a trucking company. Many don't even make you pay it back if you stay a year or two.

Just go into this with the mindset that I'm going to work for whatever company for 20 years and be happy, not well I can always quit them within one year. If you do I'll bet you end up job hopping and not making the money you expect. I read on her many post of people who have worked 5-10 companies in the last 10 years. I understand sometime you have to make a decision to leave and if so do it, if the company paid for your training, then you just have to pay them back and they'll all make arrangements to let you pay it back, shoot they really don't have a choice. Theres no such place as debtors jail anymore.

 

CRST

But unlike your choice mine was a little more limited. I have a 4 yr old DWI and most companies want it to be 5 years or older. If I waited another year I might have looked elsewhere, not really sure. To me my main goal is get my foot in the door and get that first year done. Once thats done things will change for ya. Even the same company you were with, now they trust you, they will hand you more miles, a better pay scale and all the goodies we want. Just gotta pay our dues somewhere.

 

Kentucky lol, American Driving Academy. Then striaght to Ok for orientation and into a trainers truck for 28 days. But that counts towards my 8 months.

Yea they only do teams in this division. They have 2 other divisions that run solo, but we cant get into them until after 8 months. Team wise I was torn too. Being in a cramped space with a stranger all the time but able to have a greater potential income. I figured all in all if I am in a team as a newbie it might actually help me out. Someone else on board to help you brush up those skills for a few months I kind of liked. I actually hope teams work out. I like the idea of being able to run double the miles. And if it isnt too bad I might stick to teams even after my 8 months.