My Journey as a Truck Driver

Since you are new i'd reccomend Roehl. They'll micromanage your every move, but pay attention, its all about cost avoidance. You can learn a lot from them.

 

Well you wont be routed home every week, maybe every month, unless you run regional or dedicated, most likely. My friend literally lives in his truck, been a year and he couldnt be happier. I go home 3 or 4 times a year, but could come home whenever I want.

My neighbor got on with Knight or squire, and theyve been running him hard all 48. For him that works real good, and he got thrown out of a couple companies for practically ripping the shifter out of a new Pro Star, got fired, then went elsewhere and he grenaded a brand new eaton 13, up in ND. lol So Knight was his last chance. But they are good to him. Probably because he has a good attitude, very important, probably most important.

But anyway, check around here and other sites, all the major companies youll find good and bad input. Im thinking as long as they have a good csa score, your success would be more dependant on your performance, your aptitude and attitude. Get along with your Driver Manager and you will succeed, whether it be Prime, JBS, Swift, etc.

Where do you live? Might help with getting advice...

 

To be honest with you, it all boils down to the company that fits you. Paywise all supertrucker stories aside, you can expect to make a ballpark $28-32,000 a year.

Money is in local or specialized, I got off the road after being a company driver and some time as an O/O with my own truck. Local driving is the way to go. Oh, and get all your endorsements done and overwith while they are fresh in your mind. Don't put them off like I did.

Don't get taken into a lease anything, thats for desperate people with horrible credit who can't get financed anywhere and are so desperate they are willing to become a slave to the mega carrier and pay for a 3-4 year old beat up base model fleet truck what the carrier paid for it when they got it new.

Whatever your future plans are, good luck to you!

 

Hardleysmith I thought you would do the honors for me. But, since you were kind enough to open the door...Thanks for pointing that out, I didn't wish to come across as smug in my original post. However, I received a fantastic offer for employment in my previous field thus I left the school at Prime. The money put on the table and a four year contract was too good to pass up. Thanks Hardley.

 

GSWx, glad for ya, was wondering if something had changed, i know how fluid the job market is these days.and spell the name right son. though i guess since your a expert on everything else spellin is for others to master.

 

To read the current Prime forum click here. http://saf.li/26Mo2

Stevens Transport Forum click here. http://saf.li/e6MoV

The people (drivers that I know first hand from this forum) at both Stevens and Prime are the decent dedicated types whose opinions I trust. One of the reasons it took me so long to figure to whom drive for was based on good v. evil from these forums, for which I am thankful.

There's a lot to dislike with some of the major carriers. Sometimes you have to read all the information posted here, speak with various recruiters at a company, spend a few days at a truck stop speaking with the drivers and finally come to your own conclusion and hopefully you made the right decision.

If a driver likes or dislikes his company they will let you know very quickly. To answer your question, I took a training position with Prime and an offer of employment was made by a non-trucking company so I left Prime for the newer opportunity. Had I not received such an offer I would hopefully still be training at Prime. Best to you!

 

I realize that finacial goals are important in this day and age. That being said going home only 4 or 5 times a year may work for some people but not for the majority. I've known a few people like ran like that, one being a relative of mine. They all had one thing in common, they seemed to be willing to compromise their standards in one or more of three areas in their lives. Their hygene, their apperance, or their morals. So if you care for anyone or anyone cares for you, do yourselves both a favor and get out of the truck on a regular basis. BOL on your new career.

 

Not true, not all of us compromise any of our standards. Thats not a fair stereotype.

 

I was refering to people I know and a relative of mine. Since you probably don't fall in either of these catagories I was not sterotyping you or anyone you may know.