So... what's the best advice to succeed?

Sounds like you have the right attitude, which is extremely important from what I've read here. The experienced people here are fantastic. They don't sugarcoat it.
Best of luck to you.

Pete

 

Good for you! The best advice I can think of, is get all the endorsements, passport, TWIC. No, it's not a waste of money. This prepares you for possibly a better job should the opportunity arrive. It happened to me, I had the endorsements and all and didn't need them, but, one day a job was offered with an immediate $15K annual pay raise & I was prepared and got the job. Went from reefer to hazmat/tanker.

Best wishes!

 

Personally I do think for 99% it is a waste of money. Sure can be nice to have, but if you do not want to do that kind of hauling, why bother. I got a passport, did a few Canada runs then said don't send me there any more. The hassle not worth $50. Never had a desire for dbl/trpl, tanker I've been thinking about, but I can always go get the test and add it. TWIC maybe, for my company more of flatbed thing. My company would also like hazmat, but we don't haul nearly enough to do it, we don't even have permanent placards on our trailers. Just giving my opinion. Decide what you might want to do, research all aspects of the industry, then if you want those endorsements, get them.

 

Ok, so you want to succeed.

I may ruffle some feathers but here goes.

Look professional. If you have one of those long foo-man-chu beards or a ZZ top special, shave it off. If you don't know how to interview well, learn. If you can't spell make sure someone edits your application and any resume you will have to submit. Never, never, never use any profanity in any job interview, even if the interviewer does.

Dress the part. If you show up to an interview or orientation with a dirty pair of jeans and a wife beater don't expect to be treated with any respect. If you wear a good pair of working khakis and a long sleeve professional looking shirt with a clean shave you will get a different response from the other guy. If you have tats and you are proud of them great for you but cover them up.

If you want to make the best money in this business as an employee driver you should fast track yourself into some type of specialization. Tanks, dry bulk, flatbed/heavy haul, are where the money is. This means get ALL your endorsements. Even grab the passenger endorsement. You never know when you might need to pick up a bus job or something when times are lean. Never cut yourself out of a segment of the industry because you don't have a simple endorsement or credential.

If you think you might want to be an owner operator later you need to do a few things to prepare now while you are getting started. Get some credit. If your credit is bad, clean it up. If you don't have credit and pay with cash get yourself a small credit card and start to use it each month. Pay it off every month and you can establish credit. Once you start driving, treat the truck as if it were yours. Keep detailed mileage records. Drive it like you own it. Instead of flooring the accelerator from every stop ease into it and gradually build speed. Keep your records on maintenance. Try to be the guy that does the least damage and has the lowest maintenance expense for the employer. Act like you are the one paying the bills. These habits will net you twenty percent more than the Billy Big Rigger passing you going eighty in his decked out Pete.

If you happen to find yourself up around I81 north one day I will be the one puttering along in the slow lane in my Freightliner Columbia that looks like a fleet truck. I am not crazy I'm just laughing all the way to the bank.

 

My $.02 worth:

Go back to school and get a college degree, and get a much better paying job where you might have a REAL life!

 

Haven't read the other responses, but, what quickly comes to mind is this: have a back up company or two that you feel comfortable with in case for some reason the one you have your heart set on doesn't hire you. Steel yourself from giving up too soon. You WILL hit bumps in the road. Don't let a company convince you to lease a truck so early in the game. Running your own business is HARD, and you should work in trucking for a while to make sure it is for you.

 

Believe nothing that you hear and half of what you see.

 

Hmm,

Not every job in trucking is OTR. In fact some of the best pay to be had in this industry is in short regional and local work if you know where to look and have the qualifications to get it. When I lived in North Carolina my neighbor was a linehaul driver pulling doubles for UPS. He left for work about 4:30 AM and was home every day by 2 PM and off every weekend with six paid weeks of vacation. I'd say he had a better than average life considering his union contract.

 

That's funny right there.

College degrees no more guarantee a better paying job than not.

Learn a trade is more meaningful in these days. A GOOD trade if anything. There are so many industries though that are in the tank right now.

vo-techs have given way to technical colleges to technical and community colleges to community colleges that they have made a skilled trade a pariah of society.

I've seen and been a part of that entire transformation. College industry itself is BIG BUSINESS and will do anything they can to suade you from your funds.