New to Truck driving, Need help and information on what to do.

So big picture here, with what I have.... What is the wisest choice company wise to select? Places like CR England and CRST are offering employment. Of course pay and everything else, I'm at the bottom of the barrel ya know.

 

Thank you for the feedback. Just wanted to get an idea on what to do from here. There is a trucking school out here as I've mentioned and even though its $1000 and 2 weeks training, they will get me trained on a manual transmission vehicle, tractor trailer experience and my endorsements needed to make me more marketable (if that's the correct term). I really think that's the only way to go for me in order to NOT get screwed by places who hire and train like CRST or CR England. I'm not asking for a million bucks a year, just something I can bring to the table and something I can progress at to eventually make more money.

 

The only other option for me is to work for a friend who is contracted through Steelman Inc. as a driver as well. Apparently the trucks they deliver are the load and it goes all over the country. They pay for hotels, cab rides, and transportation to and from wherever.... Even your flights. They won't leave you stranded she says. Brings about 800-1200 a week so not too bad. I'm really trying to go this route but until I have a job, nothing is guaranteed, ya know.

 

Been doing some research and it seems like most trucking companies want experienced drivers, which I am not, for jobs within their company. When I saw I'm experienced, its not in a tractor-trailer and its with no endorsements and limited to the automatic transmission (which as someone stated earlier) means Im limited to that because thats what I trained in here in California and thats whats on my license. I have a friend of the family who delivers trucks (as the load) for the contractor she works for and she's trying to get me on cause they desperately need drivers however that auto transmission hinders my hirability for them so soon enough she'll be training me in one of the vehicles she'll be bringing home to get me acclimated to a manual tranny. Then after that I can take my test with someone who can approve that I can drive that type of vehicle to get that restriction off my license and I figured I go for at least tanker and hazmat endorsements. My question to you guys is, aside from that, what companies are entry level for a person like me with those limitations at the moment? Those 3 years of driving experience dont matter to them cause of the restriction and no tractor-trailer experience so to them I am entry level and bottom of the barrell. This is how its been in my conversations with them on the phone to date. Besides CR England and CRST, which sound horrible from my research. Are their any other companies I can look at for on the job driver training that wont screw me out of a decent take home pay? Or would $1000 2 week refresher course to get all my endorsements and training and more then likely a job placement be the "better" option to go? It would be through Skyway trucking school here in Hesperia, CA.