What to expect? School starts in 2 weeks.

I would apply now. This way you know who your going to sign on with before school is done.
One less thing to worry about. Just do a lot of research on companies your interested in. Good luck with school!

 

you should be able to get some per-hire letters from at least 3-4 companies. Get them invloved so you can have a plan right when you're done

 

Start submitting applications at least 4 or 5 days before school starts. Don't jump on the first job offer either; shop around carefully and start your new career making good money. Get all the endorsements plus TWIC and passport.

Here's some high paying companies that will lead to $60K+ per year jobs in a few months.

SVTN
Superior Carriers
Tidewater Transit
Schneider Bulk
CTL Transportation
Trimac Transportation

Some websites have "experience required", but ignore that and apply anyway; that's how many new drivers get the good jobs.

 

Do you have your CDL permit?If not might as well study and get that now.The first week of school they'll want you to do that.Before applying I would do research on the companies first.The best way to find out about companies is ask other drivers,preferably the ones that either drive for that company or has drove for them.

 

Here was my personal truck driving school in a fairly detailed account.

-> Arrive the day before orientation starts, get a roommate in a hotel. Try to make friends with them, it's easier that way.

-> Go to class (we drove our personal vehicles) which is typically a good distance from the hotel.

-> Day 1: Fill out much paperwork. Lunch. Fill out much more paperwork. Back to hotel, eat, sleep.

-> Day 2: Skip Breakfast because physical is today, and it can spike your blood sugar/pressure. (No Coffee either). Sit in class waiting on name to be called, while drinking water. Pee in Cup, Look at Letters, Listen to Whispers, Touch Toes, Pull Weights, Get Groped by surly Doctor. Done with this, back to class. Paperwork again, done with it for now. Lunch (so freaking hungry), school to listen to general instruction for CDL. Given almost no information, instead given cheat sheets for DOT test. Take Cheat Sheets to hotel, practice with roommate.

-> Day 3: Start going over trucking. Discuss various things. Watch videos, take practice quizzes. Fill out a few more pieces of paperwork. Lunch. Resume learning about truck driving. Hotel, Eat, Sleep.

->Day 4: Teach allows those that think they can pass the written tests (General Knowledge, Combination, Air Brakes etc) to drive to one of the surrounding DMV areas. (In my school as one of the few that had a car, I got to play Taxi.) Take the tests, pass the tests. Back to school. Make sure paperwork is finished, give teacher Medical card, and Permit to let her scan them in. Those that passed all written parts are allowed to go to yard for actual driving. Go to yard, stand around in dirt watching (to late in day to join in, all instructors on road with previous weeks pre-graduates). Hotel, eat, sleep.

-> Day 5: Practice the basics of truck operation. Pretrip Inspection, Straight Line Backing, 45 Degree Backing, 90 Degree Backing, Cornering, Drop Hook. You do these things all day. Our class was very large, so we took turns (5 people to a truck). You got to do each thing for about 12 minutes, then swapped out. Each 'station' was about 2 hours, then you would rotate with the other groups. Lunch, back to yard. Hotel, Eat, Sleep.

-> Day 6: More of the same practice. Lunch. Yard. Hotel, Eat, Sleep.

-> Day 7: Day of Rest. Playstation, Call of Duty MW3, Help Roommate with Practice Exams, sleep, Call of Duty, Eat, Sleep.

-> Day 8-10: Those of us that have gotten the hang of the basic skills are taken out on the road for road practice with instructor. We are shown how to Merge into traffic lanes, corner under underpasses, parallel park, 45 degree back, progressive shifting, down shifting, double clutching. We are also taken for a tour of the actual course that the DMV will have us on for our road test. Watch instructor (Driver of 28 years) navigate DQ parking lot so we can get DQ for lunch. Sob inside as Instructor makes me navigate us out of the DQ parking lot (She made it look so easy).

->Day 11: Take driving test, Have a State trooper and 3 trainees on board with me, run the course, parallel park, and alley dock. Got a perfect score, despite being super nervous. 4 Audience members, yeesh. Get rest of day off, go to hotel, call of duty and pizza.

->Day 12-13: Spend time at yard helping the guys that are having trouble with various stages of the practice, and performing the new alley dock we made up using barrels and cones.

->Day 14: Go in to school (not yard) and get photos taken, take a survey about the class (I was happy that I got my CDL so I gave them more stars than I should have). Get a 250$ check for finishing from my prehire company (PAM). Get a number to call for the company I will hire on with to set up orientation etc. Hotel, Sleep, Eat.

After that I left the hotel, went back home, and waited for my orientation class to begin. During 'school' I spent about 600$ on food and gas mostly. I was never payed except for the 250$ check from PAM. I would have spent much less but since I had it I ate at nicer restaurants and I gave a lot of broke people rides, most of them to downtown Dallas to get Tax Return information to prove employment.

Expect not to make what you thought you would the first year.
Expect when you get to school that not all your paperwork is in order.
Expect that you will need some cash in school even if you are going to one of the big CDL mills.
Expect the job to be a lot harder than it seems like it would be.
Expect the motoring public to endanger themselves and you constantly.
Expect the nervous feeling that you will probably get the first few times you get into the truck.
Expect not to learn as fast as you thought you would.


Expect that you are learning, forgive yourself of mistakes and learn from them.
Expect that you will have to give yourself time to acclimate to the life.
Expect to hear a bunch of trucker stories at school, and orientation.
Expect to make a friend or two in Orientation/School.
Expect to see some of the country.


That's what I say to expect, but your mileage may vary. Also, get prehires they are awesome. Gives you something to mull over. Don't lie about anything (they dig surprisingly deep). If you're in a big class make sure you take your time at the wheel. Don't let someone bully you out of your practice time, and don't do like I did and piss away valuable practice time sleeping in your car when the yard instructors aren't watching.

 

One thing you need to learn and wont teach you in school. Not trying to be harsh or brutal but remember that your families lives and events dont stop just cause your not there. They go on. Be prepared to be away from your family. I am from a big family. My grandma had seven kids. All those kids had at least three except mh parents who had two. Each of those kids all have two pr three kids. I am close to them all so it was a shocker to not be able to get there for graduation parties, chrostmases, cookouts etc....

 

Do the online applications on the websites. Submit as many as you want; no limit.

 

Applying for driving positions is nothing like other jobs,you don't need a resume.