Starting school, forgive me if this has been asked!

im sorry but my experience with the trainer i had, he did not always provide me with a shower. several times i had to pay out of pocket. he had no provisions to cook on the truck so i got stuck buying all of my own food. he had no refrigerator and no cooking provisions. i think part of what a good trainer must do is not only show you how to drive, but ALSO show you how to survive on the road without becoming massively fat and broke at the same time, eating all of that crap constantly. this guy would pick on me for buying a salad and trying to eat at least a little better then popeyes. frankly i got the pick of the liter with trainers, i taught myself more about driving then he ever did.

if you really want to commit to OTR driving, my advice is find a company that allows inverters, an i mean real inverters. werner limits the drive to 150W, you cant run a toaster off of that. 150W is useless for cooking. if they allow to have a decent inverter it opens many more options for cooking. you can get a microwave, toaster, hot plate, ect ect. a decent inverter if you have to live in your truck should be a forgone conclusion.

i agree that had i went solo OTR, i would not have to pay for things like showers. i think these mega carriers need to do more for the drivers. provide them with everything they need to live on the road. a food and laundry allowance would be a start. how do you think these outfits grew to be 5,000+ power units? the drivers, pay them, pay their expenses.

 

I wish @Gunner75 would chime in on TMC; he's a straight shooter.
Melton Truck Lines is flatbed and their trucks have Tripac APU.

 

If your just starting out, tmc really isn't a bad place to learn the basics of flatbed. They promise to get you home 46 of 52 weeks a year. You can gross around $1000 a week easy when going home weekly, but in order to do so you'll have to run the way they want you toaccording to their standards. Once you get a year or so on with them you can start looking around for other opportunities that will pay better or give more latitude on setting the truck up to your standards. Tmc trucks will come with an inverter already in them, unless you get an older truck then you'll have to purchase the inverter that they approve of. The are really anal about truck cleanliness and getting the trucks washed. If either is out of standards, they will place you on a safety hold until it's up to their standards.

 

Don't get wrapped up in the "nice" truck game.....just figure out what "niche" you want to start in....van/reefer/flatbed/etc etc and go with a decent company who will give you a start.....same with home time, don't get wrapped up in that.

For your first year you need experience , plain and simple. After the first year OTR just about any door you try to walk through will be unlocked and open. Lots of opportunity after the first year , lot of local jobs that want you to ha e the OTR experience . Creature comforts are nice , home time is nice , but for the first year , experience is KING!

TMC is a great place to start your flatbed career , they will teach you their way to do things , and their way is the good way, great foundation to build on.

 

Maverick, Roehl, and just about any regional carrier are worth looks if Weekends home are a necessity ......but remember , when you are with your trainer , Weekends home are at THEIR home not yours , so if they live in Buck Snort TN , or Toad Suck Arkansas , guess what , your gonna be in a motel in those fine places , and not at your home

Look at XPO, Panther, Fusion, Try Hours , expedite companies , I Drive 2.5-3 weeks with a whole week off

And let's be honest about companies with " Weekends " off......what they really mean is , Go home for a 34 restart, and we will dispatch you when you are done

 

Tmc training will alternate your home time with your trainer. One week at their home in a hotel, next week yours. They Will do everything they can to get you a trainer that lives close to you. Mine lived 80 miles from me, so when he went home, my wife come to get me. Maverick has areally good training program as well, and several different divisions to go with. Their new boat division pays really well but they require a minimum of 6months otr in order to get on there and they want you to have more liberal home time.

 

It will be a minimum of a 34. I had many times where my home time was as much as 52 hours.