EX-Railroader, soon to be trucker===

I went to C-1 Indianapolis, IN for USA Truck, no you can not test out early... we had a driver there with a CDL already 5 years OTR but had to do the course just like us "rookies" for his job with P.A.M. took every test but the final road test, because he had his CDL already , he even had to come in on the manditory range work Saturday( but the let him go home early ) to practice the backing exercises... As far as waiting to get your Hazmat, the company doesn't "pay" for it , they will re-emburse you for it after you get it , and will pester you until you get it... by mail , over the phone and in person,, it is part of your hiring agreement , they agree to hire you and you have x-amount of time to get the Hazmat... USA Truck was not a bad place to start, I got my feet wet, learned how the industry operated, got to see a big part of the country... 42 out of the 48 lower states... and saved some money doing it all for the 2 years I was there, paid for my school and got money back, paid for my debt almost $12,000.00 going in, debt free now , which allowed me to move to a regional job which makes me almost as much as I did OTR and I get home for 2 days in the middle of the week and get a 3 cent bonus for working on the weekend.

 

USA isn't taking on any new drivers until the New Year....

 

must be waiting to see if the Detroit big 3 get the $$$ to keep rolling , I know the the princeton IN toyota has slowed down and that was a big dedicated/training account for them,, if the big 3 lose it there goes a whole bunch of tires,dana,demier,ect... they haul, glad I am hauling Meijers store loads now.

 

Wow,,, If I had a rail-roader's pension. I'd do something I actually LIKED! Maybe work a small hobby shop for minimum wage. Drive a tour bus. Something fun but that doesn't pay anywhere near a livable wage.

I loved my little retail shop, but I couldn't live off of $350/week gross.