New to the forums

Thank you for your service hero.
I drove for Swift several times over the Last 20 plus years. They are OK for a starter company. I would give you my best option but I don't think I'm supposed to post that on here. Send me a PM if you want.

 

Nobody is a pro at first. I couldn’t back a jet ski trailer to save my life. That’s what training is for. And knocking into your head that you have a trailer behind you that cuts across.. so as long as you just swing wide it’s a Flippin trailer behind you you’ll be alright.

But if anyone knows anything it’s dr @Chinatown he will lead you to the water well.

 

Swift is ok to get started and so is Jim Palmer Trucking and Prime Inc.
From my understanding, Swift and Jim Palmer Trucking do hair follicle drug test and Prime Inc. does urine drug test. I mention the drug test because, even with pot, you need to be clean 90 days for urine test and sometimes 6-12 months for hair follicle test.
Don't worry about your driving abilities; it's easy to learn in school and if you made it through the Army, you won't have any problems at all.

 

Welcome. First off, disregard the jitters as much as possible. Nerves are normal and it happens to everyone when they first start out, but I'm assuming due to your service (thank you for that) you've seen and encountered mountains of #### that will make learning to drive and back a rig a cake walk. You'll be fine.

Secondly, during your free time while you're tossing this idea around, think of anything you can and hit that search bar here on the forum as much as possible and read, read, read and read some more. There's all kinds of knowledgeable and good folks on here who have contributed over the years and you'll find many nuggets of wisdom by reading past threads, that will prepare you and give you a pretty accurate picture of what to expect when starting this venture. From what to expect during orientation, training, dealing with trainers, recruiters, dispatchers, shipper & receivers etc, etc.

Lastly, trucking can be a real ##### at times, especially when starting. It's an industry that will eat you alive if you let it and it's easy to get discouraged, however, your attitude is what determines your outcome. I will refer back to your service, you've already been in the ####, so all of this should be second nature when learning to cope with the stressful situations that will come your way. It's just part of the industry and once you get a little experience, you can then find your niche within the trucking industry. Adapt, and over come. Good luck Travis.

 

My trainer was a friend of mine... he use to yell at me get me frustrated and we’d get into an argument And not talk to each for at least an hour lmao.
It’s pretty simple stuff it’s only hard if you make it hard on yourself.

 

Thank you for your service. As @Chinatown says, if you made it through the army you can handle any challenge. Many trucking companies encourage and honor vets.

As you read the threads in this forum you will see that trucking is a hard job but it is a compelling lifestyle. Warning.. It will get in your blood.