Begining my CDL journey HELP

I paid for mine cash via my local community college. The company I signed with (and am still with) after getting my license pays me $150 each month for tuition reimbursement. CDL School was so cheap, that that's a fair deal to me. My tuition will be paid off in full after 1 year.

I know food service and beverage companies you can get on without going OTR. I went OTR to get my 1 year experience in the hopes that after a year, if I didn't like it, I could maybe find something local where I wouldn't have to worry about injuries or wear and tear on my body long term like in the food service or beverage sectors.

 

Give these fellas a call, they might give ya a chance they are a local LTL freight company.

Good luck.

 

@Radman works at saia and if im not mistaken saia offers the dock to driver program where saia helps you get your cdl. Hope he comes thru and gives more info.

 

I know they do here in Tampa, they were just hiring for a dock to driver position a lil while ago (they didn't call me)

 

@FlaSwampRat do you happen to know how much does saia start its dock workers.

 

I am going off of memory here so don't hold me to it because I could have them mixed up with a few others I talked to but I think it was 16 and change running a forklift on a crossdock

 

Dang, son!

You live in trucking central! Every major company has a terminal in that area. You have the pick of the litter.

Now IF your circumstances dictate that you can't pay for your school and need the company of your choice to school you and train you, than I would recommend going to do some meet and greets at the companies on your list. I started out in your area in '13. I visited four companies in the greater San Bernardino area and went with the company that was open kimono, allowed me to walk the yard, look at the equipment, talk to drivers in the driver's lounge, talked to the recruiter, a driver manager, etc. That was Swift (now consolidated in Jurupa Valley but their school is in the old Fontana yard).

Most companies weren't nearly as receptive.

Swift will likely require you to run OTR to start. However, they have a lot of daycab doing local deliveries, shuttle runs, etc. that would have you home every day. They have dedicated accounts that have you home every weekend.

The trick is to talk with your driver manager and put your hat in the ring for the position you want. Brand new drivers don't get those jobs. You need to prove yourself OTR.

Here's some questions: do you want to do physical work? Does something like flatbed appeal to you? Are you willing to haul hazmat? Maybe hauling fuel would be a good paying gig. The world of trucking has a lot of variety. It is not all dry vans and reefers. There are a lot of avenues you can take your career.

 

I will say if you do a dock to driver program you will most likely get much better training than you will at a CDL mill. I have never been to a CDL mill but I haven't heard good things. I got my CDL at UPS the first time and they spent weeks with me driving the truck instead of sitting in a sleeper with six other guys while they all take their 20 minute turns driving.