Getting your foot in the door as a new driver

Yeah, stop being so picky!
Where I live in the Las Vegas area, the garbage companies pay pretty good and have decent benefits. Some are unionized. Equipment looks real good and well cared for. I'd take that job since you have a Class-B CDL, then start working to upgrade to Class-A CDL to drive the larger more complex garbage trucks.

 

How much would it have to pay?

 

I've talked to a couple of garbage truck drivers where I live and they are upbeat and like the job.

 

If Waste Management was one of your options, you should jump on it. Good pay and benefits. Take the pay while getting experience. . If not Waste Management, who were the other trash haulers?
.By the way, where are you located? Ciy and state.
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.There is a sub forum for trash haulers that is under the tank and bulk listing that might help your research. If you are interested.

 

The freight market is slower now than 2 years ago. THERE IS NO DRIVER SHORTAGE. That is just a buzzword the trucking companies and the lazy, dishonest journalist use to push an agenda. Right now every company isn't hiring every applicant like was common before COVID. Small companies don't advertise a lot to find them you have to do more than look at Craigslist. Do an internet search for the name of your town and "trucking company". If your town is too small, then search for the bigger city and "trucking company." Just because a company has a job doesn't mean that job is right for you. Only you will care about the things YOU need at a job.

 

You answered your own question. When you have no experience, my advice to you would yes, stop being so picky. Take what you can get. The time you spend looking for the "perfect job," you could be out here getting experience with any of many companies. There are plenty that will hire with no experience. They may not be the best, but that's their role in the industry....to train new drivers. Who knows. You may even like one of those companies. Keep an open mind, and don't listen to what the negative nannies gotta say. Find a company that'll take you on and get to truckin'.

 

Garbage truck drivers here do alright.
They have B drivers for straight garbage trucks and A drivers for these.

pay is like $2.70/hour more


Got to get foot in door.
Don’t slam it on the foot.

 

I had a HazMat endorsement since I got my CDL. Few companies care how much HM experience you have. I'd take a non-HM job and add HM to my endorsements. It's more important to have experience in CDL-A than experience in HM.