Prospective Driver/Team - Questions and Concerns

That's the truth, paying your own CDL you are earning the minimum freedom that you need to be sucessful, but if you can't afford be AWARE of this others in yout list like Covenant (u will drive team loads with covanant but pay is will be very bad...) Swif/CR (well...big drama those companys..will do anything for yours s/s #)...Prime (they have that lease program, but u don't want and i must say U ARE TOTALLY RIGHT, too early...get at least 1 under your belt before think about it...But as a team company-driver i asume you guys can make a good living with Prime, according to my researches, its my second company of preference if i want to be Company Team driver....
You are in the right way man, if you can't afford your CDL at least stick with somebody that you know you can last more than 6 months without getting burned of trucking...(those 3 definitly are not good ones...but i will prefer Covenant then CR or Swift because I know Covenant run teams good but pays .30 cpm...)

PEACE and if u need something, just post here we will see.

 

Also i forgot to tell u, did u checked US Express Enterprises? They pay for experienced drivers (after 6 months) .48 CPM....Automatic trucks, Dry van loads...
I don't know how good....heard good and bad things. And I'm pretty sure they do these student start-up program...

Thanks

BRAA

 

ok, pre-hire means "we wish hire you but you are not officially hired", all is gonna be processed when you finish you school IF they have positions at the time, IF they judge you are the ok (Motor vehicle record, employment history (with no gaps), drug/alcohol history...many other factors) they can oficially hire you when you get there for the orientation.

Honestly, We were pre-hired for Covenant (but they didn't had any slot available for orientation for the next 2 months, so months with a CDL in the pocket paid 4.5k each and making no money...) and Werner, ended up with Werner.
Just for example, i got a pre-hire from Conway Truckload, got to the place, got my 1st day and they then found something in my driver record that they didn't liked, so...bus ticket back...(reason that i'm not there today...otherwise i could be there running crazy from sacramento CA to Pennsylvania or Atlanta com LA...but....)
NOT NECESSARILY YOU ARE APROVED. I've seen a few drivers attending to orientation with "pre-hires" and going back home. So...
I believe that is different when you attending to their school, their program....but pre-hires for companys like Stevens, Swift, CR, Us xpress, Werner can be turned down when you get to the location of orientation. I can mention lots of cases for you of members of this forum in that condition.
AND about this idiot that is trying to "sell" you any company or CDL program with fabulous promisses of "pre-hires" this means absolutly NOTHING, they are selling u just nothing. Those driving-schools are feed by called "driver mills companys" (all those that i just mentioned above) they pay those schools high dollars, offer old tractors to be used for free to train the next "victims"of this big scam because without these tool they would end without drivers (Werner just to mention has a turnover of 300%, where i got my "pre-hire"). So they (driver mills) invest a lot of money in indirectly in those schools that have the character of "recruiter" that is nothing more them a sales guy that was yesterday selling cars, toilet flushers...and now sell dreams ...Also to justify the 5,000 they want squeeze from you for your trainning they offer "JOB PLACEMENT" (that's is really ridiculous) sending your applications by fax to those especific companys in the mafia "partners" to get you the "best in the industry" (since you don't know what is the worst, for you sound like nice)...Ask them to fax you app to Conway to see what happens...they will try to convince you/wife to stay with Stevens for example...They get money in both ways: from you and from Stevens.
Stevens want them operating well to replace drivers that they screwed, got their social security # for tax breaks and jacked them off. Well, Stevens blame to be a company that never "fired" a driver, i believe that they can make life so miserable there that you gonna auto-eject your self from their hot seat.
We attended to a "recruiting meeting" in Denver for Stevens, they sad that 6 months of experience was enough...when i got there saw that sales man, with that great speech...talking this, that...same speech i heard from all those (some of them recruit for more then one carrier) at the end of the meeting took our app and never got back...few weeks later called him and he told me, "don't get me wrong but the truth is Stevens is only interested in students, few weeks I had a driver with 10 years of experience, 1 milion miles of safe driving but i couldn't get him because they are just hiring students now..." Well, what a hell in this world could motivate a company to want just students and reject a driver with 10 yrs of exp. ??!!!
My modest advice for you STAY AWAY FROM SCHOOLS/Driver Mills SCAM this is pure RIP OFF you will thank me for the rest of your CDL driving life.
I don't know if i will last that much to see it, but...

They sell you will make 100k++ in a year as a team... LYERS!!
At best you will be making working for those crooks in your 1st year will 55/60k (both), paying 10k in CDL and keeping 50k,or 25k each.
Is this $ worth for this life over the road? I don't think so...

Keep in mind that the first 2/3 months (our trainning took 3 months, especially Werner Enterprises they keep you in a hostage for months with your trainner) you will be making $300,00/week each.

Second lie they usually do is "the company will reimbursh your trainning" Sure they will, it will be $100 per month...so if you borrow 5k you need to work 50 months to them. it's nothing more nothing less than 4 yrs to get your investment back...INSANE.

While with Conway u are giving 1800, and i bet they will make a good job with trainnig and try to rush u to get you guys hooked in your own tractor ASAP because they WANT you as a team driver to move their loads (they have so much that they farm out to Werner, Swift...)belive me i did several Conway team loads while working for Werner...there is even a "Conway dedicated" for Werner teams out of Los Angeles CA...it means, they have more freight that they can haul...sometimes they just sell it cheaper for starving carriers like those dryvan big companys....

Another point that is important: they will separate you during the trainning. U go with a guy, she goes with a girl. BUt...there is always a pain in the....to match the girls side, there are never a lady available at that day, that time, that location to pickup your wife...so she could stay way back in the motel while you driving/trainning..Untill the point they will say "well its been hard to find a lady, will she mind to go with one of our guys?"
That is exactly what happen with us...My wife required an "non-smoking female trainer" never got one....after 2 weeks locked waiting for trainer in the motel and delaying our start-up, we made a decision of allowing her to go with a guy. Fortunately the guy was awesome and respectful. But anyway took us 3 months until we could be sharing the same tractor.
I'm 150% positive they will tell you "No, it never will happen with us, we have plenty of female drivers available just waiting for her and to choose from" Bull shot. It's very hard to find a solo/trainner woman, most of them are with hubbys or already doing team...it's a very rare situation a woman-trainer be available...very rare. So consider it too. As faster is your training done as fast you be out together and making money.

I've heard that Covenant training allows both of you in the same tractor with a trainer, which i don't know how it could work out...3 people sharing a 70" sleeper of a Freighliner Columbia and legally could be a issue since by law you can't use the upper bunker while the vehicle is moving.

Patience and take the right decision. Good luck.

Braa.