My new career

Welcome to the TTR Forum and the industry. While I have no experience with Schneider, I think they are a much better choice than many starter companies.

On the fuzzy dice question, I think some people that swim across from the southern border are still into them. With a sense of humor you may increase your chances of survival in this industry.

You need to do lots of research and get some realistic expectations. You speak of travel, trucking will disappoint you if that is your mindset. You'll see as much of this great country as you can from the windshield on the Interstate.

You speak of regional, if that fits you then great. Just realize that miles equal money and regional won't get the miles that OTR will. Now for my standard copy and paste advice for those that are new. I'm no expert but I designed this based on the daily horror stories read right here on this forum.

You need to research and find out what the important questions are. You can make an above average living but you will make sacrifices that other jobs don't require. Read the "good companies" and "bad companies" section on this forum and get an idea of what company you want to work for and what kind of trailer you want to pull. Don't just go to school and then try to figure out where to go.

I don't know your financial situation. Don't take training from a company if you can afford it or get it with financial aid. You will be their slave for up to year. If you leave they will trash you DAC and credit record. Check out your local community colleges and employment office.

Just know that most training and trucking company recruiters will do nothing but lie to you. They will let you talk about what you want and then tell you what you want to hear. Trucking is about moving freight to make money for the company. Your home time, family, paycheck and everything else comes second.

It is not like any other job. Local is usually backbreaking delivery work 10+ hours a day, 6 days a week. Often you unload dozens of times a day or you are a salesman. In my area most dump truck jobs pay less than a good factory job. Regional is lots of loading and unloading time, fewer miles than OTR and not as hard as local but will wear on you and push your HOS limits. OTR is out 3 - 5 weeks with 3 - 4 days home, less manual labor and more miles.

You'll probably have to pay your dues before you get the gravy job. Weekends off, if you are lucky enough to get something like that starting out, may be home Thursday afternoon and leave Saturday night or home Friday night and leave Sunday afternoon. Loads deliver on Monday early and you leave in time to get them there. Often your home time will be in the middle of the week.

Regardless of your driving choice, after school you will go through company training. For OTR this can be six weeks to three months with little or no home time. The first phase is usually $400 a week and the second phase is $500-550 a week. Some pay less. One company pays 12 CPM for training.

You don’t want to wait around too long after training or you’ll have trouble finding a job. If you get out before you have a year in, when you try to come back a few months later you will find they want you to start over.

One last thing, if you have anything that makes you less desirable than your competing job applicants, a phone or in-person interview will often bring the best results. Even if I am the best candidate I will choose face-to-face if at all possible and phone if not. Sure you may have to fill out that online application but that isn’t the best way to get a good job. You have to do something or be someone who stands out from the crowd. Do regular follow-ups by phone on the jobs you really want.

 

One thing you can do to help you is go to your local DMV, and get a copy of the CDL Test Manual and start reading it. The test is all based on the book. The test is not that hard and dont make more of it then it really is.

 

It is true that "regionaly" you will not necessarily get the miles you would "long haul"....but more and more companies realize this, and have adjusted their pay scales to accomadate.

I belive Schneider is one of them. They pay Regional drivers .02, to .03, to .04 cents per mile more than Long Haul.

 

Regional drivers for the most part don't make crap. Plus the mega-companies use those drivers to make all the deliveries and pre-loads. Lots of sitting, twiddling, playing games on the ol' cell phone. Plus if you want to see the world it ain't happening being a regional driver.

Do you want to make a lot of money? Do you want to see the world? (country) Do you want to spend time with your girlfriend? Have no house payment?

Then here is my advice to you..... Get your CDL, have your girlfriend get her CDL. TEAM DRIVE!!! You can really make good money as a couple team driving. My wife and I did and we had a blast while doing it. Yes you have your bad days but who doesn't. The memories and experiences we had actually far out weigh the good money we made! If you do it for a few months and decide you guys like it, then sell the house. Now everything you make will be profit! After a year or so, buy a truck and then you will really make some money!

Anyway there's my two cents.

 

Schneider must two websites if this is true. They are the ones that make me say less for regional. First red flag no CPM on any regional job. Annual earning potential (yeah, hope you don't base your decision on these numbers) : Team $66,000 (each), OTR $52,000, Regional $35 - 52,000, Wal-Mart Dedicated $34 - 44,000.

Logic does not support increased mileage pay for regional. You pay more for what is harder to fill. You pay less for the job everyone wants. It is simple American supply and demand at it's finest.

Remember miles equal money; any other mindset will bring disappointment. There are better jobs but lots more drivers competing for them.

 

Funny.....every ad or web site I see goes something like this: Regional= $.36 cpm / National= $.32 cpm

But; you know......whatever.

 

I have a question WVUFan (love WV my family's from southern WV) No disrespect to anyone but if you have a degree why do you want to do trucking? I know cops and in the academy they asked who had a degree and mostly all raised their hand, then the man in charge asked them "what the hell are they doing here?". I would think with a dregee you could get a job in the gas well industry, mining underground or surface (blast man), Appalachian Power or some other type of utility.