Bashing on my choice of starter carriers

You know guys I have been more vocal and opinionated here than I usually am on most sites, sorry for that, I was merely testing the waters.

I was getting frustrated with what seems to be all the whining and complaining, then to top it off the old timers defending it as warnings and friendliness. I was going to post what company I had applied with, what scammy school I was going to attend and ask the same old is this ok questions just to beaten down with how dumb this move was. But alas, I have found some very cool stuff about my choice.

I am not fond of the school already this I know (Drivers Solutions Ft Wayne) because I know it is not really an education but merely a CDL prep group that is way overpaid. In fact, Drivers Solutions themselves clearly state they do not train me to drive, but my employer will do that, DS gets me the CDL, and that's it. They even had this on one of their webpages! The part I am happy about is the carrier my app went to has some pretty good reviews on here and I am feeling alot more comfortable with the choice. To the posters that have responded with good carriers to some recent posts, I thank you. Those are rare responses to probably the most popular question coming from noobs. Even the negative guys who warn about every company, thank you too for your posts no matter how annoying they get. I'd like to think that deep down there somewhere you are really trying to help someone.

PAM is the first carrier I will work for should everything go right. "School" should begin within a week. To those who may be wondering, I don't look at this as a job in the least. This is a choice I am making. Sure the income looks better than what I am making now at the factory, but I really am confident I will find pleasure in living this lifestyle much more than the factory. To me it's not just a way to make ends meet, it's me doing what I really want to be doing. I have wanted this for about 8-9 years, and 2 years seriously. I've just been waiting on the kids to get old enough, only one left at home in high school now. I don't think of trucking as a means to an end, but rather as the start of some freedom and fresh air. This is work I can be proud of, me pulling my own weight and not simply a warm body to press a button on an assembly line machine 10 hours a day on an 8 day schedule. I can't say there are loads of bad truckers and I plan to be the good one that will change the world either. This world has had enough change, it just needs people who are willing to listen, learn and do the #### job the way it was taught them to be done. I honestly hope that I can learn the skills you guys have and can only hope to be as safe as what you are on the road. To me the trucking industry is the epitome of pride and that is something I just don't get with my current situation. I do see alot of camaraderie between truckers and hope that someday with a humble enough attitude I too might be treated the same way. I guess this is sort of my way to say I am gonna settle down and get comfortable here and a warning that all my questions will be coming through here for the wise old pros to help me with. I know that the path I have chosen will not teach me much, and look forward to learning here anything that road herself doesn't teach me, cause god knows my so called school will not teach it. lol

Thanks for your patience with me so far.

Joshua

 

Thought I would add a bit of honesty to my profile here since I am awake reading DMV rulebooks. The reason I chose Drivers Solution frankly is because I am broke. I ran a company in the healthcare field till I run myself completely out of our savings, both my own and my wife's 401k's, then finally 2 home foreclosures on both of our properties. I should have bailed 2 years prior but was hoping it would be a temporary thing, I was wrong. I did get out before being forced into bankruptcy (if the kids were all at home still I am sure I would be bankrupt and probably on foodstamps), but just barely made it without filing. We started renting, I started working through a temp agency at a factory job that pays good but has the worlds worst schedule and a job I despise.

That is why I didn't go to a real school, so there is no misunderstanding. The little credit I have remaining (though finally starting to climb again) is barely enough to get a car loan at the credit union. I have school loans outstanding right now (car payments more important on credit report currently) so I would not qualify for a student loan at the moment. Probably for a personal loan, but probably not enough for $5k. Believe me I wish I could go to a real school to get a decent CPM, but I can suffer for a year, hell I have suffered for almost 3 years now, what's one more? lol

Now how's that for honesty!

 

So glad I didn't sign anything yet! 17.8CPM

PAM just modified their student pay rates dropping from (I think I had read) 26CPM down to a current 17CPM. Gravdigr I hope that is not your rate man.

I immediately made two phone calls and applied elsewhere. I leave for school to start with FFE in 10 days at nearly double that CPM and they have miles. I can't tell you how happy I am that there are people on this board who have connections and thank god I didn't sign anything!

 

63mph x 10 hours x 365 days will get you the $40k. Too many gatorade urinals for me to deal with. But no that's the solo company driver.