Best for new drivers in Kansas?

head down to the DMV or do a google search and find out what it will take to get your permit at least.

It's all written and you just need to study the book.

In the mean time while you are doing that. Pull out the local phone book and start scrounging the area you are in for transportation companies.

They can be listed under transportation, cartage, motor freight or a number of things.

When you do decide to make this happen, you will have to have your foot firmly set to go out the door and do this. Jerking a recruiter around and hmming and ha'ing him is not a good start with a company.

 

A lot of people tend to forget about it too.

 

How close to Wichita are you, unless you want to go otr you should be able to find local driving in Wichita

 

Welcome to the forum!

If you are wanting to go over the road you don't need to find a carrier in your state. For instance I live in FL and worked for Central out of Utah. As long as they are hiring in your area, which being in Kansas most companies should, you are in luck.

Be weary of recruiters. They get paid as long as you show up for one day! A lot of them also get paid by sending you to certain companies. So don't believe everything they have to say.

Your other biggest concern is that you have a family. If you want to make any kind of money at all you will need to stay out for at least 4-6 weeks at a time. This is very hard on the family. A lot of newbies also don't realize what it is really like living in a moving closet! Bathing and brushing your teeth in a public facility while 20 other truckers are in there stinkin it! Being stressed out at work and not being able to ever get away. Working 24/7 for a couple months at time. Missing holidays, birthdays, anniversaries, funerals etc...

Just throwing some of this out there for you to think about. Getting your CDL and going through the whole process is very costly and time consuming.

Now if you do decide you are going through with it there are some little things you can do to help in at least allowing you to drive by the house. What goes on in Kansas freight wise? Corn, beef, hauling cattle, etc... Find the companies that haul this stuff and apply to them. This will increase your chances of getting to see your family a little bit. Central refrigerated hauls a lot of beef out of Kansas. They also have a school in which you can go to for no money up front. Something like this or a company similar would be a good option.

Good luck man!

 

I'd suggest Conway in Joplin, MO or Prime in Springfield, MO. Both are only a few hours east of you and have excellent training programs. If you went with Conway, you could probably drive home on the weekends during your classroom and pad training since they do not train on the weekends.

 

That's one of the tools. You can still use the computer but you've got to stay away from searching for trucking companies hiring. If the hiring comes up then you're going to get every low ball company out there. What you want is a list of trucking companies. Also you have to remember that there are some companies that do not advertise when they need a driver. There's no need to when your company keeps the drivers and you only have openings when the drivers retire or move on. You can also download "Fleet Directory.Com". There you can get down to your area and it does list more than most. The only problem you'll have with these lists is they list just about all trucking companies. So you may have truck rentals like Ryder or others that do not have drivers. That's ok thou just be perpered to do some work to edit these lists.

 

http://www.cnbc.com/id/46993343/Kansas_Prepares_for_Gold_Rush_Style_Oil_Boom