Need Trucking Advice

Good luck Timothy.Four years ago I had nothing.Signed up for school at what a lot of these guys on here would call a mega-carrier BFI AND STAYED FOUR YEARS.They delivered everything they said and I was happy there.Recently I landed a local working four on and three off making over 60 k a year.If this happens to not work out I can pretty much choose any OTR carrier to work for because of my driving record.I to have children and a wife.She stuck by me when I was gone for long periods of time and it in a sense made our marriage stronger.Now I have a great local gig making great money with unbelievable benefits.It can be done.Stay the course keep your nose clean and get some experience and start looking around.ITS POSSIBLE TO LAND A LOCAL OUT OF SCHOOL,BUT NOT PROBABLE.Good luck.

 

You mean you can find no warehouse looking for a dock hand. Even working the docks at an LTL company, youll make what you make now in two days or so.

Trucking isnt the end all be all. And like mentioned before you'll be spending money on the roand and trying to support your family at home.


Try indeed.com or your local craigslist. You're a vet so it gives you some preferential treatment, unless you got kicked out of the military at some point or got a bad discharge.

 

I'm. Gonna start calling you negative nanny. Chompi. Every bit of advice you give is negative.



OP,

As a vet, you can get post 9/11 and all you other va gi bill bennies. Go talk to a lo
cal tech college and talk to the vet coordinator

 

That is actually some really good advice. You can try out working as a loader at one of the LTL companies. Our forklift guy was hired six months ago, and the manager told him that if get wanted, they will let him use their trucks/trailers to obtain his CDL. A lot of companies will hire drivers from within. You might not even have to use your VA benefits. Just an idea. Oh yeah, I found my LTL driving job on Craigs List.

 

being a vet for most companies won't get you any preferential treatment.

It gives you more resources for financing certain things with the gubermint yes, and some medical care.


Most civilians would just look at you and say thanks for your service and go on their way.


I have yet to find one employer who hired me with any consideration for my vet status or my military training. Even the stuff that directly related to my job.

 

Yup. Also true. Companies will always pick the most qualified person for the job. No matter what industry. I landed my job based on nine years of combination vehicle driving without any accidents or tickets. During my interview, the only time my military background was brought into reference was when I am OUT so I can start my first day. Employers love to hire vets, as long as they are as or more qualified than those you are competing against. Any VA rep at the job service center will tell you the same thing.

 

So vet status means nothing.

It's your qualifications that get you the job.


As it should be.

 

Ya, that's why I put that disclaimer in there! Not trying to be negative, I am trying to give the newbies a perspective of what it can be like out there other than the embellished, fantasy that the recruiters paint. I would rather sound negative and save the poor guy thousands of dollars and wasted time!

If you have a family or spouse then you DO need to seriously consider what it is you are getting into! This is the number one reason for new drivers quitting so I think I fairly laid it out!

If you don't like my posts don't read them! You can hit the ignore button and not have to worry about what I post and the new guy who knows nothing about the industry will have some insight as to what they are getting into!

 

It does for me, I was a sergeant and if you can frame your military experience in a way relevant to your job youll get it. I applied for a job at new penn and the guy didnt even really go over anything. he was like here go take this drug test. Alot of hiring managers were ex military surprisingly.

Its all about how you word things. Not being deceptive, just artful use of the english language