Hello from east tennessee

Hi MPH2 just thought I would give you my two cents. I have been doing a lot of research over the past few months. Comparing all the companies that have been talked about out here Prime seems to be the best. There are a lot of people who have bad things to say about Prime however, I found it to be the best for someone starting out. They aren't much on regional but they will pay for your training and it is mostly behind the wheel. Read some of the inputs on all of the forums for different companies and decide for yourself. Good luck.

 

You're going about this in a good informative way. There's some good companies that have what you're looking for. Check these out and see if they fit your wants & needs:

LandAir Transport
drive4marten
Purdy Bros.
Western Express

Sometimes a company will state "must have 6 mos. experience", etc. but still apply and talk to them anyway. If they like the school you go to, they may hire you. Grocery & food service companies do the regional, but can wear your back out quickly; the money is good but there's a price to pay.

Maverick has a couple of accounts in East Tennessee.
Also, look at Careerbuilder & Craigslist for more local & regional in your area.
Best wishes.

 

Mph, check out epes transport . Am a trainer there, they hire out of select schools. Think we have local runs out of Knoxville ? Plus southeast regional ( not open all time ). Be glad to ans any questions !

 

where at in northern michigan did you move from? i am currently in the tawas area. kind of doing the same thing as you. thought about trucking for almost 20 years and the time seems right for me now. i gave my word to work until april for one of my current employers so i can not go to school until spring but figure any research and knowledge i can gain before then will just be gravy for when i do gt to start. good luck and hope to see you down the road sometime.

 

this is based on just how life happened to me
I have lived a nomadic existence all my life fishing and trucking
been all over the world seen a lot of stuff
BUT I MISSED THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS
watching my family grow
stay home being a mechanic till the kids are older
trucking will always be there

on thursday I will be driving from Cactus TX to Jacksonville Fl

even local regional work is not a 9-5 lifestyle

 

I will never understand how a person who wants to be a truck driver could say PRIME sounds like the best option for a newbie. You could start with a company that takes all the risk and offers several divisions and dedicated runs to get your feet wet and find your Niche of trucking that fits you.

Or you could go to PRIME and take all the risk of fuel truck payments and repairs which go against your take home pay versus learning the industry at a low risk even income starter company. I think you should ask the wife and kids about that one.

Why not start at Schneider or Swift then you can try Tank, Van, Flatbed, Dedicated home weekly, Dedicated Home Daily. All while not having to quit but just switching divisions within the same company.

 

Keep your options open. Going Trucking there are a lot of companys and different work under the umbrella of trucking. Kinda like retail, there is Walmart retail and Rodeo Drive retail. It is Retail sales but could not be more different.

 

Having a wife and two kids I would advise maybe a different career choice.

Its going to be very difficult to get a regional or local job fresh out of school. With that being said you can expect to run over the road in which you will be away from home for 6-8 week stints. Recruiters will tell you otherwise to get you to sign up and once you find out the truth you will either have the option of quitting or staying on board and running these long stints. There are exceptions but they are rare and usually reserved for experience drivers.

This is the number one reason for new drivers quitting and is the biggest reason there is such a high turnover rate. For some reason new drivers just can't comprehend this and against all advice, ignore the fact until they experience it themselves. Understood though, you are taking advice from a complete stranger. This complete stranger will save you $6000.00 though if you heed the advice.

Don't put your wife and kids through this man.... If you do push on and drive over the road you will never get to see them grow up. If you take the leap and decide it isn't for you then you are putting your family in quite a bit of debt.

There are many technical colleges and all kinds of other trade schools you can attend in which you can make the same amount of money if not more and be home with your family. As a new driver your first year away from your family you can expect to send home about $25,000 - $30,000. That amount of money surely isn't worth sacrificing your family.