From Seattle with some newbie questions

Remember, bad advice is only considered bad by someone else's opinion, it's good advice if it provides a sliding scale of options that can get you on the path to your goals

 

What would we all do without your expertise advice,lol.

 

My 'friends' who do tout Gordon would get a laugh out of anyone thinking that I push Gordon, miles. If anything, they consider me a thorn.

I hammered and still hammer Gordon for peewee pay and peewee short loads while at the same time insisting the driver 'donate' 2 hours loading, 2 hours unloading and scaling on each load. Of my first 30 loads with Gordon, 13 were under 200 miles, under $60 and those short runs used up most of a day. You can do the math. See: http://www.thetruckersreport.com/tr...on-culture-one-drivers-experience-gordon.html

I made $23.67/hr before Gordon, make good money now part-time. Had a recent run Wed-Fri, left Indy Wed, pulled five (5) Cincy-KY-Cincy easy turns and got paid $937.50 plus $80 and change for wait and breakdown time. Got back to Indy Friday evening. Those we call 'money' runs. Nice.

I recommend avoiding companies with 100% turnover. Which includes Gordon. What a person out of school needs is a safe place to park his/her CDL and to increase skills. OTR has 100% turnover, lousy pay, especially in the first year, and outrageous long hours. Smaller companies pay better, have better benefits (according to TTR) and the LTLs have 6% turnover, compared to 100% OTR. Why go home ever 2-6 weeks when you can go home every night?

Last time I checked, all the good whoopie's at home... unless you're reckless, in which case nothing I say matters anyway.

A mentor is invaluable. If you have to go mega 'starter' carrier, like Gordon, insist on running with a trainer who has at least 5 years experience until he/she deems you fit. I considered myself an experienced driver when I hooked up with Gordon and quickly learned that I was over my head with the QualComm, a new race on every load (it took weeks to hit an account for the second time), Gordon's quirks, slow trucks (61-63 mph, cruise off/on), 65 mph speed limit at all times include down a grade.

I spent a 24-hour overnight 'day' with a Gordon 5-year trainer after I screwed up and would have PAID for more time. He said, no, that I'd be fine. But he had all sorts of great insights and stayed in touch with ALL his trainees, who would call about routes, shippers/receivers and advice.

I learned a lot at Gordon and I don't regret it. Depending on your goals it could be a fit. If money matters, it doesn't. If having a life outside of trucking, it doesn't. A good place to learn OTR, yes. A safe place to park your CDL, very good CSA, never ask you to run illegal (fire you if you do), great driver support 24/7, excellent equipment. 100% turnover like the rest of OTR, I believe. (Do you need to learn OTR now? No.)

I'd prefer you look for a program at Old Dominion, Estes, Con-way Freight (not T/L), ABF, etc. where you work the dock in the morning and yard hostle in the afternoon, for example, and go home at night. Get more experience. Start taking straight trucks or daycabs when they're busy. LTL. 6% turnover.

Use your new CDL to snag a local job even if it's city bus, straight truck for Lowe's or Menards, dump truck, cement truck--you name it. There are more of those jobs and you'll make more money.

OTR, like heaven, can and should wait.

 

He bashes gordon simply because he failed at them and cant take responsibility for it.

 

Dont listen to anything victor says...he's the kind that will steer you wrong way simply because he failed and dont want others to succeed at something that he surely failed at.

 

"My 'friends' who do tout Gordon would get a laugh out of anyone thinking that I push Gordon, miles. If anything, they consider me a thorn."

See?! ; 0)

Here's a different view: http://www.thetruckersreport.com/tr...956-doubleyellows-covenant-thrival-guide.html

double yellow and I disagree on some things, but he's a really good OTR role model. I think taking a medical leave fron Con-way T/L right now.

But avoid OTR if you can... especially the megas. Low wages, poor driver treatment, long hours, weeks out, inconsistent home time, a jail-cell-sized living space 24/7... basically solitary confinement. Major health ramifications.

100% driver turnover. 100%.

 

Drivers leave OTR companies like Gordon at 100% rates because the OTR company (like Gordon) failed them, not the other way around. Then you have name-callers and stalkers who defend and tout lousy poor-pay outfits with 100% turnover. Funnee!! Some even PM their insults. Funnier!!

 

JD , I'll try an stay on topic and offer what little help/advice I can.

1. Chinatown answered that one much better than I , I'm on the east coast and have no references.

2. Every area has it's good and bad things , alot depends on the type of freight being moved , or the way it is moved. I don't know if the constuction industry up there is doing anything , but that is a great way to get started in trucking , driving a dump , or a flat-bed. I do know that the NW has a big fruit and produce business that loads leave the area going all over , especially when the apples start to come in strong. Local beverage/beer companies are also a good bet as are the local tanker/fuel companies (although the fuel folks require you to have the tanker and Haz-Mat endorsements , good idea to get them while in school BTW) Food service companies , grocery warehouses , are also really good local jobs , with great pay and home every night schedules for the most part.

3. OTR pay is an entirely different animal as far as I'm concerned , there are several different pay scales and they vary from place to place . most places start you with a trainer at a significantly lower pay rate than the trainer some as low as $250 a week to as high as $600 a week during training. Then once you are trained you have a starting pay that will go up with experience , or even sometimes there will be a variance in the rates of pay depending on where you are going to ie some places pay a small premium for delivering into the NE quadrant or the NYC area. Most tanker /fuel jobs pay by the hour or by a percentage of the load , hour pay is the most common I think. Food service is the same although sometimes the pay is by the amount of stops , or the total amount of pieces/product you will be delivering. As far as amounts go I'm gonna say a decent paying job for a rookie go from 45K to 50 a year with the 30 to 40 k range being more prevalent , some flat-bed companies pay a bit more , with 50 to 60k , tanker and food service come in around 65to 75k after you gain some experience. The per deim I know nothing about , sorry.

4. Like I said I'm on the east coast , but in your area try any and all LTL carriers , fuel companies (rememberthe tanker and Haz-mat endoresements they are a must have here) , grocery wharehouses/foodservice companies (If you are close to Sumner Wa. try GSF I worked for them for over 30 years here in NC great place) also ignore any signs that say 2 years experince required...put an app in anyway...you may have to work as a yard man , or a doc-hand for a while , but your foot will be in the door . Good Luck , I hope I contributed in a helpful way....

 

Well once you get a year under your belt there's a lot worse jobs than hauling woodchips and going home every night (or day).
My company has a yard in Tacoma and there's quite a few others in the area like VCT (Veneer Chip Transport) that are decent to work for.