female needing advice on where to start

There's some good advise on here , witch ever company you choose to go with make sure they don't train for the sleeper!!!! By that I mean you drive while the trainer sleeps . Maybe check on millis I'm not sure how they train but I've heard some ok things about them. The biggest thing is take you time now and find the right fit for you and stick with it , there will be days when your gonna ask wtf did I do but there's also gonna be days where you can enjoy what your doing. But who ever you deside to go with I wish you the best of luck.

 

Oh, cool! I'm a bit 'wordy', but that's partly because I am in rebellion against those one-line sentences (FaceBook, Twitter, etc) that people refer to as 'Communication these days. Plus, I would hope that what I write becomes part and partial to add to your research. I can't encourage you enough to do mega research on any and every company you consider. As mentioned above, though my own information is out of date now, Crete has always been a stand-up company, but THINK: Per what you will listen to ANY Recruiter will tell you, If everyone is SO HAP HAP HAPPY with (fill in the company), then why do they have to recruit and train? But, too, The post above is pretty right-on, especially in the sense that Crete isn't perfect, but who is in this industry? The other positive thing mentioned is 1: they won't place you with a male trainer, and 2, they take a decent amount of time (8 weeks!) to get you use to the rigors of the road. Take SWIFT for instance... I'm not bashing SWIFT (Sure Wish I'd Finished Training) as they are actually a pretty good company, but their training program for 1st timers? 4 weeks? Forget that... I have run into enough SWIFT drivers that didn't even know how to chain up come that white stuff that turns you into an 80,000lb Toboggan....
I'm not Mr. Anti-Truck Company, but I assure you that everything that I have written will come back to you when once you, or anyone else that has read my post(s) hits the OTR road for the first time. It is a brutal industry in many ways, more so on the girls than the guys, physically speaking.

Crete runs good equipment, and always has. Only when you are out there living it will you really understand how important that statement is! No matter what the recruiter says, don't start out discouraged because you aren't driving their brand new 2014 model trucks. You need to learn a LOT before that happens, but bear with them. The first time you get behind the wheel of a truck with 213 miles on the odometer, you will NEVER forget it. It is pretty cool. So, see? I'm not ALL bad news and warnings... (-:
If I can't talk you into staying at home and going to work for a Hospital or something else, then I suppose that Crete would be a good place to focus your research. Just remember though, and this goes for all recruiters, and this is FACT: In the military, they make REAL sure that they never place their Recruiters in a combat zone where any of their recruited (ie: lied to) people are serving. They would be fragged (military term for 'murdered' in a variety of ways) within 24 hrs. Truck Recruiters are only human, well, yeah, ok, human too (ha*), and they are getting paid to what? Fill seats.
Do your research and you'll be just fine. The only real draw back, and though I like the good post above on school vs. a training company, or either way for that matter is, you have about a 1 year financial commitment that will take about a year or more to get out of. School allows you room to leave a job if that particular training company turns out to NOT be what you thought. Options is a good thing.
Lastly, know this about the trucking industry in general: THEY NEED YOU, and not the other way around. You have choices, and that makes researching them with a fine tooth comb even that much more important. If you have not researched the facts and numbers about the National Driver Shortage numbers? Do so. It will embolden and empower you to make demands, or at least let them know that YOU know how to get up and walk out of an interview...
I will say again that Trainers are inviting complete strangers into their truck NOT because they 'want the company' and hassle of having a extra person on board. (Meal times, bathroom breaks, etc). There are as many trainer personalities out there as there are truck companies. Crete no doubt picks, or at least knows who to direct you towards if you make them know that you DEMAND professionalism in a Trainer. Start out ahead of the rest of the new driver pack, and stay that way for your entire career out there. We did and we made an awesome 14 year long run out of it all.
No one ever thinks of doing this, but sit down and 'Interview' your prospective trainer. If you ever went to college, didn't you pick your classes by how well you would get along with, and learn from your instructor? Well, that's the way it goes in the real world anyway... Same thing here in learning the OTR gig..
Good luck. Watch the black ice and remember: 'getting there' is never EVER as important as staying alive and getting your load there safe and sound at a later time. We know. We started out brand new in January 2000. Winter is going to be full on when you get ready to solo. A customer can deal with a late load. They can NOT deal with their load scattered all over the I-80 because you chose to drive through the ice and wind in Wyoming when the advisory signs were up. Flipping a truck over is NOT a healthy way to end your career. One day soon, this will all be yours, and many other's Reality that read this, so be wise and never ever ever ever let your dispatch push you. Oh, wait, THAT is a whole 'nuther book! ((-:

 

Don't sell yourself short (no pun intended), My wife is just under 5' and I'd bet she could handle the straps and chains for flatbeds, but being new to the industry, I would suggest ether reefer or dry van, flatbeds don't get the backing time the a van trailer would, being new? do that for a while first, so you can get proficient with backing, Then if so day you might want to try flatbeds, go for it, I bet you can do it, Best of luck

 

Schneider would be a good choice . All in all there a good company yes they have problems but who don't . Good luck and be safe

 

Contact Wil-Trans they are an amazing company to work for. PM me and I will give you all the information I can.

 

YYou could start with tm its good training not a company to stay with het one yr of traing then. Conta t me for a company you will enjoy working for