Hello everyone

like i tell everyone, just take your time, slow motion keep your eyes open and think. you will be fine. its a truck no the space shuttle

 

Welcome to the forums MsDade!

Do a lot of reading and asking. There's a wealth of info here. Recruiters are used car salesman. They'll promise you the moon and deliver a marble.

There are companies that hire experienced drivers and ones that train. Usually the training companies pay reduced wages in return for training. You use them like they use you and when you get some experience then you move on to a better company. It usually takes up to a year to settle in with a better paying job. That said you are basically picking the best of the worst. IMO stay away from CRST, CREngland and Werner. A lot has to do with attitude. You have to earn your stripes so to speak and eventually your dispatcher will start trusting you more and more. The ones they know that will deliver on time, not wreck, not damage freight and not give them a hard time ends up with the better runs. It takes time to develop a work relationship as a dispatcher might have 100 drivers and many new faces all the time.

Trucking is not just a job it's a lifestyle. You can read about it a bunch but you have to get out there to know what it's really like. One reason the turnover rate is high because it's not like one might of expected. You have to deal with crazy drivers, irate customers, electronic recorders, the cops, the DOT, your dispatch and safety dept. There are more eyes looking at you than the old thoughts of freedom of the open road. Develop good habits and you'll have no problems. There is a level of safe driving beyond what you know now.

Living in Florida you are in the corner of the world so to speak. There is a lot of freight going in but not much coming out. For that reason many stay away from south Florida. But there are companies. Your best bet in Florida is to work for a refrigerated company (reefer trailer) as Florida is a produce state. I use to haul meat down there and usually I would haul fruit juice out or pick up frozen vegetables at one of the ports.

Never get mad if you can help it. Anger in this business gets you know where. A good truck driver is calm and has tons of patience.

You can learn good habits or bad habits. Learn the good ones and they'll keep you safe. Learn the bad habits and it might be 20 years but they always bite you ...

Protect that CDL at all costs.

There is a lot to absorb. Do your homework and you'll do fine.

Good luck!

 

Yes, take CondoCruiser advice and stay away from CRST, Werner, CR England.

Are you in Georgia or Florida?

 

I started with knight refrigerated. They're fine as a starter company. I did a lot of publix loads from GA to FL and I liked publix a lot. I stayed with knight for 13 months. Through the good and the bad. Then I moved on. Now I'm a local intermodal driver.

Try to stay with a company for at least one year straight. This will help with your experience and your résumé.

 

Welcome here in this forum, I'm sure you can find answers on your questions here.