Heading back out, still have my fear....

Try Greatwide; you buy one of their trucks or choose one from a dealership trade-in lot. They have divisions all over the USA.

Paschall Truck Lines in Murray, KY has some type of lease-to-own program.

 

Schneider I believe doesn't require you to team after training.

With only 3 months experience, I think your jumping to lease too early. Build your confidence as a company driver first. You'll be building that confidence driving a truck that you don't have to pay the repairs on

Your problem is that you had a bad partner & ......maybe a bad choice in CRST.

 

CRST is a bottom of the barrel outfit,
they are bad company to hang with.
3 months isn't a lot of experience.
Start talking directly companies you might be interested in.
Be extra careful getting yourself hooked up in a lease.

 

I agree with TruckDuo. I personally never went to school (trucking lol) but had a friend who gave me all tips and advices. I had to learn pretty much everything on my own. After driving for only two months, I decided to buy my truck and hit the road! I will save you from all the suffering and pain...it was a lot of headaches. Well, it took years to get everything squared out and now with a lot of experience, I have a nice truck and I run on my own authority. Here and there still struggle with some brokers who insist in paying enough for diesel ... But now I don't move my butt out of the house for cheap loads. When you get your truck, get an automatic. I enjoy and I think is much easier on your body and to keep a lot more attention ahead of you. And work hard from March to the end of November. From there, just go to a warm beach ( I'm leaving tomorrow) and grab a margarita that can last until the last week of February ! And one more thing...team up only if you have a nice boyfriend or husband. Otherwise is not gonna work. Good luck to you.

 

I would shy away from the lease thing for a while, you seem to still be on the fence about weather this life style is for you or not. If you walk out on a lease it will haunt your credit for along time. There is a big Schneider terminal just south of you, might want to try there first. I would also recommend asking about their tank training program, it will open a lot of doors later down the road if you decide to stay with it. I know everyone complains about the great pumpkin, but they offer fair pay for a rookie. They(Schneider) rents 5-6 spaces in our lot in Cincinnati, and never heard any of them complain yet. Although I have only met 1 with 5+ yrs in, every driver I have talked to personally (only5-6) seems to have the mindset that it is a good training co./stepping stone.

 

Get your year and come back to Cleveland and run local.
I run for a private refuse company down in Twinsburg, make great money. The only bad bits are driving the flat wagon down through downtown picking up crushed bales of corrugate cardboard. And the residential waste job I do three days a week. And the 48' open top dump I do one day a week. Okay, so my job sucks, but the money is good.

TL : DR- there's driving opportunity out the bottom in Cleveland.


EDIT- Maddy. Having a fear of forced dispatch is nothing new for anyone. I was sent to NYC, Boston, Washington DC ect ect more times than I care to admit in my limited time with FFE. Was I terrified the first time I hit the Bogopa warehouse in central Brookyln? Oh Hell yes! Was I terrified when I had to 90+ degree blindside a door at the Domino sugar plant in Baltimore? God yes.

Am I glad I did these things? Very! These made me a better driver. Cleveland is a cakewalk in comparison to a round robin 3 shipper p/u in the boroughs over in NYC.

On your first full year with a single company you ought'ant to plan to make much money, and should intend to be doing the lion-share of grunt work.