Best way to start out in this industry?

I live in omaha so there is a lot of good dedicateds in this area.. dedicated routs vary depending where you live... alsowhen you are out with a trainer keep checking and see what is. Available for you and when you are close to finishing your training call driver placement...

 

One of the safest carriers in the industry is in Washington state........Gordon trucking. Don't know a thing about them though other than Heartland express just bought them a couple of months ago. To answer your question about how long do OTR drivers stay out.......depends on how hard you want to hit it. I stay out 3 weeks then head to the house for 3-4 days. I know guys that stay out several months at a time. Comes down to what's best for you and your lady.

 

I'm sure you could make 50k the first year if you find one of the mom and pops that expect you to run hell bent dodging scales and run multiple logs. I've been out here awhile so not sure what rookie pay is like in a legal company, or even what companies you can get on with as a rookie. I know there is a list on this site of companies that do hire new drivers.

What I can add is answers to your original post. Most companies want you to stay out a minimum of 2 weeks and give you 1 day off for every week you stay out. For me, it wasn't worth staying out 2 weeks to have 2 days off. By the time you got your clothes washed and regeared for your next trip, you had no relax time. Personally I stay out 2 months of more, which gives me a week off. I am single however so I'm the only one that effects. Also bear in mind that most companies that let you come in after 2 weeks require you to slip seat. That is, pack all your stuff out of the truck and into a different when you come back in 2 days. Slip seating sucks...

All companies are concerned about fuel costs, with good reason. The best way to reduce it is to control idle time. There is nothing better than getting a call from dispatch at 2 am, telling you you to turn your truck off, even if it is 5 deg outside. So, try to find one that has apu's as standard equipment. Not only does this reduce the company's cost, most places have fuel bonuses for having high mpgs, which puts more money in your pocket.

I've rambled enough. If you have any questions, pm me. I'll answer if I can. Good luck to you. It's a great life if you have the personality for it.

 

Give Central Refrigerated a call they run Fries out of the McCains plant in Othello. Prime is another one you might want to give a call.

 

To the OP;
You've got some great advice here so far & one bit of advice that is near worthless...

QUOTE=Storm1014;3833292]All the Big Corp.fleets are bottom feeders...Period[/QUOTE]

Now here is what is very funny about that non advice above . Trucking like all other industries has a very small but vocal minority. You'll find them on channel 19, the truck stop lounges, waiting at shippers for a new load, & on message boards like this conveniently enough. They decry "how things are as opposed to the way the were" (even if they are too young to have any direct knowledge or experience of it) & how "nobody respects truckers & by gosh let's all do something about it." Now mind you these types will talk the talk but not walk the talk... or roll the rubber so to speak. They decry about the industry de-regulation in the 80's that allowed the mega carrier to grow & they'll scream to high Heaven "Gov't should get involved & stop this injustice!" & within 2 breaths you'll get this, "What do you mean I have to take a urine test? My rights are being violated & gov't is too big & intrusive!" It's quite the dichotomy they put themselves in. This driver also doesn't accept or respect the fact that 10's of thousands of driver's choose to apply their skills for a wage at these mega carriers & are treated fair daily & like what they do. They like their benefits & wages & the protection of knowing their company won't vanish in the blink of an eye leaving them stranded out on the road. Reference Arrow Trucking in 2009 because it does happen. It's all about perspectives after all.

I can offer this advice so take it or leave it.

First thing is be totally sure of your decision because it not only will affect you but your wife & family too. If you have kids then even more so. Trucking is a lifestyle choice that has far reaching implications into your home. Leaving on that 1st trip & having no real clue when you'll see your family again is heartbreaking for all involved. Once the shock has worn off & everybody has adjusted to you being gone the trips home can be equally shocking when you discover that everybody has moved on & life continued without you there. It can make you feel totally unimportant & worthless until you learn to cope as well. That's what I mean by it's a lifestyle choice. A strong marriage & family core can survive & even thrive in it given time. But if the family is weak or fragile trucking will put the final nail in the coffin so be absolutely sure your family is ready for the lifestyle.

Also, ask yourself if you are ready for the scrutiny you'll receive on the other side of the wheel from your former professional colleagues in law enforcement? Truckers drive around in 80,000 lb. behemoths with a target affixed to them. The scrutiny is immense & you can feel it each time you drive into or through a small town & see that dreaded sign of NO JAKE BRAKES ALLOWED or pass the local law enforcement with the uneasy feeling that you might should have turned left at that light instead of going straight. "Was this the bypass that all trucks were required to take or am I on the business route by mistake?" It will happen. And they'll be no consideration for your former job in law enforcement. Frankly they just won't care that you once wore the badge. You're in the enemy camp now so to speak. Now multiply that scrutiny by all 48 states in the continuous US. Get the picture?

As mentioned already make a list of what you are looking for in a job as you complete your schooling because trucking companies of all sizes & descriptions will come to you with offers for "the most blessed of jobs & you'd be a fool not to get on board now!" It's like a college graduate getting all those credit card offers in the mail so buyer beware! Miles, pay, hometime, benefits, equipment... it's all relative to what you want out of your new career. Find the company, big or small, that fits what you want then go for it.

You will have to pay your dues at 1st but that applies to any industry as well which you probably had to in law enforcement. In 6 months to a year you'll know whether you made the right choice. If it's for you congratulations & welcome to trucking! If not, then hold your head up high as you gave it shot but realized you wanted something different. Either way it's going to quite the adventure so get ready for the highest of highs & the absolute lowest of lows. You'll get them both on a near daily basis in trucking.

Good luck & be safe out there future driver!

 

Before you spend your own money on training, check around for a company which will train you. Yes, you'll be locked into them for maybe 6 months, but if you do the numbers you may discover that you won't make any more money per mile from the people who will hire you out of the school than you will from a company which trains you.

Since all of the companies who will hire a rookie are just looking for meat in the seat, there's not a lot to differentiate one from another. During your payback period, you will have plenty of opportunity to talk to drivers with other companies.

Remember also that this industry has a MASSIVE "infant-mortality" ratio. If you pay out of your own pocket, and decide within that 6 months that you don't belong here, you're out all that money. If you go to the company school then drop out, you may only have to pay back part of the cost (pick your company based on the answer when you ask this question).

 

You 'live' out there, in a square little box. Fast food gets old real quick, sometimes finding a bathroom is impossible, other drivers and drivers of other vehicles hound you, ride your blind spot, scare the living daylights out of you with their antics.

God help you if you get sick on the road - it's a nightmare.

You have to think ahead of the truck, that 80,000 pound behemoth traveling at 65 mph, at all times, and in all situations; like that granny in front of you that is trying to merge at 20 mph onto the expressway and the pickup along side of you that can't see her and won't let you over, and there is only so much pavement, and it's being chewed up fast.... or being behind that 'doubles' or 'triples' that goes into the turn off too steep and rolls her over in front of you on the curve.... and the cows that roam free range in some states and meander out in front of you - and elk - what a mess that makes of your vehicle and the road.

And can you stand to sit in 100+ or -30 degree traffic while they clean up a mess that is going to take 4 hours and you are now going to be 8 hours late to the drop off, and your dispatch is screaming at you over the qualcomm.

Can you be responsible, not only for your life, but for all the lives around you while you are driving - because God Forbid, if something goes wrong - your fault or not - -you- get put under the microscope. After all, your company, or you, carry million dollar+ insurance policies....

Can you be 500 miles away when your kid breaks his arm, or the furnace goes out, or your daughter announces she's getting married?

It truly is one of the toughest jobs in the country because you live with the unknown minute by minute while on the road. The Laws, the Regulations, they've become so convoluted it is almost impossible to do the job.

Can you say to yourself as everything is going wrong around you; "It will get there, when it gets there; safety first and always!"? Pressure is your constant companion....

And if you are ready and okay with all of that:
-- Learn the language: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glossary_of_the_American_trucking_industry
-- Learn the Industry: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trucking_industry_in_the_United_States
-- Learn the Rules: http://www.irs.gov/Businesses/Trucking-Industry-Overview---Complete-Version

Then, enjoy that one in a lifetime sunset over the Rockies as you come through the Texas Panhandle, and the View of the Ocean out by Virginia Beach, and the rolling plains through Kansas, and stay in touch with your family......