Pre-Planning a new career

Don't start your new career with some low paying company. Go right to the money from day one. Start looking now. Some companies will accept their online applications early; just check the "student" box on the application. Research some websites and make some phone calls. Ignore "experience required" because those companies still hire good student applicants.

Trimac Transportation - running ads for Crystal River area.
CTL Transportation - OTR division only, local doesn't pay well at all.
Schneider Bulk
SVTN
Superior Carriers
Tidewater Transit
Melton Truck Lines
Tyson Foods

I only listed the best annual pay companies that I'm aware of that hire new CDL graduates. $52K - $65K

 

i can tell you one thing about trucking are you ready to leave your family ever week? trucking is hardest on the family not the driver,your wife will be left with all the things you do around the house. from your post i would guess you are in your mid 40s,if you continue on this quest i would suggest purchasing a new comfortable davenport,because you will spending a lot of time on it when you are home. please have further talks with you wife if she is ready for that type of life style change. lots of luck

 

Contact some companies and see if you are hireable. I had half a dozen prehires verbals& letters before attending a cdl mill.

I thought the school was a scam. Lol .....(oh how I was right!!!!)

Great ppl...but that price for what you got out of it....no.

 

Yes; You will likely be OTR. Yes it is very hard on the family at first, but you can adapt. China always has good, solid info on companies and pay so I'd really check into those he listed. Yes, get every endorsement you can, passport and TWIC are good and if you can get the Unemployment Office to pay for your training you can probably get them to pay for the passport and TWIC as being also needed for employment. The program you want to ask about is called WIA (Workforce Initiative Act) and it is specifically for laid off workers wanting to train for a different (read more employable) line of work, and they can also help with gas money and "other necessities" of the trade; which is left up to the local office as to what constitutes a necessity. They do pay for CDL training, pretty sure you could get them to cover the passport and TWIC but that depends on budget. Keep in mind also that with WIA they have TWO budgets; One for laid off and drawing unemployment, one for not drawing unemployment. The budget for not drawing unemployment is smaller and runs out fast; the other is larger but it IS a budget so I'd go ahead and get the ball rolling and contact them now. You do have some hoops to jump through (orientation class, skills and aptitude testing, paperwork, etc) and it's best to already be in their system. You can always transition from WIA not drawing unemployment during the sign up and hoop jumping phase and then transfer to laid off and drawing unemployment (to get into the larger budget classification) when the layoff hits and hopefully be able to jump straight into school. I'd really play on the: "minimize time being unemployed" aspect. Keep in mind they deal with so many "system players" that have no intention of finding a job and are just milking the government teat that when they get someone sincerely wanting to get a job and willing to jump through hoops and train to get it, it is refreshing for them and they tend to work harder to get you what you need.

Best of luck and be safe.

 

Why?

What about Texas?

 

Sorry, still getting the hand of the forum.

My "Why? What about Texas?" was in response to the post saying a lot of companies do not like to hire out of Florida.

Thanks for your patience.

 

Because of the relative low amount of freight that is coming out. If there is freight it doesnt pay nearly as much to the truck as it does if there was a load coming out of South Carolina, or Georgia