I want to drive truck!!!

Good Luck and Welcome to the forum

 

you should keep your factory job and stay home with the boy. make your old man go be a trucker. being a mom is a way more important job. starting out in trucking frequently requires you to be away from home for weeks at a time.

 

This is going to sound harsh but here it goes. Are you ready to give up seeing your son grow? You will be missing out on all the fun things that mommies do with the children. Don't get me wrong, I made that choice and there were times that I have regretted it and it took a long time for my youngest son to realize that I did what I had to do for the family. Still didn't make it any easier though. Something to ask: How long have you been married? Not trying to get personal but if you are still considered a newlywed (less than 5 yrs) I still would ask you to reconsider. I have seen alot of marriages break up just because the spouse is never home. What does your husband think? Yes, 18 months sounds right, Some companies are as low as 12 and others at 24 months.

You may bring what ever you like. Remember the more you carry the more weight you add to the truck plus that is just more stuff to take out when you swap trucks and that does happen more times than I like. TV's, fridges, microwaves, coffee pots, printers, and laptops, yup we carry that and more. Just need a inverter for 110 volt. It will take time (and money) to build everything up. What to bring? 8 days worth of clothing, a pillow, bedding sheets and blanket.

I recommend that you read Newbies and Newbies Wives. Also check the Forum concerning the company that you are starting to work for. I do wish you all the best of luck, my friend.

 

First of all Schneider National is the second largest Truckoad carrier in the nation (Swift is the biggest currently). They have a very good training program including a skid pad in Green Bay Wisconsin I believe to help teach drivers how to handle skids on wet and icy conditions. If you cannot afford to pay for the training yourself then you can go the indentured servant route. Just be aware that if you wash out or quit they will still expect their money out of you and they will make you sign a contract to that affect so it is legal.

Most schools seem to be 4 to 6 weeks long and then you will be assigned to a driver trainer or mentor for an additional 4 to 6 weeks. Normally as a trainee you will be paid a flat daily amount while your trainer gets paid for all the miles the truck travels at his rate of pay regardless of who did the driving. This daily stipend will vary from company to company but the avergae seems to be about 50.00 per day. The highest I have heard of is 100.00 per day for a trainee. Be sure you find out from Schneider ahead of time how much you will be paid during the second part of your training. Normally you will be paid nothing for the actual schooling leading up to your CDL license.

During your schooling and training you will be expected to pay your own way for food and supplies (snacks, cigarettes, etc).

Now after you have completed both phases of training and you pass your upgrade test you will be assigned your own truck. You stated that Schneider would be paying you .28 cpm once you get your own truck. If this is true then you can figure on driving anywhere from 1500 miles per week to 2500 miles per week on average. So on a poor week at 1500 paid miles you will have earned $420.00. A 2000 mile week and the pay would be $560.00. A 2500 mile week would pay $700.00. These are realistic miles for a beginning driver. As your time management skills improve and you build a reputation for being a safe and reliable driver you may have the opportunity to turn more miles. A good ball park average for new drivers to the industry is $35,000 to 40,000 their first year plus benefits. Be aware though that you will be living on the road and the costs can get very expensive if you are not careful. You could easily spend 50 dollars a day on food alone if you ate at truckstops 3 times a day and purchased cold drinks or snacks for your drive. Eating out of a cooler can save you big money each week but it does get monotonous.

You may even be able to take your child with you on the truck. Be sure to check with Schneider regarding their rider Policy.

Yes you can have a laptop in your truck and also a cooler. A refrigerator will require a hard wired inverter direct to the batteries. Some companies frown upon inverters so again check Schneiders official policy. You can buy a small 350 to 400 watt inverter that will plug into the cigarette lighter which will provide enough power for your laptop, cell phone, and other small appliances like an electric razor (my wife won't leave home without hers) a coffee pot, etc. The cooler will also have a plug for the cigarette lighter outlet as well but remember it only cools the interior of the cooler from 30 to 40 degrees below the exterior temperature. Televisions are very common now a days but your laptop can also serve double duty and play movies or even local tv through a slingbox connection or other similar product.

As for what you should take with you to school; A motor carriers atlas, a ruler, several pens, a notebook, a ruler, a calculator, comfortable work shoes or boots (no sandals, flip flops, or heels),and enough money to feed yourself while there. I assume you will be going home each day so you should not need any bedding or pillows or extra clothing at this point.

As for what type of driving you will do figure on being a road driver for a while at first. Normally dedicated and local runs are given to drivers with seniority that live in the area. Of course you may get lucky and as large as Schneider is they could have a dedicated route for you right away (but I would not count on it).

Others have already mentioned their reservations about you starting this career with such a young child and have advised you to get your husband to drive instead. Only you know if this is a better idea or not. I will say that even today this is a male dominated industry and we do have some older (less tolerant) drivers that tend to frown on a woman doing this job. I welcome all females personally but felt you should know others may not be so supportive. If I can be of any more assistance just ask. Good luck Amanda.

 

wow, jlkklj777 - good post.

I have only one thing to add, Amanda. Check into government grants - in particular Workforce Investment Act (WIA). There's a few hoops to jump through, but if you qualify, they'll pay up to $4000 of your tuition. If you can do that, you come out of school owing either nothing, or far, far less. In either case, you are in a far better position than if you had the carrier 'pay' for the schooling.

Best of luck - and it would be SO cool to take the munchkin with you!

 

I am a woman, and while I don't care if you are growing horns out of your forehead, are a woman, a man or a martian driving a truck. That has no bearing on how well you will do the job. I firmly believe that while your kids are young, your job is being a mother, not a truck driver, a lawyer or whatever else.

Your first responsibility is you kid, period. Call me old fashioned, but I think the world would still be a better place if most women agreed to this, rather than the "having it all" mentality. The ones that suffer are the ones who have no voice in this.

Ok, enough said. I think you should wait a while, until your child is older.

 

wait wait wait, "factory?" what's that? I didn't think America had those any more? didn't Muncie just lose a Chevrolet plant? what is left? the jar plant?

seriously, I wouldn't recommend trucking for someone in your situation. I think you'll find that whatever you're making in that factory on an HOURLY basis is a LOT more than you'll make in trucking. if nothing else, find a part time job to supplement your income.