Is there any company worth working for!!!!!!!!!! Seriously

Once you get started and get three to six months under your belt, and a company is just not the right fit for you, you can always change trucks (you don't quit a job, you just change trucks - it's a trucker thing). Research the companies that will take students, pick the best fit for you, and get your wheels under you. Since you are familiar with the military recruiters, remember that trucking company recruiters are the same - you can't get more sunshine anywhere! Since you were in the military, you are use to weird hours and things being rough. I know several drivers who are former military. Attitude is definitely important. There are horror stories about almost every company out there, and an equal number of horror stories about being O/O. Most of the horror stories by the newbies are probably just people who thought things were going to be a picnic or something. I don't know too many companies that would want to risk pushing their drivers to run illegal, as it can come back to bite them. They can also be held responsible. Good luck with it, and just remember, trucking is like any other industry out there, you will have your whiners!

 

I strongly disagree with this. These drivers had a bad experience, and it's only natural to warn your fellow humans to watch out. If you were taken advantage of by a con man, wouldn't you try to warn other people, so others don't feel the pain and anguish of being violated like you ?? Read my advice to this Air Force sergeant. It's a bit long, but the point I'm making is, please learn from my mistakes, instead of learning from the school-of-hard-knocks.

http://www.thetruckersreport.com/tr...98-looking-for-new-career-tough-decision.html

 

Much as the military have their share of internal-politics to stay in good grace with your COs, being a trucker also has it's internal politics. For example, if the customer wants you to restack the freight, you're expected to smile and say "why of course." Unless the company guaranteed you in writing "no-touch freight guarantee," they'll say in their orientation that driver unload are few and rare, and you realize later 20 to 40 percent are driver unload, and it's always when you deliver to the dreaded grocery distribution warehouses. When you're hauling retail merchandise, most customers prefer the driver to restack the freight because commercial carrier regulations clearly stipulate "the carrier is responsible for unloading" the trailer. The trucker is an employee of the carrier, so as a company representative, you're responsible for unloading the truck, and restacking the freight on their pallets.

Click on my username and research my postings. You won't realize financial success until you secure a position as a "private fleet" driver, which may take 5 years of verifiable driving experience (with a clean MV record).

When you leave the military, I believe you have a maximum of 90 days to reconsider, and come back to re-inlist, and still retain your discharged rank. If you feel leaving the military to become a trucker was a mistake, the option to go back is not permanent, until after you turn 26. Anything beyond 90 days past your date of discharge, that you delay returning to the military, is when you begin to loose rank.

If I were in your shoes, I'd stay in the military to qualify for pension benefits. If you're concerned about getting killed in action, switch over to a non-combat, supporting role position, and change your dream sheet to say you prefer to be stationed in the USA. You should also consider switching to another branch of the military. You only loose 1 paygrade, which they give back after you receive your first positive Annual Performance Report.

 

I would be very careful about leaving the military and coming back in right now. You leave and come back to a unit that is headed for downtown Baghdad. As far as switching to a non-combat job or saying that you want to be stationed state side is not that easy. Being stationed stateside does not make any difference if you are just going to get deployed over sea's anyway. I am not sure what you are saying about becoming a private fleet driver. That is not always the case. There is good money to be earned with the big companies. I was making 60k with swift. To me that is pretty good money. I talked to guys that were pulling in 80k+, that seems to me like financial success. The difference between trucking and the Military is, in trucking you can refuse to do something. Try that crap in the Military.

 

I would harldy clasify some of these companies to the likes of a con-man.

 

I spent 20 years in the Corps, retired, and now I've been driving about 9 months. The one thing I have learned is that the big company's lie to you all the time just to fill seats. It's no wonder turn over is so high in trunking. I am looking for a small company to run for ( under 200 trucks ), But I have to pay my dues just like everybody else. Most small company's need 18 months to 24 months windshield time before they can put you in the seat. I guess my point is, hang in there, get your time at the wheel, and things will get better when you have the time in to run for the smaller company's or you find that company that runs you the way you like to run.

 

Where do I sign up? 2fuzy