No BS opinions please.

You should try the WIA program at your local workforce center first it is allways better to get your training with no strings attached.

You can also try watkins shepherd they are one that I have heard the least amount of complaints about they have their own school.

I was on track to make about 30-45 k my first year if I would of kept with it at my first company.
I am planing on going back to my first company May Trucking next year when most of the snow is done. They do not offer company sponsored training but they do have tuition rembursment

It started snowing soon after I started and did not fell comfortable driving on ice and snow due to limited experence.
It takes a while to get comfortable in a big truck especially driving through those construction zones you may need a crow bar to remove the seat from you butt when you are done driving through one.

Also you should start out in spring that way you will have a while prefect your driving.

 

Question is, how far are you willing to go for training? Since I'm not from Georgia, I don't know of the closest training facilities to you. I trained with P.A.M., went to ASU in Newport, Ar. Worked with P.A.M. for two years, before getting a local driving position. It worked well enough for me to get a start.
But, I'm sure other drivers who received their training, and got their experience with another company, will probably say the same thing about where they went.
I'm sure there are some people out there who had some bad experiences, and you may find their stories plastered on another part of this site. But, just because it didn't work for a few, doesn't exactly mean it didn't work for everybody else.
You'll just have to do your own research. And, make your own choice.
Oh, by the way, P.A.M. isn't the only company that uses ASU in Newport. And, that isn't the only training program they hire from, either. C1 in Indianapolis, In comes to mind as well.

 

Yes its nice to start in the spring and have all that nice sun to drive in. but I have to ask a question? how do you train to drive in ice and snow if you never drive in it?I don't think any trainee should be turned loose on the roads without a winter under his belt. Next winter is not going to be any better than the one you went through. you quit too soon!!!!

 

My hubby got his CDL the beginning of October last year, and earned his wheels driving in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, and Illinois through the winter. Madison, WI set a new record for snowfall this past winter. He kept the rig out of the ditch, upright and accident free the whole winter. He had a couple of rather scary moments out there, but kept his head. Sooner or later, you are going to have to face the snow and crap roads.

 

I just got comfortable with driving through the construction zones at the posted speed limits I did not want to have to get use to the ice and snow right then.
I wanted to get a 5-6 months experince before I have to drive on Ice I can drive through pooring rain I do not like it much especilly when you can not see because it is raining so hard.

 

From my research there are quite a few companies that will sponsor your training, but will require you to work for them for 1 or 2 years to make it worth their while. I have decided to go with USA and am also going through the ASU Newport program. There's plenty of info on this site that can help you determine what will best fit your needs. Driver's Solutions is a company that recruits for USA, PAM, and Averitt. They are on the web if you want to check them out. Just make sure you research all you can since otr will be more a way of life than just a job, kinda like the military. Good luck.

 

Millis Transfer is located in Cartersville, GA and they will sponsor your training. They have a pretty good reputation too.

 

Starting OTR trucking is a bad way to make money for a family man.

First you will be away from your home making $500 a week during training on the high end.
$500 a week- how many hrs? No maxium.
what times of day or night? Anytime day or night.

Will you have to run illegal? industry norm is running illegal.

Will you leave yourself (and family) at risk? yes. The liabilities associated with trucking is extremely high. Insane when factoring avg. hourly pay for a newbie with less than one year experience.

No BS. Do yourself and family a favor don't go into trucking.
Besides the risk/reward factor. Do you really want to leave your family behind for weeks for such low pay?

 

There are no good OTR companies to start with if you value your time.
They don't value your time. And in time even the dullest of chaps recognizes that all the uncompensated labor and time to do the job makes OTR an industry of lies and liars.


This is from the front page of this site

"[FONT=Tahoma, trebuchet ms, Arial, Helvetica]The trucking industry is basically a slave industry with truckers working on the average over 70 hours per week."

The slave industry part is a little bit of an exaggeration, but not much. And you'll be "lucky" if you work over 70hrs a week.

IF (and it is an IF) you make 35K your first year at 70hrs thats $9.62 (no overtime) an hr. Most newbies avg around 25-30K. OTR has an industry avg. turnover of 130%. I've been trying to find an avg. turnover percent for newbies. If anybody can find it pls let me know.

Regardless I don't "have what it takes" to do OTR.
I put value my time and effort.
I don't like to pay for other peoples mistakes (shippers,consignees, my company's)
I don't like leaving behind my loved ones for weeks for pennies on the mile (this pay scam protects the companies from the countless contingencies of doing this job)
And it is a job not an adventure.

This site in my opinion represents the brightest and best of the truckers on the road.
Go to a truck stop and talk with the first ten truckers you see.
Theres a reason "truckers don't get any respect"

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