About to sign up for Greenville Tech's program. Need guidance.

Slay is over in Donaldson center, but they are more otr

 

OTR is nothing at all like seeing the country...

When we decided we were going to truck drive and we really really really wanted to take our dog. But, the company that we were hired at does not allow passengers or pets.

We had to make the decision about what was the most important thing. For us, we wanted to make the absolute most amount of money so we took that job. My dog is babysat by my kid that gets paid six grand in free rent a year to take care of her.

Now I just want to say that I absolutely really with my whole whole heart love my dog but I'm not willing to let my dog stand between me and $70,000 a year.

I get to see my dog several times a month take her for walks pay for all of her expenses anyways just like if I saw her every day and she loves me and appreciates a place to live...

So when you start putting restrictions like my wife absolutely has to ride with me but then I also want to be a tanker you're literally putting yourself in a position to not have access to the top paying jobs...

Driving is the easiest thing in the world to do... you roll around at your leisure, you stop when you want to stop, you get to go see museums or the biggest gumball or any other thing that happens to be in your path but Trucking is not driving.

Trucking is not driving... It's a real job with responsibility, deadlines, and you make hundreds of decisions every day. It's stressful and the four wheelers are cutting you off and causing near accidents all shift.

I don't know your wife but I do know that I would be bored in a week and mad that I have to miss all my family gatherings/special events because you may be too far away from there. And planning anything is a joke. Because of one income buying tickets last minute and vacations is tough. Knowing that do you really want to go all over the country for a year with someone that's bored and feeling like they're not making a contribution?

Team driving is crazy hard and you almost spent no time together even though you're in the truck at the exact same time. Lucky for us our company sends us home holidays and every week or if we don't come home they sent us to a hotel for 34-48 hours so we can actually sit in another city. We can go to dinner and enjoy the vacation qualities of a new city.

But the things we really love to do require planning and tickets cost so much more when we have to buy them last minute. We buy them anyways because we can afford it because we're both working and we're both making top wages.

If you take you wife, just be really okay with spending most of your money on the road... And don't price check her for all the extra purchases at the truck stop because getting to a Walmart or grocery store can't happen every day.

 

They where requiring 2 years experience also. I don't know how firm they are on that though. I really could find very little info on the company though. You could share some of your insight? I don't mean to hijack your thread though.

 

Premier is suppose to be running a nice operation. That's why they are a little picky. I use to haul for a chemical company in fountain inn. Cashion was one of our competitors. They haul their stuff and some outside stuff. I think it's going to be hard to find what you are looking for. Finding a tanker company that only does out and back, that will higher someone with little or no experience is a tall order.

 

Well said!

 

As far as taking your wife. Most chemical companies won't let passengers on plant property. It's a liability issue. There are lots of thing going on that can get someone hurt.

 

I would say at least 15 an hour. You can check with golden strip or update. I don't know of their requirements though. I really don't know of any local companies that I know for sure they will take a new driver. I know most of the ltl's around will hire you to work the dock then work your way up to driving. Maybe you should look at doing yard jockey work. I think bi-lo pays about 15-18 an hour doing that. You'll prob get the graveyard shift. Being low man on the totem pole.

 

Some tanker companies are "out & back" operations. In fact, I worked for one and all the trailers are dedicated to certain chemicals or certain customers. I would leave Nashville with a load for Los Angeles, then take an hour to unload, then deadhead back to Nashville. It paid the driver the same, both loaded & empty. Easy money and ran 48 states doing that. The job was with Tankstar and they usually don't hire new grads, but the terminal I was with hired 2 new grads while I was there because the new grads ignored the "experience required" and just walked in and ask for a job. They both made $65K their first year. Greenville is a good location to land a tanker job.

 

Go online and apply with Love's Travel Centers; they sometimes hire new grads to deliver DEF to their truckstops. Have to apply online because individual truck stops don't hire cdl drivers.
Also:
CTL Transportation
Trimac Transportation
Tidewater Transit
McKenzie Tank Lines
Schneider Bulk
Superior-Carriers
SVTN
For OTR dry van, look at Danny Herman Trucking. They don't run northeast or New York City; mostly southern routes and lots of runs to the border towns of Texas/Mexico and Calexico,California.