Coca Cola Knoxville, TN

Coke trained me to drive a semi at the young age of 18 (intrastate driving only). That was many years ago and it was an independent bottler that was bought out by CCE. Not sure how things are today, but I bet each bottler/DC/warehouse has its own policies and procedures. Back in my day they put my butt in the seat with a seasoned driver for 3 months, fully paid. I learned a lot and it definitely shaped my future.

 

The way Coke and Pepsi help you get your CDL is you take the written tests, and once you get your permit, they will put someone with a CDL (salesman or supervisor) until that driver has driven enough hours by law to be able to go and take the road test, and go get their CDL. I worked for Pepsi and I was a salesman that rode on the truck and trained the driver at the same time.

 

That's exactly the way the Pepsi places that still get drivers their CDL's do it. It's not the way MOST coke places that do it actually do it.
MOST coke places send you to their school on your day off.

Keep in mind- you don't just get hired at either place and get sent to get your license. They only do that for people that have worked their for a little bit in some other capacity. Usually merchandising for a few months.

 

Like I said before, I'm giving you detailed accurate info based on 2 + decades in the industry. Believe what you want. Hopefully it all plays out the way you want it to. I'm pulling for you.

 

It's like anything else they want to vett you first like beer company I worked for usually full time helpers and warehouse were the ones who got trained.

The LTL companies rarely train off the street usually only the best of the best dock workers get trained and the training isn't on your schedule.

 

GFS in Springfield did train back when they were training but you had to be a van driver or packer first and had been around for a little while.

 

It's common sense. These aren't trucking companies or CDL schools. They're food/ beverage companies. MOST of the drivers they hire off the street will not make it. The work is too rigorous for the guys on the bottom of the seniority list.

Sure, they'll get you your CDL- but not some stranger off the street. Only the people they feel confident (through a little history with them) get to train on their trucks. I've seen it a million times. Heck, that's how I got my CDL years and years ago. It hasn't changed

 

Your 100% right the beer company I worked for flat out said "We are not a trucking company." GFS is the same way there not a trucking company, they own and operate trucks and trailers yes, but there not a trucking company GFS does, but doesn't get paid to truck stuff around. It's part of the service yes, but they aren't really paid to truck stuff, heck we move our own products which is typical for a private fleet.

That would be the same with like any private fleet like Sherwin Williams or Royal Dutch Shell or who ever else there is Quad Graphix, those companies aren't trucking companies there private fleets, there not in business to haul freight. Technically I think we have common carrier operating authority, but we don't haul other peoples freight for money and neither do you at Pepsi.

 

I would say why would they just hire some stranger off the street even the guys in the warehouse who they train I know for a fact the beer company made them sign a 2 year clause saying if you quit before 2 years was up you were liable to them for like $5,000 because that's what they figured the CDL training was worth.

You have to be careful this free CDL training isn't free and you can get your self stuck some place and it may not be good.

When I first got into this FedEx Freight had a driver apprentice position open in Mentor, Ohio I applied for it, but they never hired me and were not going to they probably wanted someone who was already on the inside or had a connection or had previous experience or whatever.