My 1st 4 Years of Trucking

Just wanted to give back and share about my first 4 years as a truck driver. I started on this website thetruckersreport.com doing the practice test in early 2013. I was crazy enough to just take a try after getting 100% a few times in a row with the practice test they have on here. I then went to the DMV in Chicago and ended up passing their test with 90%, so these questions were spot on.

Once I got my permit I went to the best rated trucking school I can find in Chicago, Progressive Trucking School. I went there for about 5 weeks. The days where long, let me tell you to me the worst part of the whole trucking experience is getting your CDL. The School hours are long and you are filled with so much information you go home with your head hurting everyday. Testing day is the worst, your nerves are running all over the place, you do your pre trip, skills and then the driving. I failed my driving test the first time for driving too slow and holding up traffic. Had to pay an extra $460 to take the test again.

Before leaving trucking school you are usually hired by a company, in my case that was Schneider national. They took me because I really did not have a choice I had an accident on my record in my personal car so no other company wanted to touch me.

Let me tell you that the first few months of trucking are not easy, there is no training that the school or trucking company can give you that will prepare you for what actually happens on the road, its like you are trained to do the opposite. I ended up lasting only a year and a few months with Schneider. While I was with them I did solo over the road, team driving and local. At the end I wanted to be home more, they did their best to get me something and they did, it was an overnight walmart account out of Chicago, it was great, the only issue was looking for an empty trailer every night from home. It will take 2 to 3 hours just to look for an empty trailer to start my day. After a month I could not do it so I ended up resigning. I was put on the banned driver list for three years for not returning the truck. They had to come and pick it up from my house.

After the fun adventure with Schneider I came upon JBHunt, great company but always changing. Some changes where good and some where not. I started off working the Home Depot Pro Account out of Chicago, I got to drive a flat bed with a moffett in the back and deliver to construction sites. This was one of the funnest jobs I have ever had. I lasted a few months until Chicago had its firs snow fall. I ended up bouncing the moffett in the snow and damaging the product. After that I went to intermodal, had a great route from Chicago to Green Bay and was home every night. I regreat leaving this position. Lol Ended up leaving Jbhunt to fill a 6 month contract in my second profession in aviation.

My second job got me to New Jersey where I am still today. After my 6 month contract with the airport I went back to JBHunt, this time with the C&S account out of Chester NY. Boy I wish I would have know what I was signing up for, that account was a nightmare. You haul reefers to Stop and Shops to NYC. The pay was amazing I was getting 1k a weeks after taxes but the work was a mess. You get there really early in the morning and sit and wait for hours until your name is called from a list. Then you get to drive through NYC traffic make your delivery and come back. Great account only issue why I left was because I have never had to deal with childish managers and dispatchers totally different than JBHunt elsewhere. One cant work in a place where it feels like a high school.

I resigned from JBHunt and took my self to Covenant Transport. I was only there for a month because if you do not have a Hazmat they keep you sitting, some times for two days in a row waiting for a load, then some times they give you a load then when you are about to pick it up it is taken away and given to a Hazmat team. This company was a joke.

Finally I went back to JBHunt, yes they will take you back even when you leave them a few times. Lol This time I went over the road, they had a good program .48 cents a mile if you stood out from 3 months straight and you would get 7 days off at home paid vacation. I did the 90 days and took my 7 days vacation. I made really good money. I got tired of being away from home so I ended up going back to Home Depot Pro this time in New Jersey, I was has happy as I can be, for the first time in trucking I felt proud of my job and happy. Until one day as we all know all good things must come to and end, Home Depot released a new routing system that sent drivers to longer stops, there for reducing the drivers pay potential to that of poverty. Many drivers resigned including my self.

I ended up driving for uber until I find something. While driving Uber I realized I have a good passion for customers. This past week I went and got my passenger endorsement and applied for all the mayor coach bus companies in the area. For now I have an interview with Greyhound in two days, lets see how this goes in my new journey, and yes its possible to go 4 years with a clean record and 0 accidents, take your time no load is more important than you and your record.

 

I ended up not going to drive a bus, the pay was way less. I took an offer with NFI delivering beer. Great company and great pay for overnight work. I start training on Monday

 

The pay out here in Jersey is 17 an hour and the benefits where all low rated insurance plans. With my experience and record taking their offer would be a huge setback. With NFI they have better benefits and they all start day one.