Bunny at Celadon!!!!

We only keep ours till 350,000 miles.

Idle Aire, last time I used it made the truck smell like cigarettes. Once was enough.

 

Bunny thanks for your help

 

Celadon does not have a training program for newbie drivers, you have to get your training out of the way elsewhere and then move on to them.

As far as the companies that you mentioned as having a pre-hire, I would probally look at Roehl, they seem to have a pretty good training program they have many progams available to a driver that can get you home a little more often than the others if that interests you. KLLM will only hire you as a newbie if you graduate from like 1 of about 3 schools that they approve. They would not hire me when I was a newbie, because even though they recruited at the school I went to, the school was not on their appproval list. Stevens is not bad, but plan on being with your trainer the entire time, up to 8 weeks before you are allowed to go home. Werner, I wouldnt even consider. Swift is great for a new driver and they have a pretty good program, but once you get your time in, you would definitely want to move on since they are not really geared to experienced drivers. If you can get on the Schaffer(refer) side of Crete, better than the regular Crete and better mix of dedicated runs due to Nestle and Hershey, ect. I dont know much about H.O. Wolding, they are not very big(actually a good thing)and they run primarily Midwest to East Coast-I understand they have a good training program, but like I say, I know one person that has driven for them and he had no complaints. Hope that helps.

 

Tim,

Thanks. My (not finalized) prioritized list is Shaffer/Crete, Roehl, Wolding, Swift, Werner. If KLLM and/or Stevens reply I'll fit them into the mix appropriately. I am attending a school that is accepted by all mentioned (PTDI accredited). Right now I just want to learn to drive safely and develop the skills necessary to be an excellent driver. My longer term goals are starting or buying a company or moving into a leadership position with an established company. I've owned companies and been a mid-level executive in other industries but first things first.

Best Regards,

October Guy

 

Bunny thanks for the information you have provided us.
I have a better idea of what to do, a game plan so to speak. I plan to get some OTR experience, and hopefully some storm chasing experience along with it, and then transfer to another company.
Along the way I plan to complete my associate of arts and then who knows? Maybe I will start a small logistics firm that will hire both the experienced and some newbie driver's .

 

Sir, you are expressing a sentiment shared by many but voiced by few! I have been able to be on the site quite a bit this week because I had no load... otherwise I am working! Hope to be on the road again tomorrow. There are MANY drivers out there who are literate, even articulate, and well educated. We have drivers from all different professions and vocations who simply got sick of the corporate environment. I am one of them.
I also will look at Celadon because of this thread and others I have seen. It's puzzling, though, that I can't get a recruiter to call me! Five years of good, verifiable experience with a decent driving record, and they don't even call.