Thinking about Truck driving in Washington state, Seattle area

The only question I'll touch is that going to a third party school does not tie you to a company for a year or two for your education. If you go through a company school, you will have to work for that company for a year at least, or you will have to pay them back for your education.

 

Living in the North West you will need to prepare to chain up a lot in the winter if you ever what to get home.

 

Yes if you train with a compnay, your forced to sign with that company for 1 to 2 years. These schools are usually "license mills", they make you memorize just enough to get your CDL and then throw you the keys to the big rig and say "Merry Christmas". If you goto a 3rd party education, i reckon you'd learn more of the stuff you need to know, plus some employers will reimburse you for part of your training costs (again with signing a contract, but this way you can pick & choose a lil bit). You can in some areas even take truck driving as a college semester course and you get college credits, some college schools, not only teach you how to drive them and get your license but they go over basic mechanics too (which is a big help and money saver out here)

Theres a lot of companies based in the NW, you got Gordon Trucking out of Pacific and Interstate out of Tacoma. I always see Oak Harbor rigs and Haney trucks out there. Theirs tons of companies that all they do is run I-5 from Seattle to LA primarily, like Sorenson, A&M, RCT, Northern Refrigerated gees there's a lot of them.

 

I would go to a third party school that has an approved coarse, at least 120 hrs. 160 is better. Check with the trucking company you want to go with. Gordon Trucking is a good company. I worked for them three months in 07 but I had personl family problems to take care of so I had to quit. You run hard and take care of your dispatcher and they will take care of you.

 

another thing, you will need a stash of cash, just to get started. I am new to all this myself, start training in March. Things I have spent money on so far.. DOT physical $45, CDL learners test $25, CDL learners license $23,+ driving an hour (one way) to take the exam. This is 3 months before school, not a cheap career to get into.

 

I live in Olympia and have been driving for 10 years now; I went to school at Trans Union Truck Driving School in Tacoma off of River Rd. across from the Puyallup River. They are a good school and very nice people. Also if you graduate from there if at anytime during your career if you need a job they always welcome you back to see what jobs they have listed.

I have also heard that CDS (commercial driver services) is a good school; and I think they teach drivers how to drive a dump truck but if I was just out of school I'd be driving for a few years before driving a dump truck as it's a whole new ball game; I just started driving for the Teamsters in Aug. 2008 driving belly dump and it's very different from freight hauling; it's like 4x4 a semi truck on the dirt; very bumpy and you really have to pay attention to what is going on at all times especially if you're doing road work like me.

 

I can't seem to find anywhere that has a list of I-5 corodoor trucking companies. I may just be looking the wrong way. as I can't seem to find a web site for sorenson or A&M. Do you have any other names...or possibly phone #'s please.

I live in Modesto, CA, & running I-5 would be perfect for me.