Estes driver trainee

Estes is worth it period

 

Worth what? Isn't it free?

Doing a dock-to-driver program at an LTL company is probably the best way to break into the trucking industry and skip all the bottom feeder bs typical of "starter" OTR training companies.

 

Good point. That's the potential sacrifice, although it varies by terminal and how many are above you who are doing the same thing.

What I would say is that it is worth it in the long run. Within a year you'd be making more than most OTR drivers with a similar amount of experience and not have the school debt. The other benefit is to never have to sleep in a truck and find parking when there is none.

However, dock work is not for everyone. You'll endure extreme temperatures and tough hours working the dock.

 

Buddy if you want to start driving then do yourself a favor and get a cdl with all endorsements and apply to these ltl companies : Fedex Freight, Abf, Old Dominiin, Estes. R&L might be good as well. They are all top shelf. Most of them will hire recent cdl grads. Fxf will take you as a driver apprentice.

Those dock to driver programs might take a while before they start training you.

 

It's worth it... Period!

 

Here's how it is at my terminal.

You'll come in and work as a dock worker. Typically need to work dock for least 3 months. Might get sent out to the yard and work there too.

Our last guy it took him about six months to get into the school. Jockeys have priority over dock workers so if you can do the yard, do it.

Eventually you'll go through the school. School is two weeks long, might be at your terminal or might not. Then you go out with a city driver for about a month. You'll then test. Do another 3 months in the city solo. Then you'll do 1-2 weeks linehaul training.

After all that, you'll be classified as a combo driver until next bid. Combo basically means you fill in where needed to.

If you have your CDL already it helps some. If you have no experience, you'll still end up doing the school. If you have experience but it's limited or old, you might get to skip school or do only one week of the school (the driving week), rest of training same as above.

 

Do you know anything about Dayton Freight LTL.OTR,do they work the dock