3 Trucking School Tips By a Newbie Who Is Playing To Win

@powerstroke67
Superior-Carriers hires new cdl grads. Make over $60K easy.

 

@Chinatown being the new guy and all.. I have been researching the heck out of all these carriers. I hear yourself and others suggesting that new folks fresh out of CDL school apply here and there for driving positions. When I look at the carriers web pages I read that they either want months or years of experience to get hired. So, my question is how do you get around that? Just by selling yourself? or because of demand of the industry? And will your cpm suffer because of the lack of experience?

Thanks

 

Some websites aren't up to date about experience. Do the online applications and then make a phone call a couple of days later and say, "I'm checking on my job application."
Any particular company you like the best so far?
Some companies, the terminal manager has a lot of power as to bending the hiring rules about experience, such as Old Dominion.

 

@Chinatown It is truly over whelming how many companies are out there. Every time I think I have created a really good list I find ten more and then ten more after that haha. I have spent a lot of time reading the good and bad on this forum and other forums about companies as well as reviews online. I have submitted a bunch of online applications and I have downloaded the app "Driver Pulse by tenstreet" to my phone which helps me keep track all of the application processes for the companies that use "IntelliApp". As far as the company I like the best so far would be Wil-Trans/Jim Palmer. I really wanted Magnum to call me back but they have not done so nor has Millis therefore, I will be reaching out to them first thing next week. I have talked with Roehl, Wil-Trans/Jim Palmer, Knight trans. so far, and I have a phone interview with Schneider tomorrow which I want hear about their tanker division. Here are the companies I have submitted apps to: (in no certain order)

- Prime
- PTL
- Smith Transport
- Knight
- Wil-Trans/Jim Palmer
- Crete (they already denied me ??? I have a perfect mv record and I'm not a felon or drug user.. their loss!)
- Roehl
- Millis
- Magnum
- TMC (I dig flatbeds but my wife is freaked out about those and me falling off tarping tall loads lol)
- DTS
- Schneider

Each phone interview that I have done with any of the above companies has lasted about one hour. I have detailed questions for them because I am really trying to understand this industry so there isn't any surprises when I step in. It is interesting but I am finding out that that some of the companies pay better in regional work vs. OTR. Also, Tankers, Flatbeds, and Reefers pay the most. I have all six endorsements for the state of Ohio and I have applied for both my HAZMAT and TWIC card... plus, I already have a passport. All I have left is to graduate CDL school.

Any advise you can give.. I'm all ears!

Thanks

 

@powerstroke67
You're right; there's a lot to choose from.
Tankers is the best money for the future, so here's some that hire new grads:
Schneider Bulk
Superior-Carriers
Tidewater Transit
SVTN
Trimac Transportation
McKenzie Tank Lines
CTL Transportation
From your list; I tweaked it a little:
Britton Transport - flatbed. Trucks have APU.
Nick Strimbu Inc. - refrigerated division with Teamster benefits (Brookfield,OH)
Magnum Ltd. - hopefully you'll hear from this company; one of the best refrigerated outfits there is for new cdl grads. Decent home time and good paychecks.
Schuster - nations largest ice cream hauler; Blue Bunny Ice Cream.
Freymiller - coast to coast refrigerated.
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Jim Palmer - runs coast to coast (Wil-Trans is eastern states only)Sometimes Wil-Trans & Jim Palmer won't hire unless you graduate from their inhouse cdl school. Wil-Trans owns Jim Palmer. Personally, I'd pick Jim Palmer over Wil-Trans because I prefer long haul coast to coast runs.

 

@Chinatown Thanks! You just have added to my already extensive list.. I will fill out apps for all of those you mentioned. Oddly this is actually fun to do. lol

Also, what do you think of:

Veriha Trucking
deBoer Transportation

I have several more but I will start off with just a couple at a time.

 

@VIDEODROME drives for Veriha Trucking and can fill you in on that one.
deBoer..uuuh.
Contract Freighters Inc. is dry van and has a pretty good pay scale for new drivers.
West Side Transport is dry van and @Double07 can fill you in on that company.

 

I guess I'm the only Veriha driver on here. I'm based out of their home terminal in Marinette, WI.

I got out of trucking for a while and came back with Veriha's refresher course, so my perspective is from getting fast up to speed training, so I don't know what Veriha is like for complete beginners. I will say though that they put me up at a Best Western hotel with meal vouchers and real cooked breakfast, not the 'Continental' waffle flipper stuff. Also, Veriha owns their own truckstop in front of their terminal so you get free lunch there.

You can go out 1 or 2 weeks at a time and I chose 2 weeks. Pay has varied week to week from 600 to almost 900. I got decent equipment driving a 2015 Freightliner Cascadia automatic.

One thing that can be annoying is for some reason Veriha is cheap about the Tollways and discourage drivers from using them. This combined with leaving their main location in Easter Wisconsin leads to many slow trips into and through Chicago.

I'm staying with them for now though to rebuild my recent experience and job history. I will say now would be a time to consider them as the Winter is ending lol.

 

@VIDEODROME Thanks!

 

@Chinatown I talked with Schuster today. I really like what I am hearing. Thanks again!