"A Few Questions"...

I'll give it a shot, some folks might have other opinions ...

Please remember my responses are based only on my experience over the last eight months of driving as I am a new driver as well.

This is a matter of opinion and actually personal preference. For me I was originally slated to go with Crete after school, however I met a driver who worked for the company I am with now and after talking to them I decided to change companies to the smaller one.

I've been VERY happy with my company, they pay me a bit less (not much) than I would have originally started at with Crete, but I run quite a bit more and in my opinion I made a good choice.

With the smaller company I've had more personal attention than I think I would have received at a larger company. I'm known by my name and not by a number, and the owners of my company are highly interested in my success as well as their own.

I cannot really comment on them, other than what I've read on here and through talking to drivers who work for them. Both TMC and Maverick are supposed to be awesome companies to work for, providing you want to actually work and not screw around. I know nothing about PT&I.

Sorry, can't answer that myself as I have no flatbed experience. However, from what I've heard you'll spend quite a bit of time with a trainer learning securement techniques and much more once you start.

Can't say for sure, but I assume yes. When I started with my company, after I got out of the trainer truck I spent the first two to three weeks doing relatively short (400 miles) runs on a semi-dedicated route before being turned loose on longer runs. Now I routinely run anywhere from 1000-2000 mile trips now on average.

For the most part yes, in my experience anyways. However, this has just as much to do with how you run and work than it does on scheduling.

Sure, your going to get some time sensitive runs, and probably pretty often. However, most of the time your run schedule allows for breaks and such. It has to

Team driving depends on how your team is supposed to operate. There are probably plenty of team drivers on these forums who can answer that question.

You'll learn a lot of this in your student driver training with whatever company you end up going with.

Each person has to prepare differently so this one is really something your going to have to figure it out on your own.

This is an open ended question. Some drivers do nothing but listen to the radio. And I do a lot of this myself. I listen to my XM Radio and talk on the phone to my friends and family. However, I also listen to A LOT of audio books. Some non-fiction, some fiction. It just depends on your tastes.

This happens occassionally (and rarely) so don't count on it

Ask all the questions you want, that is what this place is for

 

ANYTIME............we can help.......

Good luck and be careful

 

I think the number of questions may have scared some posters off.

Usually only the bigger companies will hire new inexperienced drivers so that choice is made. The local companies that will hire you may only be a seasonal job.

I work for TMC and have for 1.8 years. We have a lot of information about TMC in this section of the forum: http://www.thetruckersreport.com/truckingindustryforum/tmc/

Go and read a lot in the link i gave you above. It gives you a lot of information. It is work but TMC has a great training program with two weeks of orientation and five weeks in a trainers truck for newbies. Between what you find here and what TMC will teach you I would consider you prepared to deal with anything. That doesn't mean you will know everything, but you will know how to find out what you don't know.

TMC will use you to the best of your ability. By the time you get done training you should be prepared for almost any run they can throw at you.

With TMC you will usually have an hour or two waiting to be loaded or unloaded once per day. Once you are loaded you may have enough time to stop and take a nap or you may have to push hard until the end of your 14 hour clock and rest then. Of course you need to remember that the 6 hours you spend napping all week may mean you are late getting home for the weekend. It is up to you. Just remember that every choice you make will be the wrong one for the first few months and hindsight will get you every time.

Not sure what you mean here. When you are hired at these companies as a newbie you will attend orientation. At the end of that you will be assigned to a trainers truck. You are a guest in your trainers truck and are expected to be courteous to him.

None of the companies that you mentioned are really team companies. Usually team companies haul refrigerated trailers carrying produce from coast to coast on a tight schedule.

I assume you mean training pay. And no it isn't worth it, but it is something to compensate you for your time. After all your trainer is getting paid his regular rate plus extra to be patient and teach you things. Add in your pay and the company doesn't make very much until you are in your own truck earning money for them.

Lock yourself in your bathroom with only a radio 24 hours a day, but when you need to use the bathroom go outside to your mailbox first.

For the first several months I hardly even listened to the radio and never talked on the phone. I didn't have any problem keeping my mind on the road. Now I can be distracted by the radio and even closely follow the Red Sox games while still paying sufficient attention to the road ahead.

If you need to entertain yourself try guessing how many miles you have left of your trip, how long it will take, and how many possible combinations of pizza toppings there can be, then repeat.

I am happily married and have never inquired, but given the ratio of 100 horny guys per skanky female driver your chances aren't good. (Note to ladies: very few you are skanky, the above post refers only to the skanky ones)

You are welcome, hope that helps.

 

Minus.............I see you're in Philly........
Are you going to All State or Solomon?

 

1. I prefer a smaller company, but starting out you may have to go where they take you. You get to be picky when you have experience, but not when you have none.

2. I have pulled flatbed (with hubby and now boyfriend) and while I hear good about TMC or Maverick, I would not go work there. No info on PT&I. Just my personal preference.

3. Pulling a flatbed helps keep the weight down, at least you get some exercise. On the other hand, just getting used to driving is a lot, without having to worry about load securement and tarping and all the other fun things you get to do. But, even I like pulling a flatbed tons better, because for the most part you get treated pretty decently at shippers and receivers (except steel places, I think they treat everyone crappy).

4. No clue how they start you out, but my guess is, that your length of driving experience is not going to have too much to do with it, but the area of the country you are sitting in, waiting to get a reload. They will send you where the freight goes, no matter how far or close that is.

5. Some loads you may have to hustle like crazy, others not so much, but all in all, when I drove alone, I never had too much time for anything, I rather relaxed at home.

6. Team driving....you drive, team driver sleeps, they drive, you sleep....May not be your cup of tea from the get go. But, at least you are not alone, someone there to help you at times, or just for company. Or you may hate him or her, since it is a VERY tight space.
Team driving is not for the faint of heart. But you can make good money with the right company.

7. I don't think you can prepare yourself for this, other than maybe locking yourself in a closet and only come out for the occasional bathroom break. I don't think there is a thing that would have prepared me, so, just take it as it comes. Well be prepared for anything you can think of and some you can't and you will be fine.

8. At first it will probably take all your concentration to do the job required, so I would not worry too much in the beginning. I realize, you think, hey, it is just driving, but it takes a lot of concentration to do this all day long, and you get a lot more tired than you may think. I listen to books on CD, have a satellite radio, and occasionally talk on the CB, or the cell (with headset).

9. I guess that can happen, but I am out here to do a job, not to hook up with every Tom, Dick and Harry. I never have, or would hook up, just gross.....Given a choice, for the most part, I chose sleep over anything, including food and sometimes showers. I am just too tired for anything else, and lets be honest, casual sex is just not what it used to be before Aids and the other gifts that give on giving.

 

Some may call this a matter of opinion. I disagree. If you define "Bigger" as 'more than 5000 trucks', then bigger is NOT the way to go. Find yourself a 'training' company that runs around 1000 trucks or fewer.

no direct input from me - not heard anything bad about TMC or Mav. Know nothing at all about PTI

Can't answer that, either.

Probably - particularly in flats. I'm guessing, but I'd assume they'd want you to prove your competence before turning you loose. Securement is .. from what I hear, almost an art.

Probably going to depend on the company. Some companies adjust your appointment on a daily (or more frequent) basis, depending on your progress for that day. Others don't change the appointment time at all....

Me, I stop every 2 hours or so and take a break. It doesn't affect my delivery time.

Teams essentially don't stop. When one driver is driving, the other is generally sleeping. Or "relaxing".

You use company truck or O/O truck...

Pay - that's up to you. Absolutely NOT worth it for me.

Find 'em in your pool of friends who are also drivers. After that... good luck. It's a crap shoot.

Stop talking to all your friends. Lock yourself in your apartment, and spend your day sitting in one chair. No TV for 12 hours.

Truth to tell.. ain't much you can do along those lines.

Never allow yourself to focus on any one object for more than a few seconds. Keep your eyes moving, and your brain will follow.

As for bored.. some drivers use audio books. I design things.

k, no idea there. Married, and intend to stay that way.