Accepted with Steven's - will be training in Colorado within the month

Trucking is not a high paying industry overall. There are exceptions, but in almost every case it's for experienced drivers. This industry is brutal.
The culture shock, the hard work and the abuse is what shocks most new drivers.
then comes the pay! (or lack of)
If you're 25 and coming out of a job that pays mediocre wages/benefits, you won't notice as much. But there are so many new drivers that come from traditional factory jobs or middle management jobs where they were use to earning $50,000 or more, plus decent benefits and a modicum of respect.
What a shock to come into the driver's lane!
Dryver is right. Many already have collectors breathing down their necks, are trying to save their house, have used all their savings and are looking for something to 'save the day'.
It's almost impossible to overcome those issues in this business.
But if you can pay your dues and drive with a company like Stevens for a year or so, you'll gain some incredible training, experience and good habits that make it much easier to move up the ladder to better paying positions at other companies.
Stevens (and other training companies) makes a lot of money from the government. They also are in great financial condition allowing them to take advantage of buying fuel, trailers, tractors and more at very good prices. To be able to simply pay cash for 300 or 400 tractors at one time, or 800 trailers makes suppliers drool. And when you go after large shippers business, you need large fleets to secure the most profitable lanes.
Stevens is not a cheap company when it comes to pricing. But they have advantages many (most) companies don't...depth of pockets and size of fleet.
These things combine to make it a good place to start, but for most it isn't a long term relationship.
The pay isn't great, but what you learn is.
A good place to start, but this whole industry is brutal.

 

Dryver, I kinda agree to an extent, and I am not meaning to degrade you or your comments in anyway, but from all I have researched there is one company out there (maybe more)-so far-with no time commitment, and time commitments from 0 months to 8months, 12 months and even 36 months. I agree to the extent that if you, or anybody, doesn't research what they want to do then they deserve that which they get.
The first 12-18 months aren't necessarily going to be low pay. That depends upon where you go to work, and whether or not you choose to "contract," or get your cdl permit, and learn to drive locally with a local business advancing there. Nobody has to sign a contract.
Now as far as debt goes, yes some of us may have jacked up credit, and be starving to death. As for being pisssed and taking it out on companies that hire you? Well I have seen a few companies mentioned here doing predatory hiring skills. Is it all the students fault due to debt, or are there some company reps simply grabbing whomever to meet their numbers, and get their paycheck? By preying on those less fortunate.
As for Stevens, every one of their drivers I have spoken with says stay away from them, and that they could surely afford to pay their drivers more. They also have told me that the three year commitment they signed up for with Stevens was not worth it at all.
Take what I say with a grain of salt, since I have noticed in these forums that there is always the flip side of any conversation, with folks that do NOT do any research.

 

Pike,

first off the company is NOT responsible for your bad decision making, large debt. Ever hear of personal responsibility..... Predatory hiring practices, is a new term, to shift the responsibility for bad decisions away from the person who made the decision... Yes it is the students fault, totally. Caveat Emptor. [Latin, Let the buyer beware.]

YOu are correct, nobody is forced to sign a contract. Those that do, are responsible for signing it, and living up to the contract they signed... there is NO such thing a free training.

I quit my mid management job in december, paid for a PDTI truck school in january, and started with Stevens in March, all researched, and planned, and steven's reimbursed me for the school at the weekly rate of $25...

I worked for Stevens for 5 years. Left Stevens on good terms, for a local truck driving job in Wyoming...

 

1. Responsibility is a persons responsibility, so is RESEARCH. The more research you/I/we do the better off a person can be. Also, providing you can find a job in today's market, and fix your screwup(s), get it done. As of today one in three people are in collections due to debt. Now if you are not running into age discrimination, or FCRA laws that assist an employer in not hiring you because of your credit, you have a chance at a job. A true catch-22 situation. Maybe simply just go work for yourself, for cash, tax free? Like alot of people are doing.

2. I just spoke to someone that signed a contract, and was allowed out of it by their company. Because the company they signed with has that poor of organization at the moment, and the schooling there is not worth hanging around for the training wait. This person has initiative, and wants to apply it, and move forward.

3. Yes some schools will reimburse you, for training with them/their company. Some schools eat that cost, and hire you as a employee, not a contracted obligation employee.

4. I'm glad to hear Stevens worked out for you. All the folks I have spoken to don't refer them as a good employer. Not everything works the same for everybody else.

 

Finding a job today is easy, it just may not be a job you want, or where you want to live... I have never been out of a job, now that job may have only been a temporary job, and not one I enjoyed, but it paid my bills... while I continued to look for where I wanted to be.

Again Pike, blaming problems on others, and the government. Debt is a personal problem, used to be called greed, comes right back around to personal responsibility... Yes things happen that are out of our control, and it is how you handle those situations, that allows you to move forward, or set back and blame everyone else and the government for your problems...

You seem to be researching, but you also are spreading rumors and third hand information....

A week ago you said you were half way in the door with another company, but refused to name that company.... so how is that going?

 

It is becoming pretty apparent the PikesPeaks's research trumps anyone else's real world experience.

Obviously Stevens is not the company for you, that's fine, good luck with whatever company you decide to go with, if you even do. In the interim however others are doing their own research and coming to their own decisions for whatever personal reasons they do. Wh are you to give them advice? What experience do you have? It there anything but hear say? You keep saying "every Stevens driver I talked to" yet right here in this for. There are Stevens drivers, myself included, telling you it is not all bad. So your claim kind of rings hollow.

Are these issues at Stevens? Sure, there are issues everywhere, is Stevens for everybody? No no company is, but our longest tenured driver celebrated his 30th anniversary this year, and the are many many drivers with 3, 5, 10, 15 years and more of service here.

Like I said, good luck if you ever actually enter the industry you are so knowledgeable of, but he prepared to find out how little your research has actually taught you.

 

I have yet to spread any rumor(s), or "third hand information," and any information I have provided here is, and always will be, backed by facts. I have spoken to many folks here via private messages also, and if they have given incorrect information then that falls back upon them, not me. I am very sorry if you, or any other folks here, think they are rumors. Simply research, and find out that which I may be speaking about, its based upon facts that can be researched-not hearsay, or third hand information.

As far as that company I am half way in the door with; it's still there, and I am still working on it because it is still the best open option for me to go there-actually there are three available options for me at the moment. And once I can 'weed through' all the hearsay, and nonsense-in forums like this-I will take the best opportunity afforded to me, for my best opportunity(ies), and advancements in the career field. If you don't do this you're only setting yourself up for failure from the start.

I wonder how many people here would have loved to know more before landing at a training center, or company, before finding out they have walked into a total mess that could very well have been prevented with just a little bit of research? Maybe that would be some trainees here you read about that walked out on a contract, and went to another companies training school?

 

so why are you so afraid to name this so wonderful company?

and yes you have posted rumors about stevens...