Yes, as you surely guessed I am a newbie! Not only to the forum, but to the industry. In fact I have never driven a rig (yard spotters as a trailer mechanic and limited experience in the Army). So I will begin with what I am sure will be questions you have all faced thousands of times and are tired of answering.
1. I can't afford to take the time off work to get into a program with a community college, even though I have GI bill benefits etc. I need a job with a company that will provide training (with lodging at the bare minnimum) and employment thereafter. I have heard horror stories about CR England. I would like sound advice as to which company you recommend considering the criteria above.
2. I am prepared for all the time away from "home" as necessary to be successful. Fact of the matter is, after 15 years in the service... Home is a relative term for me. I am out of touch with family and friends to the extent that I just don't have much to go "home" to, well, anywhere. I will really have no permanent address and no rent to pay at "home" while I am an OTR trucker. This being the case, is leasing more/less likely to seem like a good idea? I am leaning heavy on the company driver route. Let me know what you think on this.
Thanks in advance for your patience and understanding if I have asked questions you see all too often. Regards, Dan
Alright I like to learn the hard way so here goes!
Discussion in 'Questions From New Drivers' started by txarmysgt, Jan 1, 2008.
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First thing I'd like to say is "THANK YOU", then I like to say "Are you sure you wanna be a truck driver?" If you've already made up your mind then until you find the best company, maybe you should go to a LTL company close to where you are and try to get on as a casual dock worker. That would give the time and the cash flow to maintain an income while you go to school on the GI Bill, (truthfully if it was me I'd take Computer Service Technology or something where you still travel around the country just to push someone's reset button and get paid), but with your background most companies like Yellow, Roadway, Estes, etc. love the vets and will go out of their way to help. Meanwhile, you'll learn more about trucks and eventually maybe even take the test for your CDL ,(if you don't already have one). Some times they'll even let you use their equipment. After that, assuming you've been looking on line or in the trucking magazines, contact a carrier to sign on. By then if you still wanna drive a big rig, you shouldn't have any problems finding a company. Like that one driver said, "depending on who you talk to, there are just as many bad ones as there are good ones." You can almost always bank on one thing though. If he got somehow screwed, fired, or didn't get paid. It wasn't his fault.., least that's what he'll tell ya..
:smt024 truckingleo
GOOD LUCK
PS- I'm retired now and live in Florida. I was an OTR mover for van line companies for almost 30 years,( which is another option if you wanna keep in shape). -
I have to agree with Brickman on this one.
Plus, you can't make an "informed decision" about Leasing, until you know the industry. Most of those that lease early on from the get-go, usually pay a great price for their education.
Good luck on deciding about school. I personally wouldn't want to be commited to a Company (one year contract for school & training). But on the other hand, MOST companies you might want to hire on with after your training, will probably require one year over the road experience. So....
Should you choose to be trained by a trucking company, they'll put you in a truck, so where you stay or live is not an issue.
Not having strings..(being tied to home) will be a plus+ for you. As you'll find...Trucking, like the Military, is a Lifestyle, not just a job.
:smt024
Trucking Jobs in 30 seconds
Every month 400 people find a job with the help of TruckersReport.
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