Another Newbee with Questions

There's plenty of decent paying jobs for new cdl graduates. If you go with tankers, can easily make $60K - $65K your first year out of cdl school, then the pay can climb from there. Trimac Transportation OTR drivers with 24 mos. experience can make well over $100K.
There's probably a dozen tanker outfits that will hire you.
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Quest Liner - is one. The ads have experience required, but if you read the fine print you'll see they do hire drivers with no experience if the drivers has a cdl school certificate.Many companies bend their own rules for a strong applicant that is mature and has a good work history.

• Less than 12 months Class A Tractor Trailer experience requires a Truck Driving School Certificate and extended training

"Quest Liner, Inc. is one of the nation’s premiere Non-Food Grade Bulk Tank Carriers in the country and a Transport Topic Top 100 carrier. We are looking for Professional Class A Truck Drivers to join our team. If you have a CDL-Class A, with tank and hazmat endorsements, and consider yourself to be among “The Best of the Best”, we have a great regional transportation opportunity for you. Our current Professional Truck Driver averages $75,000/year with the potential to make $85,000/year or more!"

 

Liquid Trucking - hires a few new cdl grads. Contact this company and ask which school they will hire from. They do hire new cdl grads on a case by case basis.

NOW HIRING
REGIONAL & OTR CLASS A CDL DRIVERS

• UP TO $70K FIRST YEAR
• FULL BENEFITS
• GREAT BONUSES
• HOME WEEKLY

 

Western Dairy Transport - www.wdtmilk.com has their own cdl school in Missouri and also hires from private cdl schools. The better choice would be to attend their school, since their specialty is milk hauling and the school is built around that. Don't know the annual pay, but call and find out.

 

we are a team and getting some experience right now if you still remember haha. but what would be a better option for us to work for in the future

 

Transport National - is growing and hiring new cdl grads. Good pay there and can average $1500 weekly. Several terminals around and a couple of them in Missouri.

 

Schuster - is a refrigerated trucking company and the nations largest ice cream hauler. I've seen their trucks all over, including here in Las Vegas. They hire new cdl grads.

 

I'd go for Estes Express, R&L Carriers, Old Dominion Freight Lines for husband/wife teams.

 

OP, there is no drivers shortage, Drivers are a commodity, and unless you bring to the company revenue in the form of new customers, you are just the same as any other driver.

Unlike retail management, this industry has some pitfalls, one of them is that it is one of the most dangerous jobs around, cops and fire fighters are below truck drivers on the list of dangerous jobs. Then you have the issue of your CDL, you could endanger it in different situation and then you have the issue of liabilities as a driver, one wrong move or mistake (or bad habit) and you are in deep crap.

I would stick to retail management, you are making $90k which you can make here but it sometimes isn't worth the change when you have a stable environment to live in.

 

Good morning Dario. You're obviously a well spoken and thoughtful guy honestly trying to make some tough decisions. Since you say you're a fan of the site you likely already know you can anticipate some semi-snarky responses to your questions. Just brush them off. Some have nothing better to do or add.

Since you've asked, I'll give you my thoughts. I've had a multi-faceted professional career and entered trucking (by choice, not circumstance or necessity) in my late 40's.

Job security: get your CDL and yes, with your background and record, a job will be at hand. I see self driving vehicles as a distinct possibility that could possibly impact driver demand down the proverbial road but I question if in my lifetime or possibly yours. The decision process can be so complex under so many varied conditions I just don't see how artificial intelligence can work it out. I can imagine a few early tragic accidents will likely set it back even further. I certainly don't see demand falling as quickly as the real scenario you've described in retail.

This being said, personally I think there should be another strong dynamic (other than money) that comes into play before deciding to make an entry into trucking. Perhaps a lifelong fascination with big rigs, a wanderlust, a frustration with working closely with others and needing some fresh air and independence, a NEED to "get away" for whatever reason, or maybe just an undiagnosed metal illness. I DON'T personally see it as a good choice simply to "survive" and for basic income CONSIDERING that you are well educated, married and have likely come to enjoy the comforts associated with a home nightly white collar 90k salary. I think it could prove very hard on your marriage in the long run, not to mention your health and sanity if you don't have legitimate ulterior motives for exploring the greasy, tiresome, at times frustrating and extremely dangerous profession.

This being said, I really enjoy it. I work part time as much or as little as I want which makes the detractors from the profession easier to tolerate. I'm doing it for the experience, not entirely for the money as I'm semi-retired. Having lived full time in an RV for many years as a traveling medical professional, the truck is just like a big camper where someone else is buying the fuel. I appreciate the minimalism of living in the truck. I am fiercely independent and at times anti-social so the isolation and ability to spend most of the day making entirely my own decisions is satisfying. I enjoy both the travel and the challenges. Again, I have personality traits and interests that make it work for me. If they didn't exist and I was just in search of a way to put bread on the table, trucking would not be my first choice. You sound like a man with a good head in his shoulders and lots of potential. Trucking is an option, but certainly not the only one.

I will say this. Schneider has a really nice operating and training center on your doorstep in Edwardsville. It's a solid company well versed in the training of inexperienced new drivers and is able to offer an incredibly varied selection of work opportunities and home time options secondary to their vast freight network. People will readily slam them as just another parasitic mega carrier but they have always treated me personally with respect, never lied to me, been very flexible and accommodating with my work schedule needs, provided me with safe functional equipment and always paid me correctly and on time. They will gladly reimburse your CDL tuition up to 7k should you decide to join the organization. If you decide this is something you'd like to try I think they would be a solid place to start. Further, Schneider advances from within and with your professional background there will be corporate opportunities to explore.
I'd be glad to give you a tour of the operating center should I pass through Edwardsville in the near future. Best of luck. I'm open to answering any of your specific question through PM. Have a great day and I hope you get some solid, helpful responses to the question you've asked.