Best route to obtaining a CDL in Southern Middle Tennessee?

I just wanted to give an update. I have decided to go with the company sponsored training route if I can get on with a halfway decent training company. My girlfriend is okay with me doing anything but hazmat tanker, so that is ruled out seeing as I respect her wishes. My top three companies, in order, are Maverick, Millis, and Roehl. The first two seem to have the greatest earning potential and decent hometime for OTR. I am worried about Maverick only having autos and that hindering me, but they seem great otherwise if the give me a chance. Millis seems great except only vans. Roehl seems to pay kinda low and micromanage, but they have great hometime and division options. I will look further into what Henderson offers once I start contacting companies. There are several other decent companies, but these seem to be the best when it comes to hometime.

My current plan is to get my year in and then transfer to something that offers about 2 days a week off within about 50 miles or so of Nashville (currently further south than that and want to move up), preferably staying on the south side of it. At least after about a year I want something more physical purely because I tend to gain a bit of weight when I don't have some minor labor in my work. Not food service level, but not only drop and hook either. The A&R trucking company Chinatown posted looked to fit the bill if hiring area isn't an issue. I don't think I want the stress of a purely local home daily job unless it's some fantasy good paying job that doesn't work much over 8 hours a day and pays great.

If I find it's the best route, I may want to own my on truck in 3-6 years; probably an older truck for cash if I am brave enough. I am thinking flatbed work experience might be better for better rates once I become O/O.

I basically think I just want the best hometime vs pay for the first year, as long as a lack of experience in a certain area (like manual transmissions) doesn't severely hinder me. Also, I need something with decent health insurance for a couple.

I am waiting for one former employer to get back to me with my work dates. I will start applying to companies once I get those dates, probably this week. I am looking to start in May, if possible.

*Edit: sorry if I am kinda repeating myself on some of this. I am good and rambling and over-complicating things

 

I just discovered Milan Express and that they have their own CDL program and home weekends. Don't really know much else or if I am even in their hiring area, but definitely looking further.

I have also read about Prime having a dedicated account for Walmart in Shelbyville or something like that. I am about an hour and 20 minutes from Shelbyville, so that might be worth looking into IF I can get that right out of training and have good homeitme. I didn't like Prime just because they seem not to have the best hometime usually and their training last forever. I really don't look forward to spending forever in the cab with, well, anybody really haha.

 

Yep, I was considering them for just that. I have read nothing but bad about them otherwise. Poor pay for time eating unloading, bad trailers, etc. I do have a friend who's brother in law supposedly made $40k in 8 or 10 months working with them. No contract is what still has me flip-flopping about them.

 

Thank you. I have all but ruled them out, and don't plan on applying.

 

Well, I have applied to Millis and Roehl this week. The recruiter for Roehl called me (woke me up so wasn't ready haha). Apparently, they pay $500/week for 4 weeks of CDL school, along with free food, lodging, etc. They pay .35/mile for flatbed... They require a 115k mile contract, or "1.5 year..." I think the time with a trainer was about 2 weeks. I emailed her a bunch of questions for much more info. Not impressed with the pay at all, but they seem to have a good school and hometime, along with a variation of divisions. Seems to be the lower pay and micromanaged but way more options route.

I haven't talked to anybody at Millis yet. I think I would make more money there with decent (but not Roehl level) hometime, but I hate that they are just vans. Their pay is .36 for a year with pretty obtainable 3-5 cent bonuses. Everywhere I read seems to imply that they give a lot of miles, also. I basically probably need to decide if taking payroll deductions for school and not getting anything but van experience (and exercise levels haha) is worth making more money the first year.

From what I have read, Maverick is picky about consistent work history for the past 1+ year, which I am not great on. I still might apply. Just gotta get in touch with one of my references first, as Millis and Roehl didn't need them.

Still might apply to Wil-Trans and Henderson. I just hate the thought of dealing with reefer receivers from what I have read. I have dealt with grocery store backrooms, and those employees were sometimes bad enough. Henderson only has a 2100 mile a week average and is reefer, but pays .38/mile according to the site....I am still putting Millis first if they take me.

I have read a lot of negative about Milan and that they train on autos. I don't plan on applying to them. Prime has fair pay, but I don't like their hometime and spending forever with a trainer, so I am not applying to them either. RE West is a no.

I guess another question would be how much flatbed experience would help after a year for someone who probably wants a 5-6 day a week job probably in bulk tanker, flatbed, or non hazmat tanker, and maybe be an o/o someday?