Does anyone know...

you can decide when you want but its usually best to at least do it by the end of your schooling. If you wait too long after your finished--some may not take you. Good luck!

 

What the Lady Trucker just said is right, unless you're doing a company sponsored thing like I did.

If you are, the school is gonna need to know which company you're going with ASAP so they can do all the paperwork associated with that.

 

I've had that "Then what?" feeling ever since I first talked to my CDL school recruiter in 2003. I've come to accept it as just the way trucking is.

Most likely they will put you with a carrier that has a freight lane near your hometown.

 

Most schools have applications for various companys but I would advise you to check them out first before making a definite decision. At least thats how it was at my school. I am sure before you get finished you will have people from different company's come to your school to do a presentation on their company. They will get with you though--dont stress on it. Just keep focused on getting your license. Company's will come to the school and give you a presentation. Most schools have certain company's they deal with but that dont mean you have to choose someone they have holdings with. Make sure you decide and not let them talk you into something your not sure of. Good luck!

 

Recruiters will usually come to your school and "pitch" your class. They will try to get as many drivers to consider their company as possible. Normally there will be several recruiters that stop by a school and their presentations are anywhere from 15 minutes to 30 minutes.

Take notes and ask questions of the recruiters. Such as pay, benefits, equipment, length of haul, home time, assigned equipment, rider policy, pet policy, uniform policies, dress codes, driver unloads, governed speed on trucks, satellite communications, etc.

After you hear the pitch then check the company out at the different forums available on line. Try and speak to drivers that are working there currently or have worked there in the past year or so.

Choose the outfit that best suits your needs and offers the best home time.

 

I went to Ridge Tech in Winter Haven Fl in OCT- JAN 06 Recruiters started visiting the school after the first couple of weeks and gave there sales pitch ,you may change your mind a couple of times and certain companies have different pluses or minuses about them then you have to see if they want you ,they look at driving records criminal records health records etc,,I contacted so many companies online that I found out about through this forum and nearly drove myself nuts bottom line is I wasted alot of time but had fun doing it

 

I contacted a company filled out the application and sent it back within a week or so they sent me back a Conditional pre-hire letter stating the following:

This is a conditional letter of intent to enter the above mentioned into our Driver Finishing Program. As He/She nears the finish of schooling, we will finalize the processing of the employment application, determining that hiring criteria has been met. Upon review of attendance records, grades and the successful comletion of a pre-offer interview, we will extend a pre-offer of employment and schedule an orientation date.

Be sure to call us about two weeks before you graduate from school. After you call us we will pull and finish the process of your application.

We start school 3-3-08 and finish 3-28-08. Hope this helps. We already know the company we want to drive for it's more Team orientated the name is Interstate Distributor Company out of Tacoma, Wa.

Take Care
Rdman