Experienced driver looking to go back OTR.

Discussion in 'Questions From New Drivers' started by Tadderspense, Mar 23, 2013.

  1. WitchingHour

    WitchingHour Road Train Member

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    Shorten the timeline, and I was in a similar situation. I ended up standing in for an injured driver at a seven truck outfit, then I was hired on with a small fleet owner who was leased at the time to CRST Malone. My advice - abandon the megacarriers. After calling Roehl and being told that I wasn't an experienced driver by a carrier which considered a six month driver a "veteran", in spite of having run open decks, RGNs pulling loads heavier than their trucks could gross, and having been a small fleet owner, I came to the realization that these companies simply were not worth my time. And, quite frankly, I ended up working for people I liked working for, I wasn't in some 62 MPH castrated truck, I didn't have a Qualcomm constantly chirping at me, and I had a fair bit of autonomy out there for a driver who didn't own the truck. Granted, it wasn't perfect, but much more tolerable than having some desk jockey who'd never driven a truck before acting like I needed them to hold my hand the entire way. And I did fine on the road. Just a quick going over of the log regulations, and a refresher on folding tarps, and I was good to go. Don't let yourself be treated the same as one of these new graduates.
     
  2. Chinatown

    Chinatown Road Train Member

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    ^^^^^^^^^^Double post.
     
    Last edited: Mar 24, 2013
  3. Chinatown

    Chinatown Road Train Member

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    Paschall Truck Lines will hire you.
     
  4. Chinatown

    Chinatown Road Train Member

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    Paschall Truck Lines will hire you. It's dry van & you might have to make a couple of trips with a veteran driver there before solo. Stick with them 3-6 months and you're good to go about anywhere. In fact Melton Truck Lines will hire you after 3 months with Paschall. Melton has a rider policy and pet policy and a good flatbed company. Trucks also have APU's.
     
  5. born&raisedintheusa

    born&raisedintheusa Road Train Member

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    Give Tyson Foods, out of Springdale Arkansas, a call at 1-800-933-6442. They have a reputation of treating their drivers well with excellent pay and benefits.
     
  6. born&raisedintheusa

    born&raisedintheusa Road Train Member

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    The absolute sad truth is that it is far less expensive to have an inexperienced driver than one with lots of experience.

    The way a lot of this seems to be set up is that experience is too expensive to pay for.

     
  7. amscontr

    amscontr Light Load Member

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    It's a big joke! These co's just want to keep your pay low! Remember when they "paid for experience"?
    Yeah they want you to ride with a 6 month "Veteran" Trainer and pay you 11 cents a mile.
    Search for a small fleet company, they're out there and you'll be much better off. Unless you want to drive a High Speed 62 MPH truck and be a Programmed Electronic Logbook Robot.
     
    WitchingHour Thanks this.