Found Great Info for new women & men/wannabees etc. who want to know where to start!

Hi! I am new here and like a lot of people who found their way here, we are new and interested in lifestyles of the paid tourist. My father was a truck driver, doing many things from wrecker driver to fuel hauler, and I guess it was just destiny that someday I would find myself interested in doing it too. I am also a newbie, although familiar with the lifestyle because my father was a OTR driver and I did like to go with him on his trips, every journey was like a new adventure to me. Granted I'm sure there are tons of poorly treated hard working men and women out there and I was so glad that by chance I had found out about this website, it has been VERY VERY informative because you are hearing it straight from the guys and gals out there doing it, but you can also pin point the trolls here, those guys who are trolling these forums trying to impersonate truckers and trying to counter all the bad things that are being said about their companies, they are very easy to spot, if you see a half a dozen posts about something and one person saying oh no, I'm doing great here and going on about why its so good, most likely its a troll, so BEWARE THE TROLLS!

I have not hit the road yet, or even gotten my CDL yet, but I have found in my life experience that you need to fully research and educate yourself about everything before you throw yourself into it or you may regret your actions! This place has been very good for that, and I appreciate everyone here! So, I want to share what I have learned from my research summed up in one place so far, not just for other new people who want to know where to start but also as a future reference for myself. I am going to be a future women OTR driver, I have found that it is recommended to be solo because of the "stranger danger" scenarios, but that can also apply to men, I remember when my dad was working for a large outfit, which no longer exists (was called NW, out of Denver) he got paired up with a psychopath that always was threatening to kill him, and even tried to once, luckily he was able to get out of that situation alive, you just never know. I am, however, going to be working towards team, with my husband, and I hear that can have a strain on a relationship too always being together in a small space, but we are the types that are always together all the time anyhow and other then a smaller space, wont be much different because we both sleep at different times etc now anyways. Most of my research has been around women because of being one of course LOL, but I feel that a lot will apply to both sexes.

From what I have learned, the ones you should avoid at all costs: Prime Inc., CR England, CRST, PAM... pretty much anybody that's got the big ads out there about Paid CDL training blah blah blah, because they are into making the money off students (after all the government pays for that and there is big money in that... anybody see that lawsuit again Mr. bad hair himself, Donald Trump for his school scam?).

What seems to be the best choice from researching all these forums and many other places (youtube is a great source as well, will provide a couple of links I found that I had used to get other information from) is that you try to get your CDL from a college of some kind. Not all of us have that option as it can be pricey and people, me included, are scraping the bottom of the barrel as it is, but I hear there is ways to possibly get grants etc for it so that is something else I am currently looking into as well.

I am NOT a veteran driver, nor have I actually drove yet, but I am the type of person who ALWAYS reads the fine print, and everyone should always do that, if it sounds too good to be true, it usually is, and these paid CDL companies that I have listed have HUGE bad rap sheets on ripoffreport.com and so many other places. So why should you listen to me? Because I have done my homework and I never take anything lightly, I have been burned before, and when you get burned one too many times you learn to look where you are sitting before you put your butt into that seat. I am just sharing what I have discovered from much research, and would love actual vet drivers out there to add to this post. So the #1 thing to do is educate yourself, do tons of research because trucking is not just a job, its a complete lifestyle and it can make or break you, that I know because I am a trucker's daughter!

Here are some links to both websites and some youtube videos that I have found to be also educational that are done by actual truckers in the field:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pO1Un0V_UaI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OrcOUgwd55w
http://www.realwomenintrucking.com/2012/11/05/trucking-carrier-warnings/

And of course, do your own research, you never know what you are going to find out there!

 

Also, if anybody out there has some good info on companies that allows a furry co-pilot (in my case a German Shepherd) that also accommodates newbies, please share, we will need to be able to make him a Big Rig Dog, he's part of our family, I have only found one site bigrigdogs.com that has info on trucking companies that allow dogs, but it is kind of vague (not to mention some of it is dated), would like more specifics, like if they are allowed, is there a deposit and how much etc.

 

You clearly are not a dog owner

 

For me that is not a issue, going to do husband/wife team but definitely understand that if riding with strangers, or even in some cases friends who don't care for animals

 

Depends on the dog really, and I am not disputing the hip thing, however, German Shepherds are also used for cop dogs in which they have to continually climb in and out of vehicles, into high spots, and windows, buildings etc, so by your standards would that also not be inhumane? There is no "forcing" some dogs are just road dogs, they love to be where you are and love to travel and are quite happy and content to be on the road with you. Found a happy pair with their master here:

http://bigrigdogs.com/Photos/Bigstarcar/Our-dogs/Photos.html#photoid=129