I have asked questions like how much you can expect to make your first year and what to look for in a company. Now I would like to ask how hard it would be to get a job after changing careers? I'm leaving an apt type maintenance job after 16 years and have excellent work history with this job. I ask because on most apps this is the only job that I can list. What are my chances of getting a decent job right out of cdl school?
Your chances are excellent. Get all the endorsements; they're money in the bank. If you have a cdl school class start date, submit applications now; don't wait. There's a list of companies that will hire you on your other thread: First year Discussion in 'Questions From New Drivers' started by mnmbjc, Oct 10, 2017.
You can make more money doing side work With your maintenance skills, with no where near The headache and harassment that comes with Driving these trucks. Don't do it. The good ole days out here are gone. Do you want work with a camera staring right in Your face 12 hours a day. Away from home for weeks on end. Don't do it. It ain't worth it anymore.
I could say the same thing about indoor work. Those good old days are gone. You might be there driving I'm there doing indoor stuff. I need a different job and challenge.
Dude, I will be frank with you, I have a small fleet, when I look for drivers, I get about 100 apps at a time and filter them down. Most of my hiring lately has been word of mouth through my drivers. BUT when I want to have something done around the homestead or my dad's place, I can not find good help, I waste more time looking for someone to just do simple things, like do plaster work (he has plaster walls) or a clean up of a floor to remove the old 50's tile and put down new stuff than I do looking for a driver.
Right now you make your own rules,hours,work, And you can charge whatever you want. On the road your job and life and pay are at the mercy of everyone Around you. Don't do it. I would trade places with you in a heartbeat. Stop reading this forum. Your dreaming of something That ain't there anymore. What's left of it is being Taken away everyday. The freedom. None of us in our right mind would want our kids To do what we do. Most of the drivers out here ain't got two nickels To rub together. The starting pay is less than it was When I started 20 years ago. This job is not a challenge,it's survival. Almost everything is out of your control. Accidents,road rage,dot inspections,red light cameras, Random back road inspections,blown tires, Breakdowns in blizzards,wasted hours waiting at Loading docks,dot physical,sleep apnea,etc,etc, You want to put up with all this and live in a truck for 35,000 a year starting out,if you're lucky. I would strongly advise you to find a family member Or a friend who drives and ride with them for a couple Weeks before you jump into this. That's just my opinion.
Dot requires your 10-year job history regardless of whether it was a driving Type job or not. Lots of companies will be perfectly willing to hire you at a reduced rate right out of truck driving school.
