Hello- Let me introduce myself...

I think that is a good idea. Also the first few months of the year or slow months. I personally waited until March to begin my career so I didn't have to deal with the snow and ice. Still ran into some snow in Maryland but was with trainer and being a country boy from the Texas Hill country. Kinda of scared me. You also have to prepare for the low wages you will get after the schooling. For the 4 to 6 weeks of 300 or 400 dollars a week before taxes. Depending on who you decide to go with.

 

I take my hat off to those bus drivers. Big buses and little streets and dealing with Houston drivers all day and the people who get on the bus. No thank you.

 

LOL That's what I thought as well. Funny how it changed quick. Problem is Houston has tons of trucks going in. So the freight coming out is real cheap. So most don't even like going down there. It's amazing how many times when I lived down there I would have to take a bus home from Dallas or rent a car to get home. Maybe he is also saying 6 months because its real slow in the first few months of the year and by June maybe freight would be picking up. Not sure.

 

There's a lot coming in. But just go over to the loves and see how hard it is to find a parking place over there. I normally deliver in Houston, and they deadhead me up to Lufkin, Dallas, Or Waco. Also since Maverick is mostly a flatbed company. I know they have a small refrigerated division. They can only pick up flat bed freight, and tons of flat bedders are delivering in Houston so makes the market tight for them. You will probably see 10 maverick trucks at the loves. Empty waiting to get a load as we speak.

I applied to Tyson Foods and at the time I was living in Richmond, TX. They said they weren't hiring in my area. That included the Houston area as well at that time, but yet they have a plant in Houston, and they deliver to Kroger and HEB daily.

 

Dinomite is correct in that the first few months of the year are the slowest for trucking. This is the time when most experienced drivers and owner operators take their vacations. You never want to take time off when the freight is hot!

I would highly urge anyone thinking of getting into this industry to try and get some winter driving in while training. The absolute worst situation will end up being next year when you are on your own having gone through training months ago and have no winter driving experience. You really want to have a trainer with you the first time you hit the mountains in a blizzard! You also want to be shown the proper way to throw chains before getting yourself into a situation and then having to figure it out by yourself!

So guys/gals if at all possible try to get some training time in while its still snowing and raining ice. Like I said before too, make sure you are thoroughly trained in throwing chains because there will come a time when you will need to do so and it will be a hell of a lot easier having been shown how to do so! At the very least you will know WHEN to throw chains and when not to and whether or not to push on or park it.