Hello- Let me introduce myself...

Its in your hands... if you feel you aren't being trained properly or your trainer is just using you for miles than you need to call into the office and get another trainer. Don't forget, its your career so don't short change yourself.

 

Here Brianman, try this...

http://www.truckdrivercentral.com/truckingcompanies.html

 

There are a bunch of websites like it, that one I just found a little more informative and less commercialized. It also helps find the smaller less known companies.

Just another thing I thought of a lot of after market car parts and such come out of Houston. Also another very big product.... OIL!!! We often pick up loads of oil (quart size) and deliver to the auto parts superstores like Advance, Autozone etc... It maybe worth your while to give them a call directly to see if they have any local or otr positions open. If you can find a gig like that, meaning product that it is manufactured in your neighborhood then you may have the opportunity to get home a little more often.

Keep checking Craigslist too, daily!

 

Brian, did you ever call FFE?

I did today.

The recruiter suggested that I study to get my permit first, pass the DOT physical, rent a truck, get my CDL A license on my own, w/out schooling. Then, I can apply w/ them, go through their training school in TX which last 2 to 3 weeks, get sent out w/ a trainer for 4 or 5 weeks at a low pay rate of $450.00/week. After that, get assigned a truck and go solo at the regular pay rate.

I.E., they don't require their recent grads to actually have gone through an approved school. They only require that you actually have a CDL A and then put you through their own training. They will waive their $3500.00 training fee after you have driven for them for 1 year.

Note: I would not recommend this route w/out a guaranteed job at the end, but it would save you thousands of $. After 1 year of reading this forum, it is public knowledge that most CDL school will only train you enough to pass the CDL test. The real training comes from the trucking co. and on the road trainer (also experience).

Unfortunately, I don't qualify to drive for them, but I believe you do.

Just a thought. Worth a call....

 

Fact is you maybe hurting your family more than providing for them. If it doesn't work out that is a lot of time and money wasted that could have gone toward supporting your family. These are the facts though and you need to decide what outweighs what.