Hello- Let me introduce myself...

Swift or Stevens Transport.

 

Lower then those ukkk CRST?

 

Ukk the CRST of reefers England.

 

Brianman, I really hope you don't take all this as being negative or bashing on you. You seem to be a pretty decent guy and one who is definitely dedicated to their family. Hey man, if this is something you want to pursue then only you can make that decision and only you will be able to determine if its right for you. You may end up loving it. Hell, you may never go home! Your kids may grow up and your wife join you one day, who knows....

I always try to tell the new guys thinking of getting into this the same thing. My speech is a little different for guys who are single and don't have families though. You guys deserve to know exactly what you are getting yourselves into and make your own educated decision based on what you are finding out. It really pee's me off that these recruiters paint a dream job to you guys and then also steer you into the arms of these mega-carriers where your chances of success are even more derated. Its very expensive and very time consuming to get into this line of work/lifestyle and you typically don't see a regular first paycheck for two months. You guys are only trying to better yourselves and provide for your family and yet are being told flat out lies and being led to slaughter. As you will see it is also tough for the stars to align and for you to get going down the right path right off the bat. Even if the stars were aligned, the money were good, and you got to go home every once and awhile this job is one of the most dangerous in career choices.

If you still believe this is the path for you to take then go for it. Who knows, with your perseverance and dedication to your family you just may make a pretty good driver! You have the attitude of "nothing will stop me" and you also have the ethic of "having to do what it takes" and this is what's needed out there on the road. Once you figure out what's going on out there and get your hustle on you just may do fairly well.

If you are serious about this and want to do well out there then take the time to find a good company to drive for from the get go. Don't just have in your mind that you will sacrifice yourself to the mega-carriers just to get your foot in the door. That is such a falsehood! You are perfectly cable of landing a good career with one carrier right out of school. Sure its harder than just filling out one app that gets sent to mass mega-carriers. They also aren't likely to call you back either. You must find a good company, talk to them, fill out an app and also a resume would be a great help and also to show your seriousness, and then be sure to place follow up calls, emails and thank you's etc....

I can tell you that the good companies rarely advertise for drivers. Their turnover rates are lower because their drivers like driving for them and there isn't a great need to replace them. So be prepared for a game of hide and seek. Thank god we have the internet nowadays!

Make a list of your wants and needs and get to work. Once you have narrowed your search down to a couple dozen companies or so then start making phone calls to get the finer details. It would also help to maybe have a list of questions prepared ahead of time to ask on the phone. A couple things to keep in mind, generally home time is going to be roughly the same with most of the regular companies. If you get into other fields then it will be different. That's also something to think about. You don't have to just haul regular freight. There are many different fields or types of trucking. In your particular area I would say right off the top of my head that there is a need for tanker drivers. Lot's of gas and oil to be hauled around there! Yes you will need your hazmat and such but typically tankers pay more. Usually the more unique fields in general pay a little more than regular freight.

Another thing to keep in mind is pay. You will see all different rates of pay and types of pay. Most pay by the mile but some pay percentage, salary, by the stop etc... Also just because a company boasts high mileage pay doesn't mean you will be making more money. In fact you need to be weary of these particular ones. They may say they pay $.80 a mile but if you aren't moving and/or they don't have the freight available you aren't going to make JACK! A company that pays $.30 a mile and runs you 4000 miles a week is one you are going to make good money with. You will also notice that companies that pay less have nicer equipment and companies that pay high have older, well used equipment. So this maybe something you want to find a happy medium at. A lot of companies also pay for your school. May not be upfront, but they will pay you afterwards in monthly installments. Be sure to put this on your list of questions.

Sorry for typing up a storm here... Whatever you decision, keep us updated and let us know how things go. If you have any questions, you know where to come for the answers. (and/or lots of babbling and bull$hit)

Good luck man....

 

Thanks man!

I don't want to make it sound as if the mega-carriers are evil. (though some are borderline) Some drivers even have great, long lasting careers with them. However your chances of success are significantly higher if you try to get in with a smaller carrier. Biggest reason is your dispatcher. At these huge companies dispatchers are responsible for up to 100-150 drivers and this makes personal attention nill! If you have problems, questions, concerns etc... good luck! You are also just a number in a stack of papers. They assign you loads according to who's next and where you are at the time. Your preference means jack!

At the smaller companies you are able to establish a good personal relationship with your dispatcher and you end up scratching each other backs. Their pay and performance depends on you and they really want to make sure you succeed out there.