Help in Florida!!!!

Good Luck Be Safe and Welcome to the forum

 

The best I can tell you is do your research (which it sounds like you have) and go with your gut. Where you go to school isn't as important as where you go to work, and even if you make a mistake and choose the wrong company (you wouldn't be the first!) you can change your mind later. Changing jobs once or twice won't hurt you, it's when you change every two months that you get a rep as a job hopper.

So follow that instinct wherever it leads, and we'll see you on the road soon!

 

I'd try to go to a publicly funded program if your state has one,like a community college. Next a private one that's not connected with a certain company,although this will cost considerably more.A benefit to private is that you might find an excellent teacher who can teach from experience and give you more one-on-one. Do your homework before signing up on either. A few public as well as private programs are garbage.

 

I've never attended a truck driving school, but from what I've seen, it appears companies who provide training will use trainees as slaves rather than professional drivers.

Many trainees never get a real chance to be professional drivers because companies who train them run them out of the business by abusing them. And, then suing them to collect the money they didn't earn.

If it were me, I would attend a legitimate school such as a Jr College or Trade School that did more than "train" truck drivers.

I would avoid "company training" programs unless I knew someone personally who worked for that company and could vouch for them. Not their "training," but how they are treated after being "trained."

It's a very cut-throat business and if you expect otherwise, you'll be disappointed. Be prepared for constant lies and disappointment because that is common throughout the industry, including "truck driving schools."

 

Do what you have to do.

But know this: OTR truck driving can be one of the most miserable existences known to man. And, if you think you have problems now, multiply those problems by 10 and you'll have a good idea of how it can be if you go to work for some miserable trucking company that cannot retain professional drivers.

There is a real good reason they can't retain professional drivers and it isn't because drivers do not want to work.

But, if you are desperate, anything will do. Just don't expect much and you won't be too disappointed. . .

What you can reasonably expect and not be too disappointed is too make far less than what you think you will make, get home far less often than you think you will get home, and continually be angry or frustrated for lots of reasons, not the least of which is the low pay, long hours, hard work and never being home to get away from it all.

And lots and lots of sheer boredom sporadically interrupted by moments of pure terror and/or rage.

Or, you might get lucky and make lots of money, get home weekly and have a great time. Just don't go into expecting that to happen and you won't be too disappointed.

Just friendly advice. . .

 

I'm always happy to help anyone who sincerely wants help. I can't think of all the times others have helped me back in the days when we did not have the I'net and the only way you could find out anything was to either go do it or talk to someone who had.

I wish all new drivers well but I fear many will be disappointed when they find out how it really is (not referring to you).

The main thing is to stand your ground and do not let anyone bully you into doing anything you feel is unsafe, regardless what it is. NO ONE has the authority to tell you to drive a truck when you do not consider it safe to do so. Not even cops or anyone else, including dispatchers.

They can tow you, they can fine you and they can fire you, but they CANNOT order you to drive if you do not believe you can safely do so.

That is very, very important because YOU are solely responsible for whatever happens when you drive.

Do what you have to do and hope it all works out well. Just don't expect it so you won't be disappointed.

Good luck to you and I sincerely hope it all works out well for you.