I need some advice.

I wish I had great detailed advice but I don't. There are two things I suggest:

1. Don't burn any bridges on your way out of your current job.

2. If you do decide to give trucking a shot commit to driving for at least one year. The first few weeks aren't easy for most people and many of them quit which is a shame because the job does get a lot better once you've been doing it awhile.

 

My take on dollar store accounts may be a little different than a lot of guys. I struggled to find my place in the industry and was about to go back to delivering pizas when I decided to try out the Dollar General account. Suddenly my income dramatically increased, my hometime became predictable, and with a little creative logging from time to time (paper logs back then) my sleep cycle became consistent

The backing hazards are real. Customers will drive right through your blind spot. You have to leave your ego at home. Get out and look as often as needed. I sucked at backing when I pulled my first dollar store load but I never hit anything and my skills improved.

It's a lot of physical work. I looked at that as a positive thing. I got paid to stay in shape. It wasn't always fun in extreme heat or cold but it's just part of the job.

Dollar stores definitely aren't for everyone but don't rule them out based on negative opinions from others. I did it for 7 years and allowed my wife to be a stay at home mom without missing any meals or clipping too many coupons.

 

Yes they mean Dollar General, Family Dollar, etc.
I say go for it. I had a six figure income before 2000. The hatred I was drowning in.
Left... Then almost died from diabetes. Trying to work a physical job was a joke. Not any problem doing it. I wanted to. But everyplace they were fighting. Always. Did trash truck driving for 9 years. Not too bad. Then went OTR. Wish I had done this a long time ago.
I’d suggest dry van. It’s easiest. Get big miles. Not day/night/day/night constantly like reefer madness. It’s sane.
I have gone through six jobs in three years. I left because of intolerable. Then answered a little unpretentious add on Craigslist. I’m very happy here. Small company. Owner is right there. Nobody tries anything with drivers here. I’m very happy.
You might consider bringing an intelligent life form with you. Is nice having them.

 

No. Swift/Knight are maybe the biggest fleet in the country. It could be that they don't have some of these bad dedicated customers. It also could be they have more of them than other companies. Almost always the companies will ask if you want to be assigned to one of these dedicated accounts instead of doing OTR and then mention the slightly higher CPM and more regular type of schedule. However you can decline the dedicated position and continue as an OTR candidate. Today EVERY trucking company is hiring and almost every driving position in that company has open spots. Not every company hires newbies but I'm guessing at least 50-75% may hire a newbie.

If you enter the industry expect CDL school to train you to pass the state written & road test and almost nothing else. 90% of training will happen at the company that hires you for first job. That 1st company will place you with a trainer. You & him will share his truck for 3-8 weeks, sometimes a little longer. That is where you learn the job and learn to back, unless your trainer is lazy & selfish enough to rush you along without sufficient backing practice.

Since you say you have money & time I'd reccomend you focus all research on finding a good company to work for, not focus on the cheapest/easiest way to get your CDL. Once you find the very few companies that may work well for you then focus on what is required by that company to get hired. Assume you will get your CDL, you will. It's not very difficult. Once you start CDL school you will not have time to research companies except very fast and very shallowly. The CDL school will allow a couple of companies to make a pitch to come work for them. Nobody in that room, except possibly you, will know if they are a good choice. Those companies will make 90% of students think they are a good choice. The companies may even make you think they are one of only a few companies that will hire you. Remember, every company is hiring at almost every position. Every company will seem like they are the best option until you hear the next company presentation. Some/many CDL schools receive a fee grom the trucking company for each student hired by the company. The school is not usually a fair referee. The school doesn't know your needs or have time/interest in recommending other trucking companies to you.

There are many successes stories of drivers tha go to trucking company CDL schools, like Swift, Prime, Werner, and others. There are many successes that pay for their own CDL school andvthen get reimbursed by their 1st company. There are successes that attend months long community college and vocational schools. That's why I say first find your future employer and then decide about school. Even though I very opposed to pulling reefers as a newbie, Prime Inc may have one of the best schools. It is unquestionably one of the very longest, for good & bad.

Financially, "free training" is no better than paying your own way and then being reimbursed by your 1st company either by an actual Tuition Reimbursement benefit ir just higher pay than you would earn at the company with "free training". IMO, some of the companies with their own school or "free training" have them so they can lock newbies into their crappy employment contract early before they find out from students or others what a terrible employer is giving the "free training". Free training, except maybe from Goodwill, always has a pay back provision attached that requires a certain period of employment regardless of your happiness at the company. "Ftee Training" doesn't NECESSARILY indicate good/bad training or good/bad employer. Some other drivers lean toward the "free training" = bad company position.

Finding a "good employer" is like finding good shoes. It depends on your needs and how they fit your feet. It doesn't matter if the shoes cost $30 or $3000. It doesn't matter if they are plastic or the finest italian leather. It doesn't matter the the shoes are shower shoes or steel-toe work boots, etc. If the shoes do not fit all other details are unimportant. Some companies & driving positions are perfect for driver A and perfectly hideous for driver B. The better you define your requirements the better your chances of finding an employer that fits you.

You'll need to not only decide about things like:
OTR/regional/local
Van/reefer/flatbed/tanker
Driving region of the country
Amount & frequency of time off/home time
Pay/benefits
But you will ultimately have to make decisions about which of those you can compromise for improvements in the other factors. Don't forget to consider which of those your family or partner values or if trucking is going to also be a tool to get away from them. Once you get in the industry, if you do, everyone else will be happy to squander your time and/or license to make their work/life easier. Only you can protect your license/record.

 

Any company you consider may have a current/former driver on this forum. It's routine for someone to post a "Hey anyone work for ABC" message in the New Drivers section. There is also Trucking Company Forums

 

You'll have tight situations no matter where you go but Swift OTR you won't have them all day long every day.

 

Don't be dismayed by "Dollar Store" accounts. What that is, is usually hand unloading, and carriers put new drivers on those, a), because it's a good way to learn all aspects of trucking, not just bumping docks.and b) it thins out the herd. Usually understaffed, these stores have one person manning the register, and you may sit, or unload it yourself. I believe you get paid for that, so it's not a total waste. Thing about that is, while you spend all day unloading, it prevents you from doing anything else. I think you are a good candidate, minus the "mate" thing, you can throw that out the window, Social media has helped, but few mates go for that, trust me. Chinatown can be overwhelming at times, he gives almost too many examples, making the decision that much more difficult. He's more for, "once you take the plunge", but if you're just in the thinking stage, you came to the right place. Good luck, and for the record, unless it's been said, local work isn't any less demanding than OTR, fact is, in some cases, like mine, I had OTR firends that got more sleep than "local Joe" me.

 

It all depends on your attitude.

 

Just remember.......you will be at the very bottom of the food chain for a few years! Be ready to be pushed, cancelled, half shifted, double shifted, etc. Not trying at all to discourage you....just being honest. If you are not pulling your own weight, there are people around that can make your life a living hell. If you can "suck it up, and get it done...you will earn "cred". If you get your feelings hurt easily, complain, whine and whimper a lot....that is not the job for you. Good luck!