I really need help getting started!

Will you have job? No one can guarantee you a job. Life is full of those risks.

Have faith in yourself, take that leap of faith and go for it.

Don't ask yourself if you will find a job. Tell yourself you will. And DO IT....

 

I am regional. I drive the 6 state upper midwest of MN, WI, ILL, MO, IA and SD. I am averaging about 2700-2800 average per weeks and by the time you put it into PCMiler shortest, that comes out to about 2600-2700 miles paid.

Work for a smaller company with 25 road trucks in MN here. I left driving in 1997 and came back to it about 2 months ago. Been with this company now for 6 weeks and the long term goal is to buy my own truck.

As to getting a job...

 

get your CDL, get a job even if it's being a yard jockey. You'll learn how to back trailers for sure if you have to ever put it into a dock hole some place as OTR.

Experience is always good.

Develop a positive attitude and a good work ethic when you are young and you will do fine.

I got jaded and sarcastic early in life and it's hard to teach this old dog new tricks.

 

find a company with a school and a training program tht will give u a job for a year and pay your school that way u get the training and the experince........it will get your foot in the door and 1 year will open alot more doors......just fig out wht u want to do flat.ref.or dry box

 

From everything I've read in this thread and elsewhere in this forum I will share the following (no experience) thoughts your way:

Going to a carrier school has advantages; you (usually) don't have to pay anything up front, many include lodging while you're there (don't expect a 5-star hotel experience, lol) and some meals. But nothing is for free. Carrier schooling is under no obligation to keep you employed so if you get fired (or quit) for any reason, you are definitely going to get charged for the schooling + interest. I think you know that by now.

Carrier-reimbursed training means that they will reimburse the cost of the training you found elsewhere, usually with a cap on the reimbursement. That reimbursement usually happens around $50 or so a week and may not start until after you've been with the carrier for a while.

Carriers will often "pre-hire" students attending an independent school. This means that, in most cases, you've passed their initial screening. It does NOT mean that you're guaranteed a job with that carrier once you complete schooling. I am of the belief that you can complete your schooling and get your CDL but not have a clue about what you're really doing behind the wheel.

Getting training independent of the carrier has the advantage that you can continue to look for the "right" carrier to meet your needs once you do graduate.

Since you're in Florida, there is at least one community college-based school in the state and someone has a fairly recent thread in the School forum. You may be eligible for grants (aka "free money") if you try the community college thing.

Also in FL, there is a school called National Training (with a positive thread and a few comments here as well). I am not offering any type of endorsement, I just know there's a thread here and I've read it.

Bottom line, IMO: choose a school that offers the MOST amount of time behind the wheel. Visit the school, see how much is classroom/video instruction vs. "in the truck" instruction, visit the range, look at the range trucks and the trucks they use for road training. TALK TO THE STUDENTS THERE.

Personally, I am spending a lot of time researching the local schools (several near where I live in CO). That way Im not obligated to the carrier if I decide that OTR driving isn't for me.

Final thought: do not let ANY carrier push you into a lease operation without you having several months experience under your belt. The lease rigs are shiny, the cpm looks great (until you factor in truck expenses) compared to company drivers, but if you don't have enough experience and business acumen to manage your business, you will fail. And that's usually not cheap.
Rick