I signed up with a trucking school :)

So after talking to many different companies I have decided to go through a local truck driving school myself and get a job after that. I am so excited that I will be starting Monday Dec 3rd.

I was at the school today and they just happen to have a recuirter coming in from TMC out of DSM, Iowa. So I listen to her sales pitch. After that I went to lunch up the street and as I was sitting there the recruiter came walking in. So I invided her to sit and started picking her brain more.

Lets just say they are on my short list to pre-hire from.

Anyone have a list of questions to ask recuriters when they come by the school?

 

Ask about home time, whether or not the company is team only, pay scales and freight. Also make sure they have a terminal close to your home base. Otherwise you'll be deadheading hundreds of miles just to see your family...

 

I would ask about tuition pay back. Also if they do offer it, make sure you stay with that company until it is paid back.

 

Well, I am also in driving school in Omaha & listen closely to what the recruiters say. Mileage pay for company A might be higher than company B, but you have to read between the lines. Does the pay include bonuses for monthly mileage goals & safety performance? Or is that pay just base pay with all incentives on top. DO NOT lease! All you are doing is paying the truck payment for the company. Recruiters are what they are. Ive sat through 4 of them & after a little time thinking about what they said, Im not applying at any of their companies. They might be for you. I have young kids at home & am currently waiting to hear back form a company that has great home time (out 2-4 days & home 1 or 2) Its all pretty much in what youre looking for. If you dont start til Dec. 3, keep options open. All of the mega carriers are constantly hiring, so find what best fits you.

 

Congrats. I am still debating going to school (starts in late Jan at CC) vs getting on at a trainer company. What made your decision for you?

 

what is pay per mile?
what is average length of haul? (longer hauls mean less sitting around waiting generally)
what is hometime policy? how many days out for each day off, and how many days maximum can i accrue and take at once? ( i like to stay out for several weeks and take more days off in a row)
where can i park the truck? ( if u THINK you can park it in front of your house, or on a particular street, check with your city govt first. if ur gonna park it at a truck stop, does the company and the truck stop allow it?)
slip seating? if yes, that means u share the truck-avoid a company that says yes.
benefits? how much will they cost you?
401k? match?
average driver drives how many miles per week? (ive almost NEVER driven as few as they say the average is...always be on time, always be available,professional, and respectful to your dispatcher....it WILL PAY OFF!!!!)
in that vein...let me take a brief aside. you will have good and bad weeks, pay-wise. when you are having a bad week, dont call your dispatcher and rant and rave. dont swear at him/her, dont send rude messages. your dispatcher (fleet manager) holds your paycheck in his hands. if you have given him reason to dislike you, that may very well affect how many miles you drive, and thus how much you make. ALWAYS be on time....and when something happens to make that impossible, tell your dispatcher IMMEDIATELY. when you are having a bad week, DO calm yourself, call dispatcher and tell him about it. if he has a lot of drivers, he may not realize how crummy your miles for the week are/were, and may make up for it. mine almost always did, and i never gave him crap, and was always a driver he could count on. (my FIRST driving job? not so much. i acted poorly, and in retrospect it did nothing to help me, and didnt really make me feel any better either. there is no upside to acting like a jerk to your dispatcher.)

what bonuses are there? safety? productivity? fuel mileage?
are there apus on the trucks? (they provide electricity to plug in your laptop, tv , and such) if not, what is the policy regarding inverters? -----i would NOT work for a company that had no apus, no bunk heaters, and a strict policy regarding inverters. you are LIVING in your truck 24/7 for perhaps weeks at a time. comfort is KEY.
paper logs or e-logs? paper is preferable to me, as you can get "creative" in your logging when you need to.

im sure theres much ive missed, but the ones i covered are quite important, at least to me.
good luck, and stay safe!!!

 

What school are you in?

 

What made my choice is, I would rather have my CDL paid for and not "owe" it to a company. Plus I don't want to be stuck into signing a 6-12 month comentment. Plus alot of the companies I am looking at are based either in Omaha or very close and they dont have a company paid CDL program. So why would I want to go with a company and make that kind of comitment when I can get my CDL on my own in 4 weeks and not owe some one my life. LOL

This is the question I asked myself, What am I looking for? and whats my best way to get to my goal? Plus after talking to ALOT of companies, going to school on my own was a no brainer.

 

did she buy lunch jon

 

Nope I was all ready sitting down when she showed up. I would of bought her lunch if given the chance. Every little bit helps when it comes to getting a job. LOL LOL