I want to be far away from home....

Hello kix, I am reading this thread thinking to myself , If you havent ever been out of your home state , How can you put limitations on where you want to "adventure" as u put it? I am not by any means knocking your desire to try something new my young friend, I am simply trying to figure out why not a business school, or maybe a job as a flight attendant if u want to travel. There is so much that goes into this ever changing industry , that im sure if u would ask sometimes the vetrans themselves wonder why they havent retired yet, It is one thing to come into this profession as someone with it in there heart and sould, but another to come into it for giggles and grins
good luck toyou on your "adventure"
Have fun in life for its far to short!!

 

Wow, I am really impressed by all the answer's and word's of wisdom in this post. Really good stuff here. Anyone notice how there is less fighting arguing here lately and everyone is starting to get on the same page and work together? Not just in this thread but through out the forum. This is how it should be. I know there are still a lot of "bad apples" out on the road that stir the BS every chance they get but all of us better well raised respectful people will with time drive those people out and bring thing's back to the way it was in the old day's. I have high hopes on it but I'm not gonna hold my breath till it start's to show out on the road.

Kix, if I were in your position, I would hold down what you have. If you have money then go travel and take a vaction. Jumping into trucking with little to no knowledge is the worst thing you can do and we driver's see it from new people just like you almost everyday jumping into something they got the wrong picture about but after anywhere from a week to a few months they find out what it's really about and can't handle it. A good few of them leave because they get home sick. Trying to use trucking as a scapegoat is a good way to mess up and you don't want to burn any bridge's because you may have to cross them again. The only one reason I regret getting into driving was a part of my mind set to escape from my past, wanting to leave here and forget the place even exsits. Big mistake. Every other reason was the right reason but that one wrong reason for the frist 6 months I was gone without coming home ate me alive.

After having countless hours behind the wheel with no one to talk to living in a small confined space I just couldn't let go and leave it behind to never be seen again because home is home, that's where your root's are and something I just couldn't leave behind. So here I am, still here. I do drive a truck and yes I am still a rookie even though growing up around it I feel like I've been doing it for year's. I love it and I have to make a living so when that time comes each month I have a family and place to lay my head to look forward to because out on the road, the only family you have is the driver's that your respectful to. Like everyone else is saying just as I have this is not a job, it's a career, not just a career but a whole different kind of life style that is far different from all the other's. It's not only just business but a true love of the job and a comittment to serving.

Not trying to discourage you or put you down so don't take it the wrong way but you need to sit down and think long and hard about it and what everyone here is saying because you have an oppertunity presenting itself to you while your trying to make another oppertunity to present to yourself as a way out of the other one, but if the one your trying to create fail's on you and you want to go back, it may not be there because it could be to late and you burned the bridge, leaving you stuck to figure out what to do next because sooner or lately all that money you say you have is gonna run out and being out there on the road will make it go even faster with the hard times we face right now. To me and I'm sure to some other's "trying it out" would be a waste of time, money and effort if it didn't work out.

I struggled for almost 3 year's trying to get my CDL. Loan's and grants over turned until it finally came down to the nitty gritty to sign a year long contract. Mistake? Bet your ### it was but it was my calling. Thing's happened to work out for me though where I got out of that contract with no money paid. Pretty much I got lucky as hell to say the least. Trucking isn't only driving, it's constant rule's and regulation's governed by the government. Everyday is a constant stream of paperwork, physical activities such as making sure you truck is safe and legal to run down the road everyday. Time management is key. Late load's picking up or delivering is not acceptible unless it's the companies fault. Dispatcher's will dog you to do thing's illegally and the price for getting caught is steep.

Most people our age driving truck's today do it because they think it's "cool" or whatever but in reality they have no business behind the wheel of a truck because they are irresponsible and completely disrespectful to our vet drivers and is one of the cause's why trucking has such a bad image. 4 wheeler's (car's) have no repsect for a trucks. They will cut off a truck and slam on the brakes. Most because they either don't care or in case's now day's are trying to collect from law suits. The stress level is getting much higher these day's as law's get more strict, time get's tighter, pay goes down while prices keep rising and being responsible for a truck in heavy traffic most of the time keeping focus driving 11 hour's a day or more if your not running legal on your log book. If you have an accident and kill someone and your not legal even if the accident was not your fault, guess what, you go to prison. Do not pass go do not collect two hundred dollars.

Most place's won't allow truck's to park for many reason's including just to be ########## leaving you to fight for a parking place in a truck stop where the price's are twice as high as they are in Walmart. One of the biggest thing's that isn't mentioned much umong truck driver's is seeing someone get killed right before your eye's. I've seen it happen three time's sense 2004 before I was able to drive and while I was driving. It haunts you. Can't sleep, can't eat trying to get it off your mind when it's so ###### disturbing it make's you sick. That was along time ago but it still bother's me from time to time. I can't watch those "greatest police chase's and such show's on tv because it bring's it up. It happen's everyday and can happen anywhere at any given time. This is just some of many thing's still left unsaid to consider. Like I said, think long and hard about all of this because it's the biggest and most common mistake most people make is having the wrong aspect of what truckin' is about.
I'm just giving you the straight no BS fact's and I've been waiting on a post like this one to bring these thing's up because all the new people seeking to "get in" need to know all of this. I'm not, nor trying to be or even play top dog here because I'm not, but just sharing the information and experiance that would be of use to those new guy's trying to get start in the business who are willing to listen and take the wisdom of the wise from all of us who have been through all of this and still are going through.

Pardon me for this being so long and rambling on but thought it was time that these thing's be brought to the table. It's late, well early in the morning now waiting for my step kid's to get up and open presents. Been up on watch all night. My fiance`'s ex has been stalking our house lately (he's a psychopath) and she's pregnant with my first and is why I'm not on the road right now. (usless information)


Wishing the best to all those driver's that just got put out of work and left stranded around the country side without notice.

Merry Christmas gal's and guy's.

 

The problem is, you said so much in your first post it left nothing for us to add. Except the fluff

Merry Christmas driver

 

I would say try an stay away from werener an swifty, research a little on both of them on here and see what you find. They are bad companies and will take you for everything you have and watch you hit the gutter. They dont care about there drivers. You dont think they're big enough? A company doesnt have to be big to be good, in fact the smaller companies are where you want to be and where all the good drivers are at, and happy to. I would check out millis first but your age might be a factor, most places want you to be atleast 23 to train at one of the companies.

 

Danc694u: is that a bad thing? lol Merry Christmas back atcha!

 

Grass is always greener on the other side! I can understand going stir crazy in one place, fortunately I have lived all over the US and overseas. In trucking, it's going to all melt into one as you hammer down the lonely highways, watching carloads of people going off to do fun things when they aren't working. You will feel isolation sink in and miss family/friends. It's not all bad, but to lose the security of a vital career like farming for a low paid, thankless, economically distressed career like trucking may not be wise.
I highly recommend everyone to see the documentary "Big Rig" for a pretty good look at trucking from the driver perspective.
I got mine at a Petro, but you can go to Amazon and search it.

Good luck!

 

As with all things related, it is up to you in the end but I would like to recommend both Millis Transfer and Roehl in your case. They are both based out of your area which is an important consideration related to freight, terminals, schools/training, truck parking, etc. and especially the all sacred home time. You can get loads out of most anywhere (Florida withstanding) but getting back home is not as simple as it would seem.

If you live near the corporate office/home state, you have a much better chance of getting home when you request it and getting home will become a focus after you are gone for weeks at a time. With the big carriers, getting you home is not their priority.

THE FIRST COMPANY YOU SIGN ON WITH IS A CRITICAL STEP, in my opinion. A bad one could make you hate it. A good one will at least recognize you can do it and you will be rewarded with good miles.

Millis requires you to attend their school which comes with a one year contract and I believe 500 clams down payment. Roehle may or may not depending if you attend their program or come with an acceptable CDL school program already completed. Having your CDL Class A prior to hire might be a plus considering your age. 22 is really the minimum from what I've been told. Maturity goes a long way.

In the early stages (prior to going solo) get as much training as possible. There are private CDL schools in your area that will at least give you the basics plus attain a CDL Class A level license. Either way, you have to pay someone to get your certificate. Keep in mind that it will NOT guarantee you a driving job.

Getting into this industry requires tenacity and a clean driving record. Staying in it is a whole different topic.

If you can't hack a one year on contract, it's best to not even consider this profession, contract or not. Sometimes a contract will "keep you in the game" in the beginning and believe me when I say there are days when you will quit a dozen times, at least in your head. A contract just might prevent you from doing it and after awhile you start settling into a groove. Quiting a first year driving job less than one year into it may prevent you from getting hired by another carrier. Not having a contract is always best but you will have to really work at finding a carrier to accept you. Gordon Trucking (GTI) is another one that comes to mind since I see their trucks in the midwest allot these days.

One year OTR is a must as a minimum career goal. In this economy it's probably more like 2 or 3.

Fresh out of school, some don't even make it with their road trainer and depending on the company, it could be from 4 to 12 weeks out or more. The bigger carriers like Swift and Werner might seem like a sausgage grinder to a newbie. They all will to some degree but if you have a good can-do attitude, you have a better chance with a small to medium carrier. They need you more than a big three head monster will, if you follow me here.

Disposable Driver Syndrome (DDS) is still alive and well but there are better first year carriers that actually want you to succeed. Again, choose wisely. Do your research, call recruiters, be prepared with quality questions, etc. Ask them what they require and be will to sell your attributes one the phone. It might help lift your application out of the stack and I imagine those stacks are piled high right now.

It's not a vacation on 18 wheels. Far from it. It abnormal to everything you know. Hauling grain off the farm is good experience (if you did such a thing) but it is nothing like over the road driving.

Life can sometimes be boring as hell, like on a farm, but I can't think of a more honest way of life. We need good farmers more than we need drivers. Just sayin' and your not missing much outside your state. Take a road trip in your car if you want to see somewhere or something. The farm might look pretty good after a few weeks out.

Good luck to whatever you decide. It is up to you.........

 

If you haven't recently seen, look at Arrow Trucking out of Tulsa, OK. Truckin' is so far on the down and out right now that these people closed their door's with no notice. Left their driver's stranded all over the country to fend for themselves. That kinda scares the #### out of me come to think about. Make's me ask myself, will the next company I go to work for do the same?

 

Didn't SNI quit training?

 

I wanna be a trucker. Will truck driving be the life for me?