Interested in becoming a truck driver! Any advice/guidance on schools/companies?

Yea, I love the commercials you used to see on the tube, "get paid to see the world." I laugh when I see these, they make it sound easy and the best thing since sliced bread. It is not as easy as it seems, there is a lot of BS today. With all the regs and just plain BS it is not as easy as it once was. Do your research, know what to expect.

 

I will offer my 2 cents: I was not much older than you when I got into trucking 22. Now 7 years later what do I have to show for it? I'm fat, don't have 2 nickels to rub together, and a slave. Yes there have been some pluses like I discovered the US and that's it. I foolishly left the HVAC field for this against the advice of my dad and it turns out he was right. And with you having a wife at home forget it. Like others have mentioned the pukes in Washington DC are always looking for ways to make our profession more difficult and they get their way every time it seems . We have no say in how we do our jobs even though we know best how to do it. Do yourself and family a favor and pick a different profession.

 

Great advice. I started at a company training (@ CRST-- AVOID AT ALL COSTS). I prepaid for the training so I wouldn't have a contract but I washed out of the training. (Only got half of my money back -- others who washed out or got fed up ended up paying/owing $3-4,000+ because of the contract. Getting washed out of their training was like losing my ticket to sail on the Titanic in a poker game!)
Went to a local community college after that and got my CDL. The difference -- the company training focuses on washing you out. If you make it > good. If you don't> oh, well! Either way --the company doesn't lose -- you do. The community college, by contrast, focuses on doing what it takes to get you thru the process successfully. You can get loans and I found my school worked with me at all levels. Best thing that could have happened to me. Good luck.

 

Recruiters will down right lie to you in your face,and not care.

 

Sorry I'm a bit confused.... you want to be an over the road truck driver but need to find local training? You do know as an over the road driver you typically be gone for 6-8 weeks at a time with 2-3 days off in between, right?

Whatever you do, do not go the route of your friend that just got scammed for leasing a truck. Especially a brand new one! Whatever your decision drive as a company driver for at least a year until you have some experience. Leasing is for the inexperienced drivers that don't know any better and get tricked into it. They are lured by fast talking recruiter who dangles a shiny truck in front of them! Once you have some experience you will realize that leasing those trucks is a very bad idea!

You also mentioned you had a new bride... before you sign up for school make sure you guys draw up some kind of prenup because your chances of divorce are going to be very likely. Even more so due to your age. It will get old after awhile you having to pay for her and her boyfriend while you are out driving around the country for weeks on end.

Being 21 its going to be very tough landing a job out there, especially with one of the mega-carriers. This maybe to your advantage though. You just maybe forced to go with a smaller company. Your in luck though because your success rate will be much higher with the smaller companies.

I was in the same exact position as yourself at your age and if I can save anyone from making the same decision I did back then, I will do my best! There are too many other options out there and too many other good schools and careers to go into. Save the truck driving option for when you are an old man and have no other options!

 

I sometimes wonder why there any drivers left on the road,here a new guy looks for advice and they get more flack then then good advice.You have love driving to do this JOB,be flexible,work hard,open minded.If you can do these you will be fine,not every one is out 6-8 weeks.

 

Get a college degree or start a landscaping company , you'll do
far better. If the landscaping
business grows buy a bigger tru ck. Your young and could do ok intrucking but this would be my last choice at your age.