Just got pre-approved from Gordon

Gordon was recently bought out by Heartland Express. I have never worked for either of those companies but I always thought of Gordon as one of the better companies. Again that is not from my personal experiences. As to your expected pay. Figure you will average 2200 miles per week for the first year. Also figure you will average .33 cpm with their structure. That is 726 a week over 52 weeks which is $37,752. That is a low ball figure that can be counted on without you running yourself to death.

You also will be getting benefits as well as their part of the social security taxes paid. Some don't pay that and give you a 1099 so your cost to the company is an extra 4,000 or so. You will not get rich your first year in trucking.

But your second year........you might win the powerball.

 

$9.32/hr. Even In N Out burger pays more during training LOL

I'm not trying to be a douchebag, you live in a good area, I'm sure some guys here will come and point you in a better direction. Best of luck to you.

 

No sleep apnea testing at GTI. Hair Folicle for drugs so if you've partaken in the last 3-6 months you're grandmother better get sick. Not sure about training or training pay, I've got some years behind me. Orientation they will send you for another DOT physical. Doesn't matter if you have one already or not. The trainers at GTI are trained themselves and closely monitored to ensure quality so you're good there. Biggest benefit to GTI is equipment. You will have a Cascadia with an APU and inverter. Trucks aren't put together cheap, driver comfort in mind. So far with GTI you'll be OK, as for when Heartland really starts sinking their teeth in, who knows. Good luck.

 

I finished orientation two weeks ago. The physical is thorough; they do both hair and urine tests, so come with some hair! I'm bald, so the RN had to shave a large portion of my chest to get enough. The sleep study is only given if an individual meets the requirements for sleep apnea; Gordon's standards are higher than the FMCSR and I'm not a candidate, so I don't know what, exactly, they are, but I do know two fellows in my orientation class had to do sleep studies because they met the requirements. Your weight and neck size are the primary indicators, so you might have to do one. You will have to foot the bill but you might also get a shorter term med card so you can be put making money; the details will differ by person, so yours will be yours. My advice is not to worry about it and just deal with it at the time.

You will be told that you are only allowed to have one medical card and the FMCSA knows your most recent, so don't think you'll just use the one you now have if there's a problem with your new physical. Gordon is very understanding but will not tolerate things like that.

The driving test is a piece of cake, really. A few left and right turns around the area was all I had - my orientation was in Indy, but yours will probably be in Pacific, so I can't tell you what you'll have to do.

As for pay, I can't help you at all. My class was made up entirely of experienced drivers and we all were issued trucks at the end of the week.

Gordon is still a great place to work, though it is in transition. I wouldn't spend too much time reading about the Heartland/Gordon differences or you'll go crazy. Decide what you want based on your own research and go with it. The first year as a driver is the most critical, no matter where you work, so pay attention and enjoy it!

Good luck.

 

The only way to get specific answers to specific questions is to start asking their recruiting staff. We can give you some general advice and it's just as likely to be wrong. You don't want to make a decision on any company by what you're told on the Internet, then be disappointed when you get there.

Call them.

 

No worries. That are friendly and will give you the straight answer. In my view, there's really no need to hide it; it's a matter that will have to be addressed and the sooner the better for you.

I wish you you well Gordon is still a good company, though there have been and will be changes.