Hello all I will be attending Tennessee Truck Driving School in June and from there starting with Stevens Transport. Can anyone give me a few pointers on the school and the company? All help is appreciated I'm fairly new with just my CDL permit; I have limited training mostly in Nyc on local roads and highways. Thanks in advance.
Look at the Stevens thread. Good training but awful pay, stay the year and move on. Stevens is a training company and are set up that way. The pay is low because they don't want you to stay too long, you are occupying a seat that a trainee needs. With a trainee comes Government money for Stevens.
keep ur record clean of tickets amd or accidents, or you wont be moving on to a better company. these companies like to get drivers frustrated an thats when that stuff happens, then ur stuck. lawyer up if u get any tix regardless of how it happens.
This is the truth. Fight every single ticket you get period. I've kept my cdl clean for over 20 years that way. Hell I'm fighting a speeding ticket as we speak. I'd rather pay a lawyer than pay a court.
Stevens has a reputation of nice trucks and low miles. Also, reefer freight is more of a hassle for the driver than dry van. But the best company is often the company near your home or the company about which you know the most, or know current drivers working for them. Whatever you do consider staying with that first company about a year and leaving, no matter what, on good terms. The most extensive research in the world will not tell you half as much as 1 month of work with that company. The best researched company may well turn out to not fit you. Some things about this job cannot be learned except by experience. Most new drivers SEVERLY UNDERESTIMATE getting home either frequently or for long enough to keep their family or their mind happy. I know I did. I was single with no apparent reason to get home or spend time at home. After 1 year I RAN back to a job I RAN AWAY from just to live like a normal person. Then I ran to a better driving job. Good luck.
Thanks for all the kind words and support, I will keep everyone up to date with my journey ahead. If anyone else has any input please let me know.
