More Newbie Questions

First post, I like this site and have learned a lot so far. I am from west Michigan and I will start class in a week or so. I am nervous that I will have a hard time finding work. I have pre-hire letters from Swift, Covenant, and Cr England. I do not really want to work for any of these companies. Does anybody know of smaller companies in Michigan or surrounding states that are hiring recent grads right now?

Also should I wait till I get my CDL in my hand to apply or go ahead and apply all over the place even though I don't have it just yet?

Thanks for all the help.

 

Keep looking for companies.. that is for sure...

 

Thanks, I hear all the horror stories from the companies I got letters for and if I can find something else that is half way decent then that is what I want. But were I live seems to be the problem. Anybody have suggestions?

 

It depends on what you're looking for, over the road, local, team etc.. but I would try calling companies you see driving around and delivering in the area you live in. Sometimes the bigger companies are where you have to go to get your start, but I would try to find what all is out there and go with a smaller company in your area if they will take you right out of school. Good luck!

 

I like working for Swift.

Hush monkeyman! I get to say I like it cause I do.

 

Yeah, they have tow trucks on speed dial...

 

And how many times did you say you've been stuck monkey man? hmmmmmmmmmmmm?

*looks through the yellow pages for "monkey cages"*

 

Please stack all your prehires in the restroom, where they are most useful. Thank You !!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

You can download "trucking companies" in your area and start with that list. Of course you'll need to edit the list because it will list everything. Download companies and not jobs because if you download jobs you'll get all the bottom feeders. I recommend that you go and see the terminal and talk to the people. If you call you'll get the standard answer that they don't hire. I would always say we are not hiring because the way I looked at it if you were too lazy to come and talk to me then I don't need you as a drivers. You also gain other vauable information by seeing the operation yourself. I would wear a pair of shoes out before I'd go to a recruiter. Then if you have to fall back on the recruiter then you know you gave it your best shot. You never know until you go out and see if a company would hire you or not. You may get lucky and that very day a driver walked off the job for some stupid reason and they might say "yeah, we've got a driver right here".

 

I dont know where around here you are but the only one i can think of in this are that did anything with new drivers is Gainey for OTR, might want to try Sprinter, Zip, and ALS also.