Need Advice on School / Training Funding

I know where you guys are coming from, sure. I used to drive, and there was nothing like loading up on a long weekend and hitting the road for days with no phone calls and no alarm clocks.

But, again, I used to drive, and I know what driving is like on most days. I'd do that 60K job until I could retire, and then I'd sell my house and about every other possession of value, buy an RV, and hit the road THAT way. That is about the only way you'll get true freedom day-in and day-out.

 

I have a four-year degree that needs to take me farther. Will that do? Hey, I love guns, so I know I'd do well at that cherry job you're about to leave.

Sounds like you really want to do this, Newbie, so jump on it. Be careful, though. I know I don't have to tell you about all the minefields that will be in front of you when you start. From choosing a training mill or mode, to choosing a company, to enduring a trainer and training, there are mines all over the place just waiting for your naive, clueless behind to step on them. Research the info here so you won't be naive or clueless. Make only the BEST decisions--decisions that require a lot of information if you don't have connections (which most don't). Do your homework and you can make this work out. If you don't, you'll soon be wondering if you need your head examined for leaving the guns behind.

Best of luck, Newbie.

 

You're well on your way. I'd go with dry box at first. Reefer is too aggravating for a new driver. After about your third grocery warehouse, you'll be longing for that gunsmith job. Take it from a guy who's been there.....if you go reefer you will be disrespected at a grocery dock more than you've ever been anywhere. Just keep your cool and don't knock anyone's teeth out, although you'll feel like doing that at least once a week if you run a refrigerator wagon.

Know that some dry box loads do go to these places, but not nearly as much. Delivery schedules with dry loads are also more reasonable than loads on fridges.

With flatbedding, there is tarping and chaining/strapping. I know I wouldn't want to do this, but that's just me. Not all loads require tarps, but at some companies, you'll have to tarp every load. Tarps are heavy and blow around in the wind. Also, breaker bars can snap back at you and break your arm or catch you in the chin. Again, I wouldn't do it for the pay that is available.

Dry box is something you can live with. You'll like that mode more than any other. What I really should say is that you'll dislike the problems you'll enounter with that mode less than the problems with the other two. You'll despise the problems with reefer running, I guarantee it. These problems are why reefer companies beg for drivers so much today in the help-wanteds. The drivers they had yesterday quit 'em because the ######## got too deep.

In trucking, the rule is "Observe the herd." If a group of drivers is leaving a company in droves, you want no part of it. If a company can't keep its drivers and needs to advertise a lot and beg, you want no part of it. If you go to an orientation and the classroom is crowded with sausages or even standing-room-only, you want no part of it. Just walk away and never look back. This is common sense stuff here, but a lot of guys don't think about these things before hiring on at a company. You will be a careful observer, though. We just made sure of that.

But back to your original request: Go cheap on training and/or get a grant to pay for it. Training school costs have been driven sky-high by the government giving everybody and everybody's uncle a grant. You, unfortunately, should do that, too. Don't pay big money for training. It's not justifiable. You're competing with the government here. They pay whatever the schools ask for, meaning YOU will have to pay that, too, if you pay for it yourself. I know I wouldn't do it again.

Best of luck, Newbie. I hope it all works out.