Need to interview drivers

Discussion in 'Questions From New Drivers' started by MBAngel, Jul 19, 2018.

  1. MBAngel

    MBAngel Medium Load Member

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    Hey truckers, I am applying for a grant to go to cdl school. They have requested that I interview 3 drivers. If you'd like to volunteer, you can message me. Yes, some of these are easily answered by reading this forum, but they have requested that I actually interview 3 drivers. Being a good little rule follower, I'd like to hear from 3 of you. Otherwise I need to head over to the TTT on I-10 this weekend. (Try not to roll your eyes, lol, it's a general questionnaire built for all jobs, they just want to make sure I've done my homework and know what I'm getting in to.)

    I hope to be driving drop and pick dry van or tanker loads anywhere in the US, long term otr.

    I will need you name, and the company you work for, and the name of your position.

    The questions are as follows:
    1) Are there jobs in the field?
    A) Within your company?
    B) Within the community? (I live in Tucson, Arizona, but since I am willing to relocate, the community is the USA)
    2) What skills are required?
    3) What training is required?
    4) What certification is required?
    5) If you are a supervisor or manager - From which schools do you hire?
    6) What do you feel are the satisfactions or advantages of the work?
    7) What do you think are the disadvantages or challenges of this type of work?
    8) What is the potential for advancement?
    9) What is the Salary range for entry level?
    Other information you find relevant.

    Other questions they're asking:
    List the kinds of positions you will be able to apply to after training with wage expectation.
    My answer to this would be dry van -$30 to 50k, Tanker - $30 - 60k, or flatbed - $40 to 60k (sound about right?)
    List potential employers (nationally is applicable, need to list up to 6) I like Old Dominion, and SAIA locally, wild boards. I also heard Estes is local to me.

    Thanks so much for your help truckers!
     
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  3. Lab work

    Lab work Medium Load Member

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  4. TheyCallMeDave

    TheyCallMeDave Heavy Load Member

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    So, OP applied for a "grant to go to CDL school, and THEY asked him/her to interview 3 drivers." Makes sense. OP.....care to explain that a bit more? It's like going from the intro to a movie, to the end. How'd you get to this point? Why are you being asked to interview 3 drivers, and who asked you to do so, and who came up with these questions? What is this information being used for? I've never heard of a driving school asking you to go interview random drivers and asking them such questions. Are you being required to be a free data collector so they can pad their stats for prospective new students?
     
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  5. MBAngel

    MBAngel Medium Load Member

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    It's not a driving school.. It's a grant to go to driving school. The company giving me the grant is asking me to interview 3 drivers, so that they know that I know what I'm getting into. Believe me, I've done my own research, here on this forum and other places, and I know the answers to all those questions. But they want 3 living, breathing truckers to give me their own answers. I also have to go tour all 3 driving schools here, instead of just going with the one I chose based on reviews and my tour with them.

    The government has a program that pays for retraining ppl into new careers. Here in Arizona it's called "One Stop". They are who gave me the silly homework, which wouldn't be silly if I hadn't already done the homework.

    The purpose of the homework is for me to do the research to make sure I'll really want to do the career I've picked.
     
  6. TheyCallMeDave

    TheyCallMeDave Heavy Load Member

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    Gotcha, well, alrighty then. Silly is an accurate description considering depending on who you talk to, will shed very different lights on the subject. Someone who hasn't already done some reading, could be swayed unrealistically either direction. The grant folks should of thought that one through. Perhaps they should do their own, realistic investigating and give REALISTIC ideas about what a career in this field holds, vs telling Joe Schmo to "go find 3 drivers, ask them these specific questions, and then come back and let me know if you're interested."
    Good luck.
     
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  7. Lab work

    Lab work Medium Load Member

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    I dont think it is silly if they are gonna pay for training. Is trucking silly?
     
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  8. MBAngel

    MBAngel Medium Load Member

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    Well, it feels silly.. because if you're going to make a career change at my age, you'd have done this kinda research first.
     
  9. TheyCallMeDave

    TheyCallMeDave Heavy Load Member

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    Well one would THINK someone would research a career change, but you'd be surprised how many folks out there don't think that far ahead. I still stand by my statement in my previous post that the grant giving folks need to offer realistic information for prospective drivers to give an accurate description of both the positive and negatives. Just sending random folks to the internet or truck stop to do interviews, could lead to some very unsettling viewpoints, depending on who you end up coming across.
     
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  10. Lab work

    Lab work Medium Load Member

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    I agree but you dont bite the hand that feeds you. During your research have you noticed how many people have problems paying the tuition they agreed after training. This is creating a problem for these companies. Have you researched what type of driving you are interested in?
     
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  11. MBAngel

    MBAngel Medium Load Member

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    Tucson, Arizona
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    The questions are as follows:
    1) Are there jobs in the field? Yes, always, turnover is high, and to quote the news "there's a driver shortage", which is a debated topic on this forum.
    A) Within your company? Depends on the company, but most drivers could probably answer yes to this one.
    B) Within the community? (I live in Tucson, Arizona, but since I am willing to relocate, the community is the USA) See question 1
    2) What skills are required? Hold steering wheel, don't run into things. For reals tho - time management, mapping skills, paperwork recording, good driving record, long term focus.
    3) What training is required?CDL school, and 2 to 12 weeks on the job training with your company.
    4) What certification is required? CDL with hazmat, air brakes, doubles and triples. TWIC card for some jobs, and passport for others.
    5) If you are a supervisor or manager - From which schools do you hire? Easier to ask which schools they won't hire from.
    6) What do you feel are the satisfactions or advantages of the work? Freedom to manage your own time, seeing the country, no boss breathing over your shoulder, gettin it done, being on time, eld.
    7) What do you think are the disadvantages or challenges of this type of work? Dangerous, time limits, hos, eld, traffic, long hours, working at night sometimes... Bad food, lack of exercise is hard on your health.
    8) What is the potential for advancement? From lumper to driver to OO to mega fleet owner... It's as far up as you wanna go.
    9) What is the Salary range for entry level? $35 to 60k depending on who you work for and what you drag around.
    Other information you find relevant. Don't be stupid and lose your license. You can do it too slow a million times and too fast just once. It is what you make it. Megas usually treat you like a piece of equipment...
     
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