New driver - need advice

“Aaah the chroist “

 

Find out how much experience the hazmat tanker company requires, then stick with Stevens until you have that much experience.

 

One other idea is Schneider Tanker. If Schneider Tanker is hiring in West Virginia, you might go there with the experience you already have.
Talk to a Schneider recruiter about that.
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Schneider

 

A lot of us are sitting until Monday. That's why I have an Xbox in the bunk for times like this. Also nobody wants to be on the trainer truck. It will end. Hang in there. I'm glad I did!

 

Schneider veteran here....

In case you didn't notice/observe earlier....the CDL job market in many places is in the toilet right now.

Even experienced drivers...with perfect records...are having trouble finding work.

Most hazmat tanker gigs of late will require (on paper, at least):

• One year (or more) of CDL-A driving experience
• Tanker endorsement
• Hazmat endorsement
• Many of them also will want you to have a "TWIC" card (Google it -- if you need to)

Some food for thought:

• If you leave a carrier in the middle of OTR training for another -- do you really think the next one will be that much better? Since you're a brand new rookie -- you'll be back out on another trainer's truck before you know it... doing more/less the same thing.
• If you quit a CDL gig this soon -- how do you think other carriers will view that early exit...later on?

Basically....you are now..."paying your dues"...in your early days of trucking.

When I first went out with my trainer -- yeah...you guessed it...it wasn't pleasant or fun for me, either. The truck stop food generally wasn't very healthy then, as well.

To maximize your job prospects going forward -- you need to "embrace the suck" (as they say in the military)...& stick it out where you are...for at least 12 months.

Longer than that...is of course even better.

I stayed with Schneider for almost 2 years...before moving on.

In hindsight -- I'm sure glad I stuck around.

BTW: Schneider tanker is no utopia, either. It's very regimented. You will feel like you have joined the military. Better places to start off in the tanker world would include (but are not limited to):

• KAG (Keenan Advantage Group)
• Foodliner
• Indian River Transport

But those carriers want at least a year previous of CDL experience from elsewhere.

-- L

 

Get a year then go somewhere else. It's important to understand not even a good job is fun 24/7. You're going to be paid to move freight not drive after all problems have been fixed before you get involved. EVERYONE wants to quit sometime during training.