Pay and training

I remember when the Commodities failed in about the 1994 late period. We were in Shingles and also Paper Products.

Our fleet of flatbeds sat three days while BIG COrporate and Industry Captians made decisions on how much freight they want to buy and pay for and when. DM Bowman as a fleet in Frederick Maryland endured many trucks sitting that week.

Ultimately the construction and Industry kept asking for freight such as Shingles etc

For actually considering parking the truck and going home? That happened once as a question posed to us the week of 9-11 when we were told the Payroll People were destroyed. We are welcome to sit home Unemployment benefits until phone rings.

No Boss, let's go back and get more of that Medicine to run, we have savings to tide us.

Whatever our enemies tried to do us, they did NOT get to stop that 18 wheeler from rolling. Eventually the money was taken care of to the penny. No BS.

Too often in bad trucking companies, I would just quit when recognize that the miles for the loads at a working rate is not sufficient to support me, or support the Company. Im usually the first to bail. PARTICULARLY when someone in the Office challenges my fueling 300 gallons or whatever it may be. Im out. You can walk on some one about that It's not me.

 

BINGO.

Also DO NOT fall for the recruiter in school. They promise Heaven and Ease etc with mountains of money along the way. Many are the clueless who follow those pied pipers.

 

Smart of you to get your license on your own, not the terrible training you would get from a lowball trucking company.
Once you get a job, every company will have their own ideas as for training you, and what you will be paid while training. I am training a lady on low bedding heavy equipment at this very moment. Because of her past experience, and time already working for me driving fuel tanker pays $30.50 hour, and on gravel trucks she makes $31.50 / hour no matter what she is doing with it. Training she makes the lowest amount on her individual pay scale, including training now, not all drivers make the same base pay with me. But once she has sufficient training and I feel comfortable sending her to haul equipment alone, she will make $40.50 when doing heavy haul work, and $30.50 for time in tanker, and still $31.50 in gravel truck. She gets an automatic $0.50 a year raise, on all types of work. That is how I specifically structure paying my drivers, and I changed it as of January 2019, it was slightly different before that. Again each company has their own policy on it, so it depends on where you land.

 

Plenty of good companies to choose from for Nebraska drivers right out of school.
Redbone Trucking hires new cdl school grads and has a team FedEx run out of Sydney.

 

Jim Palmer Trucking and Wilson Logistics have their own cdl school in Missoula, Montana.
Both companies are owned by the same person.
Jim Palmer is refrigerated and Wilson Logistics is dry van.
.

 

Private school is a good option also and many companies will reimburse the tuition back to you.
That's a question you can ask when you contact companies, but I wouldn't let tuition reimbursement be a deal breaker for an opportunity with a decent company.
Here's some that hire new cdl school grads from Nebraska:
Butler Transport
National Carriers
Keim TS
Melton Truck Lines
Freymiller - www.drive4freymiller.com - click on "Recent Graduates"
Dot Transportation - www.drivefordot.com - terminal in Omaha
Decker Truck Line - local/OTR - reefers/flatbeds
SRT - up to $6K tuition reimbursement

 

I didn't think to add this earlier but Schneider also reimburses CDL school tuition even if you paid out of pocket. You just have to show proof / amount of payment, essentially show them your paid tuition bill. The reimbursement is paid @ $200/mo starting after the first 30 days of full employment.

 

The Schneider info is just about spot on pay starts at 45cpm for new drivers despite what you were told unless former military. 2cent raises every 3months starting when you get your truck. And up to .04 cpm with the 5 point fuel bonus system.(1point days worked, 1fueling at route fuel solution, 3points mpg)
You only get the bonus at 3points so 3=2cpm 5=4cpm. Any accident negates the fuel bonus.
Truck governed at 62-63

 

Just depends where you go as stated, CRST will initially pout you with a trainer for like 4 weeks, probably similar at the other driver mills, SWIFT calls them mentors but there the same thing.
Yes they pay you a reduced rate to start with, somewhere in the 450 to 600 dollar range, slight bump when you get off the trainers truck.
Somewhere around the 6 month point get out of there to a better paying job, For instance bulk companies here in Socal will pay you at 6 months the same as a veteran driver, I believe the US Mail Contractor do also, and there in the 22.00 +Health and Welfare another 5.00 per hour till you get your insurance, per hour and up range.
Hanging out at the driver mill past 6 months (or contract time) is a waste of your time and income potential.