Please help me choose the right first employer/trainer and city

LoneRanger · May 31, 2022

yamia said: ↑

Hello everyone
43 yo, single male, got my cdl with manual (just to have no restriction, not really into driving it), tanker, double/triple a couple of months ago in Vegas and immediately had to make an overseas travel. Planning to return back to the US in a month (or even earlier) and don't have an accommodation in Vegas anymore, so I have choose the right city to settle and right employer with good training simultaneously.

# My city preference is renting a room somewhere in central/south Florida or south California, preferably with decent public transportation, because I had to sell the car before travel and it may not be a quick decision to buy another one in this bad market. As a single guy renting a room, probably the difference between a cheap or somewhat expensive city should not be more than a few hundred dollars, and I may manage it, if being smart. (I've never been to the Texas, but if it is going to be absolutely good for my career, I may consider it too, but Texas is big, so it matters where in Texas!?)

# My job preference is an organized reliable company, with good trainers who are helpful and not rushing into stuff. I really want to learn to become a professional driver, proceed to much specific types of trucking in the future, and not to burn out and quit like a couple of acquaintances whom left the business due to very bad start. At least for now pay is not a critical factor for me.

The only company I applied so far was Prime which rejected me in less than 24 hours! When I asked them kindly why, they said because I don't have a work history!! This is while I applied as an inexperienced driver needing training, and in the past 3 years that they were asking for my employment history, not much was going on in my life due to pandemic, other than some driving for Uber/Amazon and then being on unemployment and then going to trucking school. I really didn't understand what they were really expecting and somewhat assumed that they rather put their training resources on someone who gets cdl thru them, so they can push them for a year of commitment (Am I right?)

The problem is, now I'm a bit scared that I move back to the US, to the wrong city, commit to the room rent and keep applying to the wrong companies, which either will reject, or I'll end up hating/quitting.

Sorry for long post but your I really need some good advice to stick with.
Click to expand...

Just want to point out the cdl school you graduated from is accredited? Because some of these schools might teach you but companies won’t hire you unless you graduated from specific schools.

Dave_in_AZ · May 31, 2022

yamia said: ↑

Hello everyone
43 yo, single male, got my cdl with manual (just to have no restriction, not really into driving it), tanker, double/triple a couple of months ago in Vegas and immediately had to make an overseas travel. Planning to return back to the US in a month (or even earlier) and don't have an accommodation in Vegas anymore, so I have choose the right city to settle and right employer with good training simultaneously.

# My city preference is renting a room somewhere in central/south Florida or south California, preferably with decent public transportation, because I had to sell the car before travel and it may not be a quick decision to buy another one in this bad market. As a single guy renting a room, probably the difference between a cheap or somewhat expensive city should not be more than a few hundred dollars, and I may manage it, if being smart. (I've never been to the Texas, but if it is going to be absolutely good for my career, I may consider it too, but Texas is big, so it matters where in Texas!?)

# My job preference is an organized reliable company, with good trainers who are helpful and not rushing into stuff. I really want to learn to become a professional driver, proceed to much specific types of trucking in the future, and not to burn out and quit like a couple of acquaintances whom left the business due to very bad start. At least for now pay is not a critical factor for me.

The only company I applied so far was Prime which rejected me in less than 24 hours! When I asked them kindly why, they said because I don't have a work history!! This is while I applied as an inexperienced driver needing training, and in the past 3 years that they were asking for my employment history, not much was going on in my life due to pandemic, other than some driving for Uber/Amazon and then being on unemployment and then going to trucking school. I really didn't understand what they were really expecting and somewhat assumed that they rather put their training resources on someone who gets cdl thru them, so they can push them for a year of commitment (Am I right?)

The problem is, now I'm a bit scared that I move back to the US, to the wrong city, commit to the room rent and keep applying to the wrong companies, which either will reject, or I'll end up hating/quitting.

Sorry for long post but your I really need some good advice to stick with.
Click to expand...

Go to Schneider. You'll get good training.

I always tell people besides just wanting to learn to drive and survive the training, where do you want to be as a professional driver in 3 years?

Consider that. Don't jump around for the first year. And you'll be ok.

You're not going to be home a lot. I'd pick Florida or Texas or Nevada that has no state income tax.

May The OM be with you.

tscottme · May 31, 2022

Almost any company that hires newbies will use the "trainer" as a cheap team. Take enough time off between getting your CDL and going to work and lots of trucking companies will require you o back to school for a refresher course. I don't know why so many newbies finish CDL school and then go do something else. I always recommend newbies find the place they want to work, because they know enough about the pay and conditions, and then go to CDL school. At least you didn't get your CDL 5 years ago, and immediately start working in some other industry and then try to get into trucking.

DRTDEVL · May 31, 2022

SD also has no state income tax, and is generally a cheaper place to live than the others mentioned.

yamia · Jun 1, 2022

LoneRanger said: ↑

Just want to point out the cdl school you graduated from is accredited? ...
Click to expand...

Thnx, yes it is an accredited well known one in Vegas and I have 160 hours training certificate from them.

yamia · Jun 1, 2022

Dave_in_AZ said: ↑

Go to Schneider. You'll get good training.

I always tell people besides just wanting to learn to drive and survive the training, where do you want to be as a professional driver in 3 years?

Consider that. Don't jump around for the first year. And you'll be ok.

You're not going to be home a lot. I'd pick Florida or Texas or Nevada that has no state income tax.

May The OM be with you.
Click to expand...

Thnx, I'll apply to Schneider too but probably in next couple of weeks that I'm back in states too. I don't want to burn my options because I'm not available there, just in case they want me to do drug test immediately.

Chinatown · Jun 1, 2022

Go with a company that does urine test.
I think USA Truck and Stevens Transport still do just urine test.
`
Can Google or Bing and find out usually.
"Does XYZ Trucking do urine or hair follicle drug test?"

yamia · Jun 1, 2022

@Chinatown Sorry, did not really understand.
I don't mind any type of drug test any time (I don't even drink alcohol or smoke, let alone doing drug!) but the problem is I am not there in the US right now, in case they want me to visit a lab for any kind of test. I realized that I better get my ticket and return back to the states ASAP and settle somewhere, before continuing to apply more jobs. I will be educating myself and research about jobs and companies as much as I can in the next couple of weeks, so I don't waste more time after getting back to the states. Just in the past 24 hours, I learned lots of things in a couple of forums like this one, and they totally changed my plans! I was soooo illiterate about trucking industry

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