Get PTL to have a trainer call you and ask trainer to describe the training program & what to bring with you in the truck.
I was with them briefly last year. Pay was 43cpm for me then. I had to go out with a trainer for a refresher. The first trainer they gave me was literally fired as a trainer before we could even leave the terminal in Murray. The second trainer was pretty cool. We didn't do any team driving. After completing the refresher, they kept trying to assign me trucks with close to 500,000 miles on them, which I kept refusing. Breakdown pay was $50 per day, and I wasn't about to put myself in a situation where I could run out of money on the road because of chronic equipment failure. I ended up getting a rental car and drove home. They offered me one more truck assignment after I got home, but it was another high mileage one, so I declined and that was the end of my time with them. If you have any specific questions, feel free to ask.
You gotta start somewhere. Learn what you can. First job is not last job for most. But some learn to fit very well
Unless things have changed you get upgraded to 1st seat (assuming you pass an upgrade test) after 7500 miles with a trainer or 2500 if you are a refresher. No one is forced to team after being upgraded and your first week with a trainer should be at most a super solo truck.
Thanks man this is the answer I've been waiting for.... The new hire paperwork was confusing to me thanks for the clarification bro
There are definitely worse companies to work for, especially as a new driver in this market. As a side note, I loved the fact that the space in their trucks where a refrigerator cabinet would normally be is left empty except for a floor-mounted strap to secure your own refrigerator if you buy one. There's enough room for a dorm fridge, which would be awesome for OTR. Most trucks have a useless cabinet with just enough space for a tiny fridge designed by the manufacturer, which many companies don't even provide. I asked my next company if they would just pull that cabinet out after the fridge they supplied died and they wouldn't fix it, but they refused. It might not sound like much, but little things like that can mean a lot on the road.
On the topic of being worse companies to work for yeah I learned that the hard way ..I was originally going to western express after graduation... Long story short I learned fast the recruiters are full of ####. Anyway it all worked out for the best. Hopefully PTL will work out as in a new driver that needs experience. I'm not expecting much from them , at this point a job in a seat will do.
If you were to ask me what PTL’s biggest plus is I think I’d have to say the pass smart ha. Something so small as being able to kick it up to 70 and get around the hordes of carriers at 65 or a little extra juice getting up a hill makes all the difference in the driving staying enjoyable. On the rare occasion I run out (only get 30 minutes) before my shift is done its like torture. No way I’d work for a company without it.
