Recruiters

Approach with caution, ask about pay, pay increases, hometime,and that home time is at home not home terminal, time out on runs,detention pay. Make a list of all your questions so you don't forget any. Good luck

 

Super E I'm an OTR driver trainer and I can tell you live in one of the best locations to be an OTR driver right on the I-95 corridor in NC.

As a student you want know if your driver trainer will be in the passenger seat or in the bunk when your driving. Most companies do what is called team train, which means you are just some smuck the pay slave rate for while the trainer is paid all the miles the truck rolls and you learn nothing other than a hatred for team driving.

My company runs solo miles and every mile the student is in the seat I'm in the passenger seat. This is better cause then I can educate the trainee about how to make a living on the road, how to live on the road, and help address issues that come up during training that are far to numerous to even begin to name. All I receive is a flat rate fee while you are in the truck and bonus if you pass the company test the first time.

Ask you will be able to have home time during your training. My company doesn't say they will allow you home time but normally it works out at least once during the training period.

Most companies will have you come at their expense via bus to one of their locations to be tested, processed, and do some training on their yard which some companies refer to as orientation or pre-employment screening.

Ask:
how long it is?
if you are paid during this time?
when you expect to receive that pay?
are meals provided during this time frame?
where will you be housed during this time frame?
will you have to share a room with someone?
who pays for the housing?
if the all this runs in to weekend who pays for housing and meals then?
if after all this there is no trainer available how are paid, the meals provided for, and where do you stay?

There have been some real nightmare stories out there of what trucking companies have done to student drivers.

According to Labor Laws the have to provide you with transportation and accommodations if they want you to travel more than 100 miles for work. The doesn't say what form these are provided in and just because its the law doesn't seem to stop companies from break the law. Even when caught and fined it normally less than a speeding ticket.

I hope that helped and good luck in your search!

 

I agree with Critters, make a list of questions you want to know the answers to, you will forget when your on the phone. I am going through the same thing and when your on the phone it's hard to remember everything. I write everything done than I make sure to have there email address and send what I wrote down to confirm. That way I can help keep it all straight.

 

Those are great questions to ask. I'd like to add that I keep my questions on a computer screen in front of me while I talk to recruiters. I type much faster than I write and can actually read my notes after a phone call....

 

Good info in here, definitely will be using this later.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Here are some more questions to ask about what happens once you finish OTR training:

How much will you be paid once your solo?

How soon will you be able to be sent home for home time. Some companies have come to their yard for 2-6 weeks before they put you with an OTR trainer, then have you on the road training 4-8 weeks, and then make you drive another 1-3 weeks before they send you home. that's a long time.

When do you qualify for benefits? Is it for the day you arrived at the yard or is it 90 days after you are assigned your own truck? If they it is from the date of hire or sometime frame from the date of hire, ask what they call a "Date of Hire". Some companies your date of hire is the day your assigned your own truck and not the day you showed up at the yard. Don't be afraid to push the question.

Do they offer tuition payback? If so what is their maximum pay back? Pay back range form $1,000 to $10,000. Also ask how that pay back is paid out? Some companies pay it to the trucking school or FASFA directly. Others pay it back directly to the driver in weekly amounts or in one lump sum after you complete some amount of time with the company. If there is a pay back or not there are different tax issues to consider and all that is based on how old you are, vet status, if you own a home or not, weather or not you have been laid-off or lost your job due to NAFTA or some kind of disaster, etc. So if you never used an accountant before find one you will need one once you have your CDL.

When can you expect a raise? Some companies use your date of hire and other use the day you own truck as the your starting point. Some companies move you up 3 months at time for first year and others only move you up once a year.

Ask if they require you work in a certain fleet before you can transfer to another? Some companies require you work in same their National/OTR fleet for a period of time before they allow you transfer to their Regional fleet, dedicated fleet/account, LTL Div., or in some cases haul different equipment all together like van, flatbed, refer, tanker, etc. which might have better home time, pay, or some other benefit.

 

What I love is when a Recruiter or a Company ad will proudly boast that the average pay per driver was X amount.....from 2-3 years ago! If you can make sure you research the company on the SMS site at look at their safety scores per area. I have had some really good phone calls and then I look at their safety scores and they are across the threshold on 2 or more items. 9 times out of 10 it is HOS related and Equipment maintenance. This can give you a critical eye on how they operate, especially if they are a small company. One of the last places I looked at had nothing but violations on the 14 hour rule and almost all of their equipment violations were tire and brakes. And both scores were in the 90's.