Retiring Military Interested in Trucking Career

The type trailer depends on the company . The bigger flatbed and tanker companies only pull that type trailer . Flatbed freight seems to be the slowest . Tanker seems to be showing the least decrease .
The background check for hazmat costs $115 but good carriers will reimburse you for it .
TWIC is required for drivers entering ports . http://www.tsa.gov/what_we_do/layers/twic/index.shtm
Let us know what part of the country you want to operate out of and we can advise you better . For example , hopper bottom to feed mills run a lot of the midwest . Those carriers are smaller and often good to work for .

 

How are you feeling, Rick?

 

I often wonder with our current commander in chief how some in the military would feel about serving under him. I've got a friend who's an E7 in the Army, and he's just trying to bide his time to get his 20 and get out. He's got 5 more years, however. He was just recently made aware that he should be E7(P) after he makes another tour in either Iraq or Afghanistan.

This entire website is a great place to start your research, especially since you are still pulling duties and may not be readily able to spend some time at a truck stop talking to current drivers. There are several threads that you will find all kinds of information within them. Also, you've started this thread on your own that people have happily chimed in to provide answers to your questions.

As Rick said, the type of freight and equipment you will operate as a driver depends on which company you choose to work for. As an example, Maverick Transportation is an all flatbed company, whereas KLLM Transport is an all reefer company. Some of the larger companies (e.g. Schneider National, Werner, Roehl, JB Hunt, and Swift) dabble in multiple areas of freight. Schneider does both dry van as well as tanker and I believe they still have some regional flatbed work that may or may not be available to you depending on where you live. Those companies that have more than just one specific type of freight and associated equipment may be able to offer you a choice depending on where you live and which division they are needing drivers in the most.

I wish I could point you in a direction regarding security clearances in trucking. I've personally not had any direct or associated experience in this endeavor. As far as who to talk to from this point on, as I said this website is a great place to gather some information. Another avenue you might try is going to your local truck stop and asking any truck driver that's willing to talk to you. You will find that most truck drivers are happy to chat with anyone, since this is a lonely lifestyle. However, because of the lifestyle involved in trucking there are quite a few loners out here as well that may not be quite so helpful.

Your years in the Corps surely has provided you with enough experience to be able to sort through the bovine excrement and determine which advice is sound and which is better left to go in one ear and out the other. In other words, you're very likely to find a lot of nonsense out here from people who will make you realize that they're only alive simply because it's illegal to kill them.

 

I'm feeling great but not happy the doctor won't let me go back to work before the scheduled check up March 30 . I drove 50 miles each way yesterday for my background check for hazmat renewal .

 

Glad to hear it. I went and renewed my license Wednesday. The old one expires tomorrow. Gave up my CDL & everything.

 

One thing you can do is swing by the TMO wharehouse on your base and find out what companies currantly have the movers contracts. Military contracts equal good money for O/O. The difference is the van drivers like to stay clean and pretty, sitting in their heated/ a/c cabs well us flatbedders are out in the elements getting greasy. I have done both but prefer flats= generally you hang out with a better class of drivers

 

The slow housing market has really hurt the moving industry . I doubt there is much opportunity there . I do know a hotshotter that is qualified and gets quite a few military loads .

 

The biggest problem your going to face with buying your own truck and starting your own business is the insurance companies.. Most insurance companies want at least 1 year of experiance to even lease on to a company.. Having no "verifiable" interstate experiance is definately going to hurt you.

Starting out is tough.. most go the CDL driving school route, then off to some "mega carrier" for their training program.. Where your gonna get thrown in with some knucklehead with 6 months experiance himself who thinks he's a trainer now....

While your with a trainer most companies pay you a salery.. (A verry WEAK salery..$250 - $300 week, you'll spend 1/2 of that eating and on other stuff on the road..) A lot of "students" starve during this process. Once you get through training your assigned a truck and off you go solo..

Just starting up a trucking company in these tough times are not for the squeemish or inexperianced.. It's a dog eat dog business that'll chew you up and spit you out and leave you broke & with screwed up credit. It will do it in the blink of an eye.. Not to mention it takes lots of $$ ( 10-15% down for a truck.. $4-5k for down payments on insurance and filing fees to get your own authority, $2000 + for registration / permits.. then there is the maintaince reserve.. for those emergency breakdowns.. ) and you must have some contacts already developed before going into business. You will never make it living off the internet load boards alone.. You have to have some sort of repoure with someone that'll be your "meat and potatoes"..

As a former marine here I had to throw my 2 cents worth into the conversation.. I am a O/O leased to a large specialized carrier.. If I can help ask away with some more questions and I'll try my best.. The security clearances will come in handy but doing those type of loads always require a team, satalite system with panic button, and lotsa paperwork and seniority as a rule.. rookies arn't started off doing these for obvious reasons. The DOE link was somthing looked into.. If I wasn't over their age limit I would have done that route.. I found out about them too late in my career..

Semper Fi...

 

Great advise.... I personally think, you should stay in for a few more years.

3rd Ranger Batt.
B/Co.
88' - 92'
"Rangers Lead the Way"

 

You really need to take advantage of your military experience . Check on civil service jobs that will add more to your retirement . I had a cousin in the USAF that was a fireman for years on a crash crew at Kadena . When he got out he got a civilian job as a fireman at an Army base . Look at other than OTR . You can do a lot better . State employment agencies have Veteran's agents to assist you . You lose a lot of benefits being self employed .