School, or trained by first job?

Pick a carrier that you think you might like to join -- then call recruiting & ask what CDL schools in your area they visit for new drivers.

Another method -- visit the CDL school you're considering.

While there -- you will likely see brochures, business cards, etc...from carriers that hire from that school.

But of course -- other carriers will likely honor a CDL from there, as well.

-- L

 

How do I know a school is accredited and who does it have to be accredited by? BBB? A special US agency? And how can I confirm it officially?

 

Call/email EVERY trucking company you are interested in and ask them if they accept graduates from the specific school you would attend. Your primary interest should be finding the job and trucking company that will let you work the way that fits your needs. Knowing which type of trucking fits your needs requires you to know a LOT of specifics about you and your needs, then researching companies that operate that way and working for one of them. Too many times I think newbies think trucking companies are so happy to hire anyone they will adjust everything at the company to make the driver stay. No company changes much of anything to keep a driver. You need to have specifics in mind about how often you get home (no just I want to get home often, how often, how long, etc). You need to have a good idea of what type of freight you want to pull, dry van is easiest, flatbed requires more physical work but the schedule can be more flexible, reefer runs a lot of nights. You need to know what trucking company terminals are near where you live and if you are expected to park the truck at the terminal or at your home. Parking at the terminal is best because it gives company time to do maintenance when you are at home instead of sitting for hours is some crappy truck stop while mechanics work on your truck and NOT GETTING PAID. You need to know your financial requirements to be gone as much as the job requires or the schedule if you are hoping for a home daily job. Imagine someone saying "I am hungry, where should I eat for the next year?" That's what picking a company to work at means. It means you limit yourself to what they already provide and you will work under the conditions they already provide.

The best source of info about the company are the drivers that work there right now doing the type of work you will be hired to do. Make the trucking company give your contact info to a current driver doing the job their hire newbies to do and have that driver contact you. If you are too shy o do that and you do like 99% of new drivers and confine your research to online only you will limit your choices to about 5 huge companies that hire thousands and replace thousands of drivers every year. Don't bother asking recruiters questions, they don't know or care what the answers are and will tell you whatever seems best to get you to work for the company regardless of truth. I'd google what trucking companies have terminals in about a 30-60 minute drive from your house and talk to them first and only expand to other companies once all of the nearby companies tell you no or you rule them out.

 

Google FMCSA Clearinghouse and follow the instructions. EVERY CDL driver getting hired by a motor carrier has to register at the Clearinghouse, IIRC. It's free.

 

BBB is worthless. It means nothing. If it's accredited that just means SOME trucking companies can hire their drivers, probably.

 

do you guys know which ones of these will be kind of regional near California? Or do they all take you around the whole country? What do you guys think about KKW trucking? They are regional mostly about 13 states on the west coast

 

KKW is a small, mostly regional fleet that has about 400 tractors & 1,300 trailers.

It certainly does NOT fit the typical definition of a "mega".

You can probably go to KKW as a new driver, get some worthwhile training....& do ok, for the most part.

But...as a new(er) driver.....if you do something stupid, & screw up -- their insurance company may well write a check for it -- & then insist that they fire you.

Whereas...with one of those large fleets (examples shown above) -- given the same circumstances -- you would much more likely keep your job (since they are self-insured).

-- L

 

OK. So are all the mega carriers gonna have me going around the whole country including New York and Florida and I will be out on the road for weeks or months?

 

It could happen. Weeks? Probably. Months? Possibly.

 

Another often-overlooked advantage of the "megas" -- they usually have a lot of accounts with a lot of different customers.

Some will be regional -- & some will be true OTR work.

Bottom line answer -- it just depends -- on the carrier you talk to, & the freight (& job openings) they have at that same point in time.

NOT ALL "mega" fleet freight is (only) OTR.

-- L