So I passed school, got my CDL! But... Everybody wants 2+ yrs exp..

I have been driving for two local companies since the day I graduated in May. About 25% of the driver jobs will not require any driving experience. I am pulling tankers for one part time job, and grain, fertilizer, flat bed with mini-bulk tanks with HazMat for an almost full time job with a local elevator. I run about 1,000 miles a week on average.

I have learned a lot, and now understand why so many companies want you to have one year of experience....cause you are a better driver after one year.

After one year of doing this, I should be able to move up to a full time local fuel delivery job or something similar.

Best of luck to you.

 

to the original poster, you asked "chompi" what is OOIDA and he told you, but i would like to expand on this just a bit, OOIDA is NOT just for owner-operators, but for ALL truck drivers, heck i'd even suspect people working on the loading docks to be members as well.

it's an "organization" in which we can go to and ask for help. they have lawyers that once you are a member, you can email them with questions, as i do frequently in fact. if a person were to someday decide to be an owner-operator of ANY type of truck, OOIDA has lists of companies, lawyers, etc that you can contact for help, many times at a "reduced" rate over what a non-member can pay for.

it costs $45 per year to be a member, and we get discounts at various places too if we show our card.

 

well i don't know about this......i WORKED at Lowe's and i can ASSURE YOU that when there wasn't enough business or home deliveries of wood, sheetrock, or wood stove pellets, my butt HAD to go home early.....EACH DAY...and this IS also a fact that i had to supplement the delivery of yet a second store.....!!

and the bene's.......THEY SUCK........!!!

maybe where YOU live, Lowe's and Home Depot are GREAT........i can whole heartedly tell you "up here".....THEY BLOW.......!!!

it never ceased to amaze me how both companies can sponsor NASCAR at or about $60 MILLION DOLLARS a year.......

yet send home people BEFORE they make 40 hours.....???????????????

please don't tell ME about Lowes/Depot........

 

Maverick will take you with no experience as long as you meet their requirements.
I am making .41 a mile after 6 months averaging over $1,000 a week.
Not bad for a beginner....never drove before.

 

I think atitude has eveerything to do with wether or not you can succede in this business. I didnt drive for a long time but I heard a LOT of guys telling me how hard this job was and were always complaining about something that wasnt "fair".\ I kept my mouth shut, did my job, Only complained once(lack of miles). Next thing you know, I was runnin 3200-3500 miles a week and makin money. There a lot of good people out there with a lot of good advice but you wont find them on the forums crying about things. to this day I still miss the road and one day I will get back out there.

 

I can almost guarantee you won't get in to a long dump as a student. The company I work for hauls long dump OTR and require 2 years experience. I ran in that division for a while, a frameless can be very sketchy and I think it would do u good to learn other aspects of driving and gradually work your way in to that type of work. You can get yoursefl hurt quick pulling a long dump if you don't know what you're doing.

 

Did you check into Payne trucking? They are in your neck of the woods. I think they run the I-95 corridor..I think they have a dump division.

 

I'm a new wannabe, trained for 3 weeks at Kellyville, did great but failed my driving test today because I couldn't nail the 90 that I've done all last week. Any one with similar experience and/or tips? I think nerves got the best of me.