Soon to be rookie with questions.

I'm going to run off the quoted post above with the attempt to correct mistakes that may be misleading....


1st ?: Nobody On here should be takeing home $10/wk unless maybe if they are a Lease Driver or O/O but even then not likely

I don't know of any L/O or O/O that is only taking home $10 a week! If they are it is because they either want to go broke or they are just stupid!


2nd? I'll leave the trip planning Question to someone with more experiance then me to answer

Trip Planning is done via Rand McNally Road Atlas. You open it up... Look at the roads... And pick the one's that are best for you.


3rd? Yes you have to stop at all "open" weigh stations, unless you have Prepass but even then you can still be called in if your close to the limit

Being close to the limit don't mean a #### thing. I've been running empty & been red lighted.... Sometimes they just want to look at your pretty face, check your equipment, See your IFTA, & run your DOT & VIN numbers.


4th? No if anything a company would like that you use a GPS so that you dont have to take your eyes off the road to look at a map or notebook. And with a GPS your less likely to get lost and waste there fuel.

Get yourself a Rand McNally road atlas. 90% of the GPS systems will route you the long way... Put you on roads that you don't belong on & are not legal to be on... And the GPS will not say "HEY STUPID! Don't go this way because your going to run up onto a 9' bridge!" But I sure will tell you that & then after you say your GPS is god & knows best... Then you make a convertible out of your truck... I'd be more then willing to slap you silly the next time I see you!


5th? if you get your permit before you go to school thats just one less thing to worry about once your in

TRUE! But be expected to still sit in the class & be taught everything they "ATTEMPT" to teach you to prepare you for your permit.


6th? I'll leave backing advice to more experianced drivers

There is no such thing as perfect backing... Some days you get lucky & hit the hole on the first attempt... Other days you look like a SWIFT driver (no offense NANA) with 3 days experience.

You want a tip? If your feeling uncomfortable backing into something.... Don't attempt it. If you can't avoid backing & still feel uncomfortable.... Go ask other driver's for help. 95% of driver's will help & will respect you more for asking for help. Sure they may laugh & point.... But not as bad as they would if you failed to ask & took someone's hood off their truck.

7th? There isnt a "crapper" in a Sleeper, however if you were to buy your own truck at somepoint you could put an after market Sleeper/Condo from like ARI or something and they have bathroom options

Go into Walmart. Buy yourself a small bathroom garbage can... A roll of toilet paper... Then cash out & ask for a bag. When you get to the truck put the bag into the can... Sit on it... Wa la!!! Instant crapper! You still get a 10% discount at WalMart...... So your crapper is cheaper then mine!


Stay at WalMart! Right now is not the best time to get into this industry. Hundreds of thousands of experienced drivers out of work because the freight isn't there. Don't waste your money of Truck Driving School (I hate those words) & then expect to get a job. Entry level drivers (if you happen to get a driving job) barely clear 30K a year working 100 hours a week!

 

Rollover I appreciate what your saying , but it is not about the benefits or
sleeping in my own bed every night. I am just tired of retail period. Its the
same old thing every day. And you remember the type of customers we
have to put up with occasionally. I have put off trucking too long. When I
came out of high school thats what I wanted to do but had no decent income
to pay for CDL school. They didn't have Drivers Solutions back then or at
least none that I knew about. I'm not just jumping on the band wagon here
either this is one career that I thought about a long time. It is time that
I go ahead and get my foot through the door and stop contemplating it.
I won't know if its really for me unless I experience it for myself. Wally World
just isn't what it used to be when I first started. I have to say though that
each time had to make a hard decision like this it has always worked out
for me. I believe the same thing will happen with this decision. I have had
many conversations with many truck drivers that deliver to the stores and
they all seem to be happy they made the decision to drive for the companys they represent. I have no wife ,no kids I might as well take advantage of the situation. What made you leave Wally World?

 

Hi there Redd. That was funny!
I am usually a prepared person. If I forsee it may happen,then I take the
necessary actions to make sure it doesn't happen. Therefore the Truck
Atlas would have been the first item in the cart once I know I have
completed training and road ready. That 10% is only worth it on large items.
Though if were good this Christmas we may get an additional 10% off of
one item just maybe. Still would like to know if anybody has info on
Truckers Dispatch the other company I applied with?

 

I would also like to mention that one of my objectives is to also get the
experience needed to drive for Wal Mart one day. I have known some of
the Wal Mart drivers before they had grey hair. I doubt there is any turnover
on the truck driving side.

 

I never heard of Truckers Dispatch. Are you serious about doing this?

If you are, go to a tech college for your CDL training. Techs offer flexible training schedules so you can continue to work at Wal Mart while your learning. Techs tend to teach you more then these CDL mills your asking about... Techs have a longer schooling time so the economy may turn & give you a better opportunity when you become lisenced.

I'm not sure where in Georgia you are at, but the techs up here have day, night, & weekend classes.... Don't just give up you current employment. Doesn't Wal Mart have a tuition reimbursment program? I know they have their own trucking company...

 

A crapper in a day cab...


" Nice console man"

That's no console...that's my crapper....you have got to be sh(%^N me....

 

haha the crapper is that empty 5 gallon bucket with the trash bag

 

I went to school (trucking) with a guy whose father drives a rig for wal mart, and his father said that before you can drive for wal mart you have to have eather three years and something like 300,000 miles under your belt before they will even look at your app.. So the people who end up driving for wal mart have about five years under there belt.

I am just saying that is what i was told...

 

Someone here said to check local techs for schooling. That might be a good
idea. As that will allow me to put a few more funds in the bank just in case.
Anybody here from georgia can recommend a good one. I am in Atlanta.
I looked up one called Atlanta Truck Driving. Seems decent. They also have a
payment plan. And with my Army GI Bill benefits I might can get the cost down pretty reasonable. Not a bad option.

 

Tech or colleges are the ONLY way to get your training! Do NOT fall for the CDL MILL bull! It's way cheaper with a tech school and the bill is yours! If you go through one of those stupid mills and fall for a bottom feeder company (all of them that take over your schooling costs are bottom feeders and you can read all about them here!) then you enter the world of the indentured servant! You get paid crapola and treated about the same. Now because you're not coming off the unemployment rolls you might not even get hired by any of the bigs as they want that extra government money that they get paid to "put you to work" So be carefull how you proceed past this point as you've made up your mind and INHO it's NOT a good direction to be taking for at least the next year!