stable work history

DrtyDiesel · Jul 11, 2011

I live in Hawthorne, Fl. I'll be going to school in October since I'll turn 21 while I'm in school. Also, the school is national training and it will be paid in cash. I'm not looking to get rich, even if I make the same amount of money as where I work now I'll be happy since I'll be doing something I've wanted to do since I was a kid.

jvar4001 · Jul 11, 2011

BigJohn54 said: ↑

IMHO, your job history shouldn't hurt you. It looks like you are talking about approximately 3 jobs in 4 years. You will be new starting out and they will get to put the nose-ring in and lead you around by it. This is what they want.

Once you get in the industry it will hurt more to jump from one job to another. We are in a poor economy and the industry is flooded with new drivers. It is an employer's market and they can pass you over for any reason. Then they can give you no reason why or any reason why, regardless of the truth.

The hiring practices of the Mega-Companies make it clear they want new recruits over experienced drivers. Between training programs, tax credits and running team during training they make thousands on new drivers before they place them in trucks. Add in indentured servitude and fleece/purchases and they are making more from scams than hauling freight. This leaves them free to cut rates and try to dominate the industry.

I see youve been on the TTR Forum for a while. It may not be of any value but Ill offer my standard copy and paste advice. It is intended to keep those starting out from making the many mistakes we read about every week. Take it for what its worth and good luck.

You need to research and find out what the important questions are. You can make an above average living but you will make sacrifices that other jobs don't require. Read the "good companies" and "bad companies" section on this forum and get an idea of what company you want to work for and what kind of trailer you want to pull. Don't just go to school and then try to figure out where to go.

I don't know your financial situation. Don't take training from a company if you can afford it or get it with financial aid. You will be their slave for up to year. If you leave they will trash you DAC and credit record. Check out your local community colleges and employment office.

Just know that most training and trucking company recruiters will do nothing but lie to you. They will let you talk about what you want and then tell you what you want to hear. Trucking is about moving freight to make money for the company. Your home time, family, paycheck and everything else comes second.

It is not like any other job. Local is usually backbreaking delivery work 10+ hours a day, 6 days a week. Often you unload dozens of times a day or you are a salesman. In my area most dump truck jobs pay less than a good factory job. Regional is lots of loading and unloading time, fewer miles than OTR and not as hard as local but will wear on you and push your HOS limits. OTR is out 3 - 5 weeks with 3 - 4 days home, less manual labor and more miles.

You'll probably have to pay your dues before you get the gravy job. Weekends off, if you are lucky enough to get something like that starting out, may be home Thursday afternoon and leave Saturday night or home Friday night and leave Sunday afternoon. Loads deliver on Monday early and you leave in time to get them there. Often your home time will be in the middle of the week.

Regardless of your driving choice, after school you will go through company training. For OTR this can be six weeks to three months with little or no home time. The first phase is usually $400 a week and the second phase is $500-550 a week. Some pay less. One company pays 12 CPM for training.

One last thing, you dont want to wait around too long after training or youll have trouble finding a job. If you get out before you have a year in, when you try to come back a few months later you will find they want you to start over.

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same thingh is happening to me , they want me to get the refresher course ,the employment office they cant help because they help me once to get the lisence.

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