Starting out for rookies

I am going to start driving school either with Swift or Rend Lake College in Southern Illinois and the one thing that I know is that I will have to do OTR coming out of training. If it is with Swift it will be two years if I can go through Rend Lake and get WIA to pay for this (Currently unemployed)- It will be at least a year and I know that and I accept that. The time away from home will be hard but I like being on my own and the opportunity to make money is there if you are willing to stay out there. At 55 I do not have a long time left so I am pretty sure I can tough it out even if is ten years. Got to have a good attitude to do this. I know there will be challenges every day but the option of just setting home waiting for unemployment to run out is worse, at least to me.



Frank

 

Going to school on the goverment's dime sounds like the best idea to me, especially if you can get unemployment or a grant to live on. Times are hard and you need to take avantage of anything that is offered.
You should look into U S Express when you graduate. I know someone who just went to work there. Says their trucks are great and the ultra shift (no clutch) is so nice in stop and go traffic.( Easier on old guys too, I'm not a trucker, but am 60 and can imagine what all that shifting would do.) Good Luck !!

 

Its going to be hard to get a local job without any experience. Most all daycab jobs require OTR experience. Most of the ones in my area require 3 years OTR. If you live in a major city youll have a better chance. Even alot of your OTR companies require atleast 1 year experience. Like I told a friend of mine whom thought he was going to drive local after paying his own way through school, take 1 year of the road, after that first year ALOT of options will come open for you. Just take the bad loads, horrible delivery locations, low pay. After that 1st year your pay rate will rise, and your have better companies you can apply for. Trucking is like any other profession, you got to school to learn the business and start at an entry level position. You cant always have family and feast in trucking.

 

starting training w/ crest which is my only option right now , any suggestions as to how i can make the best of this 8 month transistion into the trucking ihdostry

 

Just startingt out myself have 3 months exp OTR but still companys want a minmum of 6 months OTR. would luv to try flat bed but how to get exp if no will hire without flatbed exp

 

with economy the way it is i am settled in my mind i just have to go with a starter co. and pay my dues a tear really is not much time to put in to get to where you want to be. good luck

 

After CDL (either at private school or company), usually a graduate driver is teamed up with a company driver for training/mentoring.

My question is:

If the exp. driver is driving during the day and the new guy is supposed to drive at night, how can the exp. driver teach the new guy when he (exp. driver) sleeps at night?

Shouldn't be this complicated but being a newbie, I'm somewhat lost here.

Thanks

 

Yeah its a joke this exsperienc thing My trainer didnt know half as much as i did about the truck we were operatting made for some tense I had already drove with family in thier rigs, so i dint reraly need his limmetted knowlege as far as the driving and backing was concernd. On the other hand his company procedure knowlege has helped Just try to get as much out of it as possibleThe thing to remember is they get paid bonuses, and the miles you drive so this becomes the driving force behind thier madness Also if he sleeeps while you drive this should be a goood confidence booster for you

 

It depends on your company and trainer. Some companies have a good program put together that requires trainees be handled in defined methods. i.e., so many hours max the first week, so many the second, minimum number of miles to complete program, types of roads, etc.
Some require you to simply survive a certain number of days with a bozo that gets paid to use you on the truck.
Be sure to check out the company BEFORE you sign on.
In my company, they start out with trainees driving limited hours daytime only, and AFTER you show proficiency in driving, move you into all kinds of different applications including nightime driving, bad weather driving, in city, etc.
Check out your prospective company first. Ask for written guidelines from the training department as part of your interview.

 

One option is to talk to construction and/or aggregate companies that use dump trailers.

Don't most construction companies want exp. because dump trailers are heavy?

I'm having a very hard time finding local because i have no exp. I don't want to do OTR because I want to be home all the time. If I don't find anything by the end of the summer, I'll probably have to suck it up and do OTR for at least 6 months.

Do you guys have any tips for me on how to find local work for someone without exp.?