Student looking for career!

Of course every new driver would like to skip all the dues and start making the big money. The fact of the matter is it takes years to learn and as a newbie you will make mistakes. Hence that's why new people have to pay their dues as a trade off for lack of experience, tearing equipment up, damaging freight, late to the customer, lost, temper, etc. What do you know about the FMCSA and the Hazmat regs? There's more to driving than holding the wheel. Pay compensates with experience.

One thing you learn in trucking is patience. If you don't have it you will learn it if you stay with it. A new guy thinks he has to run around like a chicken with his head cut off to make any money. An experienced driver uses his head and smoothly makes it through the day with proper time management. Kind of like the tortoise and the hair story. There is no shortcut for experience.

 

The oilfields are full of new drivers and they fair just fine from what I have seen...with proper training. Sure, experienced drivers know their jobs better, but driving a truck is not rocket science. Anyone can learn it and do it....with proper training.

 

Not everyone can learn it. 40% of new drivers are out of the industry within one year. One thing the op has to realize is there are only so many companies that will accept inexperienced drivers. They will pay you low during youre driving with a trainer. But as of recent many companies are coming around and paying more to students after the first few months. Ask yourself, if it were youre truck would you hire a recent grad?

 

You are willing to go anywhere, yet you don't have money to knock on doors?
How does that work?
How will you go anywhere with no cash?

The 'will' does not pay the way.


And you want to skip all the BS of paying dues and get into the meat?
You WILL be the meat in the grinder when you start out.
You have to prove yourself to any company, not the other way around.


You want to eat your cake, and have it too.
It doesn't work that way.

Wise up.
Because you have no idea, from what you have written, as to what you are getting in to.

And, by the way, a resume and cover letter won't impress anyone in the way you think it will.
Perhaps the opposite. We are not white collar.
Just fill out the application form.

 

How are you getting your CDL? Are you now working with a CDL school or training company?

 

Good post here.....thoughtful and full of "real truth".....To the OP...... It is possible to get a decent job with little to no experience....but sitting if front of a computer screen and filling out app's , or mailing in app's isn't gonna get you those jobs. If you really want to do as you stated...then you're gonna have to spend sometime and some shoe-leather going to terminals and talking to folks face-to-face. Nothing beats an interview/conversation with a potential employer , they can see , and listen to you , how you dress, they way you carry yourself , they way you react to questions....all of these things are part of the hiring process. If you aren't willing to put yourself out there , well...... you'll soon find that the type of jobs you're longing for are going to be given to the ones that WILL put themselves out there......

 

Sounds to me like you have things figured out already. I don't know why you want to put yourself through the "BS" of being a company driver and gaining experience.

You are already far ahead of the rest of us by your extensive research of internet threads and cdl school. Plus you have packed your cdl full of endorsements.

I believe you should go straight to the big leagues. Buy a new truck and trailer, get your own authority and get rich your first year.

write a book telling all of us how you did it; we can't wait for that; then we can follow in your foot steps when you show us what we have been doing wrong all these years...

I can't wait !!!!!

I know you will be a success from all your past accomplishments. ..

let's see.....

you are broke ?????

That about sums it up.....

welcome to our world of reality

 

Great post. I'm partial to the ltl segment having run both ltl and otr but you're spot on no matter what area of trucking the op wants to get into.

To the op that wants to make a career out of trucking.. It's great that you will have all of the endorsements right away - that will pay off down the line if not right away. Don't let people tell you you can't start off with a very good local job. To my knowledge all of the big ltl companies will hire inexperienced drivers now. Generally speaking the training they provide is top notch compared to the driving school/ mega carrier instruction.

As far as experience, with things like hazmat, that comes with on the job experience. I've worked at Con-way Freight for almost 11 years now and still don't know it all. It's one of those things - I'm a million mile safe driver with doubles but if put me behind the wheel of a car hauler I'd be lost when it came time to load/unload. Same for a veteran car hauler - he'd be lost when it came time to break the set and hook the next one.

The bottom line is you'll learn any job by doing it. But just take your time. Check hooks and know what you're looking for - jaws locked, lever in, pintle latched with doubles, and then look two more times at all of that before you drive away. And if you're backing just get out and look if you're not sure. Go on Facebook and like truck driving wtf moments. You'll see 10 examples per day of what happens when drivers rush and do stupid stuff.

I think I've made a pretty good career out of trucking and I'm more diligent than ever about not taking any shortcuts. The only other thing I would say is stay at a job rather than company hop. I've had 2 in 12 years and this one for almost 11.

I could keep rambling with random thoughts but that doesn't help anyone..lol.. I run nights so I'm tired and off to bed. Hope that helped.