Take A Leap Of Faith But Upshift With Caution

My apologies as well....but my point was simply this- just because everybody gets taught to believe the only way into the industry is through the mega fleets training program. And then work as a slave for a year while barely getting by and hoping for something better. I read post after post on here confirming my theory. Would you fellas agree? But the reality is that there are other, more lucrative ways to go about it. I have had jobs making little money. But I used those gigs to gain experience on MY terms, not somebody else's. Once I gained the experience, I beat on doors until I was offered my dream job. It was tough and not always pretty, but it all worked out. I do agree with what you're saying as far as the recruiters painting a rosy picture of a load of bull. Happened to me once.

 

I would never go to a carriers school if I could shoulder the cost of a school, the problem is that these schools want you to pay huge amounts of money that is out of reach of a lot of people. A lot just don't have credit or good enough credit to get a school loan. Swift schools cost on average $5,000.00 and even know they are sponsoring you, you still have to pay out of pocket and get reimbursed with a monthly payment added to your checks.

This is one of the reasonings that drive newbies to these carrier based schools. I had one accident in 44 years and it wasn't my fault. I was backed into at a petro truck stop in Texas by a swift trainee who had very little practice time with backing. We weren't even in the truck, we were eating at the buffet.

I think that newbies are owed atleast enough respect by being told the truth about this industry because as good of a career it can be, too much negatives occur way too much.

 

The title of the tread is awesome.. and true.. that is the path I took.. I did not go through the training companies... Didn't like the sink or swim method.. not after investing $5000 and weeks of time off work going to a CDL school full time...

Also, I really did not want to leave the training for my future success to someone with less than a year under their belt..

I am fortunate.. I took the time and steps and got on with a good small company and am being trained by someone with over 20 years of driving... It makes a big difference.. he is able to tea h me things that only someone with many hears of experience can... I am not talking about just driving or logs or even fixing some things on the truck instead of spending hours waiting for someone else to do it..
The first thing he really helped me do.. was get settled into the truck.. a way of organizing my stuff in a way that makes it easy to find what I need when I need it and in a way that utilizes the space so that I don't feel crammed in... May not sound important.. but.. it really is.. it can be frustrating spending time looking for something and having to move a bunch of stuff to get to It..

Rhere are a bunch of little things that make a big difference out here.. and not only that, but to get the most out of my home time when I am there..

 

I agree. I never went to truck driving school because I never figured on driving for a living. But the driver where I worked was retiring, and the powers that be thought I was the sucker for the job. I began to love it enough to quit and be a full time driver.the first year otr was indeed difficult, but I survived and eventually thrived. So its been good to me. Had I gone to a cdl mill, I probably wouldn't be driving today.

 

One of the best features of trucking is that every week, if not everyday, I see hundreds of people to remind me that no matter what you do or where you are in life...Things could always be worse.

 

Amen to that...

 

I was fortunate, my father was a driver for a local company that allowed him to show me the ropes and get my license, but after I got my license, they couldn't hire me on, I don't remember why, so I chose to stay with trucking instead of feeling sorry for myself

 

I like that analogy.

Contrary to what some say, you can still make money out here. Good money. Are there problems in the industry? Yes, but there are problems in every industry. And there are solutions too. A Beancounter can sit down with each of us and show us how to save 10000. Thing is, the Beancounter wants 50000 to do this. Spend 50000 to save 10000?

 

I don't know if it is as prevalent as it was back in the early 80's now or not, but then we lived in Portage, IN and trucking companies were around that worked a driver and then somehow went out of business when payday came around. I don't have a clue why back then, the economy, bad business, shiffty business owners?? And then you had those companies that had to send out trucks overloaded and the drivers had to go the back roads to avoid the scales.

 

I'm sure it happens now I haven't had to do it, but I think it's not easy to accomplish. In phoenix for example they have highway patrol officers that pass by you and weigh you, in Louisiana they have weigh as you go scales, so it happens I'm certain just not sure how often