This trucking is confusing, help.

Discussion in 'Questions From New Drivers' started by Linnysmom, Jun 17, 2018.

  1. Hatt91

    Hatt91 Light Load Member

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    The best advice I can give is to be patient and pay attention. Don’t let anybody rush you. Stay focused on what you’re doing, whether it’s backing up, or making a turn in a tight spot. A lot of other guys can be yelling at you or telling you what to do and it can be intimidating and easy to get frazzled. Just breathe and focus yourself.
     
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  3. Linnysmom

    Linnysmom Bobtail Member

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    Thanks for your reply. Your right about watching scary you tube videos, it's not going to help me.

    I don't really know what part of the US I'd like to drive in. East of the Mississippi seems pretty reasonable. I was under the assumption if I say, went to a commercial school, l I'd be everywhere. I think I'm going to take my chances and do a commercial school come august. The driving schools out here seem shady, I don't know why. I'm looking into Swift.
     
  4. bryan21384

    bryan21384 Road Train Member

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    Whatever you do during school, don't make the mistake of getting the restriction on your license that only allows you to drive automatics. You don't want to limit yourself in this industry. Once you get to a company and you have your own truck, don't limit yourself to one part of the country. Experience is most valuabke when you go everywhere.
     
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  5. Linnysmom

    Linnysmom Bobtail Member

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    I can imagine how much that can hold you back only driving automatic. I won't make that mistake. I'm excited about wandering the country. I know most of the time it's in a truck, but I can take my 3 days (after 6weeks, lol) and find someplace cool to go. It's exciting. I really can't wait till things start moving. Once my daughter is ready she will stay with her father's family till college starts and I'm off to school too. I'm going to miss her alot, but we both had some serious stuff over the last few years and need a big change. Its the first time I've been excited about something in a while, it's about time. Me and her have good stuff coming, will be hard but that's what makes it worth more.
     
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  6. MrArtixx

    MrArtixx Light Load Member

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    Jun 8, 2018
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    I am currently attending classes for my CDL, I can tell you firsthand that you don’t have to be super mechanically inclined. You have to know certain parts of your vehicle for Pretrip inspection and that’s about it. As for the maintenance part, you will never do that when you work for a big company (or even 99% of the small ones). My instructor used to work for Schneider as a diesel mechanic, their drivers didn’t/don’t even change a lightbulb if it was out. Also Look at how long the classes are before you decide. I am attending a 10 week class that even helps me get my permit (I got it a few days ago first try and only took me 15 minutes with tanker endorsement) you don’t want a class that is 3-4 weeks long unless your ok with 12 hour days and being rushed. My dad did a 3 week class with Schneider and they rushed him out the door just so they could get more people in the next day. It took him a few tries to pass his test and he had to pay for the truck rental and test fees each time. It’s also partial just what you prefer. Some people are comfortable in a truck in a week or two while others it takes some time.

    Sorry it’s a bit jumbled together. Just trying to get some main things out there. I am the kind of person to do 15 hours of research before I decide on a college or trucking company. Hope I helped a bit!
     
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  7. Linnysmom

    Linnysmom Bobtail Member

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    Thank you. good luck and congrats. What are you doing after your class? Do any companies recruit from your school or you have something in mind? I'm northeast, so I'm still looking for a Company. I was thinking about Swift, but I keep hearing conflicting reviews. I know I have a far ways to travel, but that will be life once I get in.

    Also, why do ltr make more than otr? Or is that even true.

    I know very little at this stage, so I'm trying to research and ask questions. Again, wish you the best. Be safe
     
  8. MrArtixx

    MrArtixx Light Load Member

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    I am going OTR flatbed. Out for a few months then back for a few days then back out. I don’t have kids or family or house to look after so it makes sense for me. As for companies, I have only been in class for 3 weeks and we had 4 different companies come in to present and try to recruit people. (We have 3 more planned in the next 2 weeks) some of those companies are good presenters while others are just terrible. We had local companies and national ones. We had TMC (National) come in and the guy presenting did an awesome job. Then we had a local company come in and they did alright. However don’t judge a company just by their presentation. Maybe the person is new to it or maybe they are having a bad or off day. It happens to everyone. Look at their website, read their brochures ask questions to the presenter or to a recruiter. I personally talked to a few companies that I was interested in and after I talked to someone I wasn’t interested because they couldn’t answer pretty basic questions. I will say this when look for a company. GOOGLE is your best friend. I have looked up “OTR trucking jobs” or similar searches more times than I can count and every time I would find different companies. You mentioned Swift, I did my research on them and concluded they weren’t for me. 1. They are a mega carrier so to them your just a bunch of pixels that form a number on their screen. 2. They will hire just about anyone with two legs and a CDL. 3. The pay wasn’t very competitive compared to others. I also think their trucks are governed pretty low (like 61MPH tops). So for me it just wasn’t the right fit. Now if I absolutely needed a job and they would hire me, yah I would go but that’s not the case and with the thousands of trucking companies out there, I know I can find a good one for me. Check out Maverick or Schaffer, I am pretty sure they both hire in NY and I know Maverick hire CDL students/grads. Not 100% sure about Schaffer though.
     
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  9. WesternPlains

    WesternPlains Road Train Member

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    If they tell you that. Respond with a big loud; NEXT!
    They’re lined up out there wanting you. I had 12 job offers before I graduated school. I accepted my job 2 weeks before the end of school. 6 months later, I’m still getting emails asking how it’s going, and am I having second thoughts.
    This job market is on your side. Take advantage of it.
     
  10. aussiejosh

    aussiejosh Road Train Member

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    I agree with what you say dude however i beg to differ on the tyre kicking if one knows what one is doing kicking works just as good as a hammer however its more about awkwardness for me the inside tyre is kind of hard to kick ? So then i just use a steel bar give it a real good whack to check for inflation as you and i both know a tyre can look inflated (cause there duels ) when its not the only way to find out by tapping it, don't matter what you use as long as one does something to check. Funny enough its when you don't check your tyres something seems to happen i had parked at the Aurora Flying J truck stop in Denver CO and only was going about 2 miles to drop off a trailer load of Brazilian Sugar, got that done the dispatcher sent me up to Ft Collins to pick a load of Bud going back to Johnson City TN anyway i've loaded up with beer get to the scales at security and when i've had to slide my axles to adjust the weights discovered both my inside tyres were flat, somebody had loosened the valves guess i'd peeved somebody off the previous day.
     
  11. Pumpkin Oval Head

    Pumpkin Oval Head Road Train Member

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    The Ltl, Less Than Trailer Load, are the FedEx, Estes, etc, carriers that you see with double trailers. They may pay by the hour rather than by the mile, and they have day cabs instead of sleepers, because they are usually back home every night. They are usually unionized. Line haul drivers do pretty good on pay.

    I hauled frozen food for a while to ShopRite Groceries, to NJ and NY from PA. I was paid $.49 a mile, plus &17 for each stop, ususually 3 stops. I had a year of driving experience, to get that rate.
    That was two years ago.
    I would start at 5:30 a.m. and done by 4 pm. My average pay was $200 a day.
    It was a union shop and the manager told me the company paid my union dues as I was part time. I think the full timers had good benefits too.

    They were always looking for drivers.

    I don't doubt there are daycab drivers making as much as otr drivers, maybe making more, depending on the company and their location.

    The northeast pays better than the south or midwest for line haul, in my experience. Otr is kind of a national rate, because the megas hire drivers from everywhere to drive evrywhere. Since the cost of living is higher in the N.E., the pay rates across all jobs tend to be higher in the N.E., and therefore higher than the otr average rate.

    I won’t do otr due to time away from family, but others don’t have that restriction. I am phasing out driving a cmv soon, and going for my second retirement, since my first retirement in 2010 from an office job.
     
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