Time to un-retire...

FAIR WARNING: In a pinch -- &/or in/near urban areas -- you can park safely & legally (& away from the trucking herd) -- if you start off with a fleet that has the most terminals & dropyards.

In addition to safer parking, terminals usually offer you access to:

• company hot showers
• truck &/or trailer maintenance/repair
• cooked-to-order meals
• laundry facilities
• company vehicles -- for nearby grocery/pharmacy runs
• and other handy perks

Those fleets would be: Swift....or Schneider.

This advantage is especially handy....when you are new and learning the ropes in trucking.

With that said -- generally speaking, freight right now is actually pretty slow....& thus I suggest you apply to both, & take what you can get.

Also: if you were an officer in the military -- you will very likely experience serious "culture shock" in the reefer world; shippers & receivers will often treat you like a stray animal (NO respect), & your pickups & deliveries will be all over the clock (& thus -- say "good bye" to any regular sleep schedule; be sure to learn "split-sleeper" & "personal conveyance" well, before running any reefer loads). That's why reefer pays good!!!

Been there....seen ALL that.

Anyway....just think about it.

Bonus points: if you talk to some drivers currently running those loads -- before signing up.

-- L

 

2 things that I wish for you:
1) that you regain full eyesight in the eye that went blind
2) that your good eye continues to have & maintain full eyesight

God bless you and your entire family!

God bless every American and their families! God bless the U.S.A..

The absolute sheer driving force of our national economy - without truck drivers, our entire national economy would come to an absolute standstill - if not outright be dead.

Over the mountains, through the woods, into the valleys, coast to coast, from sea to shining sea - truck drivers can and do go anywhere and everywhere, every day, every night, all year round.

 

You'll rarely be at a terminal. If you're not local, you'll do your 10 hr. breaks at truckstops where you can shower, eat meals, relax, fuel the truck.
I pulled reefers for 18 years and hazmat tankers for 5 years and rarely saw a terminal except the home terminal. Only time I saw a terminal, other than the home terminal, was to do a trailer swap. Maybe 10 times my whole career. When I pulled dry van and flatbed, it was the same.
I didn't do dedicated lanes either because they're boring. I took whatever the dispatcher would throw at me. I saw more of the country and was usually the top paid driver. I was the top paid driver because I ran more miles. The CPM and accessorial pays were the same as the other drivers.

 

Prime Inc. refrigerated division is a good company for cdl school.
They're a 48 state carrier and you'll probably see them all.
The equipment is top-notch also.
CDL school is in Springfield, MO

 

Speak for yourself.

When at Schneider -- I frequently used/visited terminals/dropyards, because:

• The locations were usually super convenient (because they had a lot of them) -- & the parking was free, & safer than at truck stops
• The cooked food at the deli had better pricing (& flavors)
• I didn't have to wait for a shower
• I could talk to the shop about truck/trailer issues, without having to wait -- or later fussing with the red tape for the repairs
• the company cars made it handy/easy to go shopping, or get something to eat
• and so on....

-- L

 

primes a dumpster fire right now!!! and it seems they want to go all lease drivers and do away with company drivers!!! no thanks!!! i won't pay someone elses bills nor fund there lifestyle if that is the case now... i will have to find out more!!!

 

I am speaking for myself with 25 yrs. OTR experience.
Also, I never encourage anyone to start a career with dry van, unless money isn't a problem with them. Why start out at the bottom if there's other choices.

 

China mentioned never going to your terminals. I run OTR and I hit our terminals regularly, but not for lengthy periods. We do drop and hooks there, maintenance, dropping off paperwork, swapping out my tablet (did that a few days ago) grabbing a quick fill of DEF, getting the 5th wheel greased, etc.

I don't know how he only went 10 times in his career. I'm almost never at our terminal and I am there usually once every 2-3 weeks for something. I also bump our other smaller terminals around the country regularly.