Truth about home time? Newbie question

Home time all depends on the company and they are all different. For a newbie it could be anywhere from 1 1/2 to 3 depending on the company and and how long they keep you out. If you are serious about driving then all I can say is RESEARCH, RESEARCH and RESEARCH!

 

First off. The school doesn't place you with anyone...period.

Recruiters are trolling the schools (all of them) for potential drivers/employees.

Here is what they don't tell you.

Most OTR companies want you to stay out 10-14 days BEFORE you ask for time off. Then you get 1 day off for every 7 out. Very few companies offer more.

If you have 2 days on the books, and take 3. You OWE the company a day. Now you will have to wait 21 days to ask for hometime.

Holidays? Yes, you get paid for them. But you DO NOT get a day off with pay like the rest of the world. The exception being Christmas.

You can get a local job, without the school. Work the docks, and work yourself into a driver position. You'll most likely be working docks to begin with, if local is a must have job. Even if you attend school first.

 

I´d say---- head out to the Sea ,you earn more there it´s more fysically hard work but less stressful too.
Gotta former customer running in a Tanker in the Atlantic...

 

Before you spend that money on school try this. Apply at Coke, Pepsi, UPS, Fedex, Beer and/or alcohol distributers, and food distributors. I learned that these places will train you for your CDL if they like you. You will have some time on the docks first. If you are that concerned about home time than DON'T spend $5000 just for the CDL-A.

If you are willing to put in at least a year in driving OTR then you can start looking local but good luck there.
I was in your shoes about five years ago. Was talking to a cdl mill and they told me a bunch of fluff so I would enroll. I didn't do that then because of what I already knew. Just didn't want to believe it.

Some time later I did two years of research, talked to my OTR friends and then had a long discussion with my wife and myself. (Yes I talk to myself.) My wife moved her schedule and we decided that the money would be worth it to try. So I finally made the plunge. Most places will either twist the truth a little saying things like "home every 14 days" etc. or will raise a red flag if you enter the interview already overly concerned about hometime.

 

or better yet Flat Bad companies running regional where you could get home every weekend and even during the week sometimes. Is this true?

My brother-in-law drives for Maverik. He gets home every week-end and sometimes during the week. But, the big BUT, he has been driving for many years. I am not positive on this, check with other drivers, but I think some of these companies that get you home on week-ends wants experienced drivers. My brother-in-law told me they want 2 years experience because of insurance. So you would probably have to be in the field for a couple of years before you would be able to land a regional job. But, the big BUT, they are out there.

 

If you are interested in flatbeds, then you may want to check out McElroy. They came to our school once and they have it set up to get you home every weekend guaranteed. And they have a contract you sign with them that says if they don't get you home on the weekend they will pay you $100! So even if you do miss your weekend you still get something extra for it. I did not hear back form them in time and I already told Maverick I'd frive for them. But McElroy sounds like a good company but they run mostly Southern Regional I think. Also, I went to a small 8 week school in Oak Ridge, TN just down the road from the house and the tuition was $2000. However, I went through the county unemployment agency(Career Center) and based on income the state paid for 1/2 plus they gave me personally $400 to help with bills and such while going through school. I hope this will help some people out. Stay Safe.

 

Bob - there is a truism in industry - ANY industry.

Recruiters are liars. It's their job to get you in the door get your signature on the line.

Ok, generally they *technically* don't lie - but they lead you down the garden path and let you THINK you are getting something, when odds are that only a very very few drivers get anything like what the recruiter is describing.

Instead, call a number of the trucking companies in the area, ask THEM what they think of the school. Call the county WIA administrator (part of the unemployment group here, dunno about where you are) and see what kind of standing the school has with them.

When it comes to looking for a company to work for, don't listen to the recruiters (except when they mention verifiable facts). See if you can dig up their business profile - something that shows number of employees, age of trucks, turnover, etc. Call them directly (or email) and ask questions.

Ask about policies that matter to you (I won't drive without one of my dogs along - so places where pets are verbotten are immediately scratched off my list). Policies are black and white.

Ask about *average* times to get things done. What's the average time a rookie has to spend in OTR before he can ask to move to another division? What's the average wait time between the application for the new division job and actually moving over? That sort of thing. Then, keep it firmly in mind that these are AVERAGES or approximations. Unless they commit to it in writing, there's absolutely no guarantee you'll be making that move in that amount of time.

Don't make the mistake of equating big with good, either. My personal opinion is quite the opposite. I think you are more likely to find a good company (as in, one that suites YOUR needs and wants) in the middle to small range. Of course, that's just how I see things.

Check the pricing on other schools, too. I'd recommend the HECK out of the school I'm currently attending, but they don't seem to have a campus anywhere in Ohio. They have a number in Indiana and Pennsylvania..but I don't think that helps a lot.

You get the idea, I'm sure. Do your own research. The internet and the public library are incredibly powerful tools. Recruiters take advantage of the fact that most of us are... well, too lazy to bother.