Week 1 in CDL School and 3 pre-hire letters-opinions needed

There are a handful of training companies out there that go after students in the schools. they partner with the schools, so you won't get an opinion from your instructor (usually).
The line about needing a decision within two weeks is just that... a line.
They want to get your commitment and take you off the table so to speak.
Take your time, check out each company to YOUR satisfaction, then make your decision. These pre hire letters are not worth the paper they're written on. They just say that once you complete your CDL training, you can come to orientation. That doesn't mean you're hired. That means they will now consider you.
Best to find a company that will do the background checks, physicals and everything else BEFORE heading off to school.
As for Swift, Roehl or others being a bad company?
Well, anyone that bounces out of one of these will tell you they're bad. I can't speak for any of them since I haven't worked for them. However, do your due diligence. Go down to a couple truck stops and speak with drivers from the companies you're interested. See what they have to say.
Post your questions here.
Take your time. They'll all be there a month from now.

 

Welcome to the board OntheFence!

Every carrier that hires and trains new drivers has it's own "goods" and "bads". You're going to have to have thick skin no matter which carrier you choose. As new drivers, we are at the bottom of the food chain and have to keep our wits about us to survive. Those drivers who have managed to hang tough for a year or two have risen to a place where they at least have begun to hone their survival skills and have put themselves in better position to land the more "home time-friendly" slots, either with the carrier they trained (cut their teeth) with or with the carrier that they've moved on to after getting some recognizable miles under their belts.

A HUGE issue for many new drivers is family, that is, being away from family. I'm a single, older newbie with no kids waiting for daddy to come home. I do, however, keep in touch with some classmates that do have kids/wife/SO/dog/cat/goldfish at home and, even though they swore up and down that they would be able to "hang in there" until they were in a position to get more home time, they are finding that their resolve is weakening.

Simply being a new driver brings it's own set of challenges. Coping with those challenges while trying to put on a good game face for the folks back home is, for most, extremely difficult.

I'm not trying to rain on your parade but be well-prepared for some times when you wonder why you ever thought trucking was a good idea.

Personally, I'm loving it 95% of the time but I don't have flashbacks of little faces. Best of luck to you. You have joined an incredible board here and, if you use the resources and members here to help you through the tough times, you will succeed.

 

DONT let them rush you into a decision. dont let a sure thing, if you want to call it that, hold you back from exploring companies YOU might want to work for, not just the ones that will take even a trained seal if it enrolled in cdl school. there are plenty of other places that wont go looking around to hire anything that moves.

everyones situation is different but if you arent desperate for a job or have a questionable background theres no reason to rush into it, especially if you havnt even been in a truck yet. your perspective changes a lot before during and after school...

 

I believe US Express has regional work around the area. They haul alot of freight in and out of the guilderland industrial park

 

Swift does Northeast Regional (Home weekends), and has a Target Dedicated account outta Amsterdam and Wilton, NY (Home everynight). They say you have to do at least 1 yr OTR before going to dedicated work, but I've seen alot of rookies coming off their mentors truck that go straight to a dedicated account. Hope that helps a little! Good luck. Swift is a good company to work for IMO!

 

Maybe you could specify a few of the "plenty of other places" that don't train seals....

 

not saying dont go there, and not saying dont look at what they have to offer, and not saying they will suck to work for just because x number of drivers cry about them. just there are a lot of companies that dont go actively hunting for people, you have to go to them. it just gives you more options starting out so dont limit the possibilities between a few carriers. i would suggest reading all the dac stuff, and make a top 3 list of who YOU like and apply with them first, instead of choosing between the 3 that will just take you before you even begin training just because you are there.

lots of stuff to consider and its about your needs, if you want a job the day after graduation keep those guys on the radar. how long do you want to be stuck with a trainer? are you confident enough to go to a company that wont put you with a trainer at all? these are the type of things to start thinking about and looking for in a company.

 

On a side note. How are you liking the CDL school and what is the cost. I havent looked into them because I heard they use only automatic trucks.