What "exit" should I take

You wont find an office job anywhere with a better view.

 

They will teach you 3 backing maneuvers which probably won't help you much in the real world, and they will teach you to not stop or shift on railroads and also wide turns.

Then they will show you a bunch of accident pictures and tell you not to talk on your phone while driving and slow down for curves.

You will learn a few more things while you are out with your six week trainer. The rest, all the rest you learn on your own.

Thats it in a nutshell. Lots of semis are automatic now. I did school in a manual, but never hauled a load in one. Almost did once, but then my truck got fixed.

Backing is the hardest part and probably the most neglected in being taught from what ive seen. After a year some truck stop backing is still challenging and only starting to reach a point where I dont turn too many heads while doing it. Lol

 

Here's the secret … do you have cash/credit available to you. You don't have to sign a contract to train with the megas. They will let you pay cash up front, you will not be under contract to them and the actual cost could be as little as the half of what the contracted cost will be

It's the quickest way to get your CDL and you will have some seat time.

Also don't let the megas are the devil BS you read on here influence you. They're companies made of people. When people say the small companies are golden .. they mean they need a job where they want to be coddled If you're self starter and can manage your time you can do fine at a mega. At least until you find your unicorn job. Heck chose the right mega and it very will may be your dream job.

 

If you have the means, pay for CDL school. I paid for mine and got on with a private carrier doing what amounts to basically being a shuttle driver at about 60k a year, which will increase with my tenure at the company. I'm home two nights a week, thren home again at 6am Saturday and leave the house around 6am Monday. My mon-tues run, and wed,thurs run are 1100 miles round trip my Friday run is about 700 miles. I sleep in the truck at our facilities which means I never have to look for parking and I know exactly where I'm going. Getting my CDL independently was the best choice I could have made in my opinion.

 

Option 4, I did this with Schneider in 2000 and stayed until 2006. The contract I agreed to stated that I would remain employed with them for 365 days in exchange for training. Schneider no longer offers this but many companies still do. I say to go this route simply because with less than a years experience you won’t be going anywhere much better.

Truckers knock the job all day long but as someone who has always lived below my means, this job has treated me very well financially. I own a home, always drive a newer vehicle, and don’t have to sacrifice pretty much anywhere in life. I did quit pulling vans and reefers about 6 years ago as I just flat out refuse to give away my time for free. In the tanker world we drive anywhere from 200 to 2000 miles, deliver and return home empty as fast as we can legally get there. Some tanks backhual, I’ve never once picked up a back haul.

 

I went contract with FFE and like it. Driving teams wasnt my top choice, would much rather drive alone. But financing is very important to me right now, if you havent noticed from past comments, lol. So I deal with it and get paid more. They make more because you are paid for all miles driven, not just the miles you drive, and the truck moves 24/7 most days.

Im laid over for the weekend right now. But its alright, we get layover pay and i need rest after driving all the way to Vancouver and back. With layover should be about a 2700. Might be 25 or 2600, not sure. It's 2350 usually for that route without layover. Thats a good check. We drove around OR and WA and ID. We get paid for each pick up too.

Checks aren't that big every week, but the average is like 1500, and now after my year pretty sure its a higher average now.

Never Got anything close to that wiping viruses from computers and messing with routers.

 

I went #3 and haven't looked back. How's this view?
'Merica the Beautiful! I love it!

 

This thread has gotten mind boggling complicated. Want to talk? Or do?
Listen to Nike...
Just do it.