What is the best way to get your start in trucking?

Seansolo, I am/was in the same boat you are in.

I got laid off from my desk job after ten years and decided to go into trucking. I had a little experience in the military (20 years ago) driving big trucks but nothing major.

I decided to put myself through school, luckly I had money to pay for it up front instead of having to saddle myself to a newbie company for training.

What I did was start looking at ALL carriers that hire students, and evaluating what I was reading vs what factual information I could get regarding pay, bonuses, hometime and anything else I could find. I also spent more time at truck stops than was probably healthy for me talking to drivers from those companies that made my short list.

I highly recommend you do the same things.

You are right however, that much of what is on these forums is negative, but there is quite a bit of positive information also. You have to take the bad with the good and try and weigh them against each other. And remember that complainers will always be more vocal than the happy folks.

I ended up going with a company that I got turned on to by my school quite by accident, and now I'm very happy with my decision.

My original choice had been Crete Carrier, they seemed (to me) to be the best of the worst so to speak. Look them up, they seemed like a good outfit to me especially based on my one on one conversations with guys who drove for them. And I talked to over fifty truckers at TS's near their Wilmer terminal. I even went on their property one day and talk to a bunch of guys in the lounge.

It's a tough choice, but you need to make your first choice a good one and stick it out a minimum of a year. And then if your not happy start looking for something else.

Good luck and keep us posted.

 

I do believe it is best that a person puts themselves through school and then you have at least some option as to the company he/she would have to work for. But no matter if you are putting yourself through school or going to one of the companies, do your own research on the company.

 

Seansolo do a search on this site for Watkins /Shepard they will finance your school or you can just pay them the 4K with no contract to sign.
You will take the CDL test with in 2-3 weeks and if you go to work for them you will be driving without a trainer in 30 days. I will be heading out on Easter Sunday to start school with them. You must live with in 100 miles of one of their terminals, the one I think that is close to you is
Austintown, Ohio
400 Victoria Rd
Austintown, OH 44515
you will need to get your CDL written permit before you go to W/S
If you have any more questions just ask and someone will know the answer.
Good Luck
Jim

 

See if the state you live in offers any funding or grants. In my state, if you are considered a "dislocated worker" meaning that you can't find a job that you are trained for, they will help pay for new training.

 

Here's how I should have gotten my start in trucking.

See the door to the CDL mill.

TURN AND RUN.

Better than that, read the ad..."truck drivers needed" and then flip the page.

 

I know very little about any of them other than by reputation.

Schneider & JB's reputations evolved more from their slow, crummy equipment (62mph I'ntl cabovers) than anything else. And the fact they were everywhere and usually had very poor drivers (due to lousy equipment).

I'll never forget sitting at a Safeway warehouse in Spokane, WA watching a driver try to back a Schneider truck into a dock. She spent at least 15 minutes attempting to do so before her trainer (?) took over. And proceeded to spend another 15 minutes getting backed in.

And, it was a straight in back from a parking lot as big as a football field.

From that beginning, their reputations have taken on lives of their own.

Stevens Transport is a lousy outfit that ran/runs excellent equipment. They have a lousy reputation because they are a lousy company with lousy managers and lousy dispatchers.

But, as far I know about JB, Schneider, Werner, etc. they are as good as anyone else.

Every company has its good points and bad points.

The challenge is to find a company that can reasonably accomodate your needs and you theirs.

There is no one company that suits everyone, you must find one that suits YOU.

Good luck and Happy Trucking!!!!

 

My Fiance had his CDL he just didn't have recent experience (over 5 yrs) he went with Central Refrigeration and is almost finished with his trainer.
Be prepared to not have much of an income for at least six weeks.
He figures he can deal with it for a year and then he will have more choices if he doesn't like Central and won't owe any money for training.

 

You might not have to go to work for one of the "I have more trucks that you outfits". I am working on my last couple of weeks of school and I already have been hired with a smaller company that runs about 50 trucks. So definitely look around and don't close that door on anything unless you know for sure that they won't give you a chance. Study hard, be honest and you might have a chance with about any company out there.