What is the story on becoming a long haul trucker?

Bolo, I find your post hard to believe. I can't believe a trucking company would have such an attitude about one of its green drivers. Actually, I CAN believe it, knowing what trucking is like and what companies like Swift pull on newbies. Now....I wonder what this outfit's insurance company thinks of their practice? They send you on one round trip and that's it....you're then ready for the road? Says who?

Man, let me tell ya--after your training school is finished, you need to go with an actual driver trainer for a little while. One trip to Cally is not enough, my friend. You don't learn nearly enough at mills to be able to solo drive right out of the gate or soon after. You need several weeks of observed driving with a qualified observer/trainer at the very minimum. Going with a trainer is critical to becoming a safe driver, not to mention critical for being able to do things like chain up and making minor repairs.

For your sake, as well as everyone else's sake, make sure you have about 3-4 weeks of training between graduation and when you get those keys tossed your way.

One round-trip to Cally isn't nearly enough for a green newbie. And right now you are one of those.

 

You'll find getting a local job will be tougher than an OTR. However, a local job would definitely have advantages. If you drive within the same area and you are punching a time clock you usually do not need to keep a log book or worry about hours. Though I'm not sure about Canadian rules on that. You don't have to worry about border crossings, permits for states like Oregon, weigh stations (unless you have one near you), parking at truck stops, showers, food, boredom. etc. and most important... getting home to the family.

 

Due to insurance purposes, most companies around here won't hire you for local work unless you have the otr experience under your belt. If you can get hired local right after getting your CDL go for it.....

 

After three months of driving, I got hired for a local route. I told them I didn't have any experiance backing up or driving around towns. They sent me on a 700km trip at night to a place I've never seen to do deliveries, by MYSELF!
Needless to say I quit after only six days. Make sure you are confident behind the wheel and actually know what you are doing, otherwise you are unsafe to everyone on the road including yourself.

 

You can reach out and some of the Canadian forums that are out there and see if there's any companies that are hiring that are looking for a team driver try to get teamed up with an older hand that can show you some of the ropes,once you got about 6 months to a year under your belt and I stress the year, then maybe step off into a solo position. but still be very careful as far as local Jobs go if you don't have any experience backing and you hire on with a company that puts you in the middle of a major town with 17 drops on your trailer you're going to have a hard time even with a trainer in the truck with you backing in at 17 drops and delivering in heavy traffic is something to the effect of getting smacked in the face for a newbie.
I'm sure there's a couple Canadian forums out there Google and find out and then Reach Out there's a lot of good drivers out of Canada that would have no problem giving you a hand brother. And by the way my friend good luck on your new adventure as a truck driver.

 

The OP has been driving for 12 years.

 

Your company throwing you the keys after just one load delivery long haul is doing you a great disservice.

You have to develop stamina, you need to learn so many things associated with delivering that load to the minute to meet appt times, weather, routes, legality of routes and customer hours as well as your own truck's needs which comes first before yours. (Fuel etc)

If there is something that scares you someone needs to work on it with you. Trucking itself is relatively idiot proof, a dum dum without a diploma can do it. But not everyone can or should with these computer sentient push button rigs.

You are embarking on a journey of a life time. What the school should teach you just enough to get your CDL but your actual learning starts with your first load. And might end with the first thing you hit with that rig.

It's a learning curve. Eating habits, spending issues (It costs money to take care of yourself out here... ) and only .35 a mile which means you are not making money and so on. (They have been paying that for 40 years now almost because most people don't understand how cheap it really is...

 

You're answering a post from 2006. I doubt the OP is still standing by waiting for an answer.
Before you answer a post check the left side of the blue banner at the top of the post. It gives you the date of posting.
Sometimes bringing up an old post is good for the information contained in it but trying to answer a guy from 12 years ago is usually a waste of time.