Where to go?

Ive been looking at several training/hiring companys.Ive got some things on my driving record and made some calls to about 15 places today.I was told as long as Im clean as far as criminal history and accidents that it could be looked past.I am in need of guidance as ive lost my job have a 1 year old son and a wife,Where do I need to go to make some money get the training I need AND NOT GET SCREWED.Ive ran across allot of these posts about swift/pam/england/stevens people almost come through the screen and scream STAY AWAY.Scares me because right now I cant afford to get screwed.Who is a good company to get trained paid while trained get me on the road and make a decent mans paycheck.

 

couple speeding tickets 2 of them are going on there 3rd year they will be off very soon.

 

OK, easy enough. Back here in the real world. And this is not aimed at Arrow in particular, just the OTR life in general.

$.34 a mile on paper sounds good, but your really gonna miss that extra 10 cents a mile very shortly.

$275 a quarter is better than a swift kick[sic], but figure it out by month. Not much to get excited about. Then again, anybody that cant claim a safe miles bonus 100% of the time does not belong on the road anyways.

$30 tarp pay sounds great until the first time you actually do it. Forget a windy day, forget sitting in your truck driving down the road for 10 hours and then having to drag those big buggers around. Forget about when its rainy, or the 102F outside. You'll begin to wonder if $130 would be enough money. Oh, now your all nasty grime hot and sweaty. Go take yourself a baby wipe bath in the truck. Cause most customers don't want you in their bathroom cause your a nasty truck driver (ponder that one next time some fat ### stinking trucker walks by you). And you don't get a shower for 3 more days. Showers take time you don't have, and money you aint making. Bring lots and lots of baby wipes...

Detention pay. HA!!! Get real. Your dispatcher is out to make the company money, and not piss off the customer. You come in dead last. Forget it, it doesn't exist in the real world.

Layover Pay DOUBLE HA!!! See above. Go to war with your dispatcher, otherwise you'll make more money flipping burger at McDonalds. It is simple math.

Having no family ties is a definite step in the right direction, but consider this. You have a mortgage, why? You will be home for "maybe" 3 days in a months time (if you are lucky), remember Arrow says 30 - 40 days out. The first day home you SLEEP that's all you will want to do sleep sleep sleep. The next day is yours, hopefully. Last day you need to do laundry, get the house put back together, and fix all those little things that broke in your home while nobody was there to maintain it. Your dispatcher is already hollering and wants you back in the truck. BTW, who is watching your house when you are away? Why would you own a home and only be there at the very most 3 days a month? Its just not worth owning anymore. Oh yeah, your car has been parked for a month too, be prepared to have somebody come jump start it for you the moment you get back to the terminal. Next stop is a car wash. It will have about an inch or more of dust on it. You sure don't need a nice new car, and car payment to drive it 3 days a month. Buy a raggedy old $300 beater and leave it at the terminal.

Next thing is probably the most saddest statement of all, but in my thinking one of the main draws to becoming an OTR driver.

"Seeing the Sites" Think this over real careful. You are in San Diego less than a mile from the ocean, you can smell the ocean breeze, you can hear the sea gulls and other ocean going wildlife critters. Guess what? You aint never gonna see that ocean. Know why? Because you have a 48 or 53' trailer and big truck. You cant just drive down to the beach and throw out a blanket for a picnic. Why? Because its a 53' trailer, you dont know if you can turn around, you dont know what bridge clearances are ahead, and you dont belong there in a semi truck trailer. They'll haul your butt to jail. You dont have time because you are glued to the CB listened for your truck to be called to load/unload. You need sleep (not log book sleep) but real sleep (which you aren't getting because you are listening to the CB for your truck number to be called) you aren't in a good neighborhood, so you listen all night to the padlocks on your trailer being tested by the local rats.

Of course you can schedule your "off time" near the ocean or near a mountain. Find a truck stop that will let you park your rig for your time off (if that's possible) and get a rental car. But then again, you own a home and haven't checked on it for over a month now, so maybe you should be home checking on the status of your house?

Please don't take this as a discouraging post against becoming an OTR truck driver. Lots of great reasons to give this job a shot. But! ! ! Go into it with both eyes wide open

 

wow that will smack you in the face