Where would you start out at?

Depending on your attitude and how much you can take, I'd say go with just about anyone. Me? I can do a year standing on my head in the worst of hell holes. So if a company will train me and give me miles to build up my cash flow, I'll put up with pretty much anything for a year until I get that golden experience under my belt.

Now, having said that, there are individuals who will tell you to stay away from certain companies. But in the long run, it's up to you and what you think you can do.

 

I am in your situation. I dont have a CDL and want to get one. Easiest way, from what i see, to get one is thru a company willing to train. Companies like Swift, want you for atleats 2 years. They will take out $15-18 out of each check per week to pay for your half of training. I am waiting to hear back from Schneider, but the three I am looking at are Swift, MCT and Schneider. Like someone once said on here, anybody you go to will teach you enough to get your CDL. The real learning happens on the road.

 

Just read another post here that stated Schneider isn't hiring noobs right now..

 

I would do everything exactly the way I did it and end up with Werner. I might skip the week at Scneider though this time. A good change I would make is to hire one of those 300 buck get your cdl short truck automatic things to get my CDL BEFORE going to school that way I'm focused more on the learning and less on the passing the test.

 

That's a hard question to answer. If you've got money to last awhile it makes it much easier. I'd go to a community college for my CDL and I'd do my own leg work for a job. I'd get a list of trucking companies in my area, weed through them to get rid of the truck rentals and such then go out and see them. Everyone that knows me will say I'm strickly against recruiters and the bottom feeders for trucking companies. I'd go to the companies that even say they want experience. The only thing they can say is no. Then after you've spent weeks searching out a job and come up empty then you can go with the companies with the high turnover rate. I believe the best companies have drivers that retire and don't advertise for drivers.

If you don't have the money then you're kind of stuck with who you can go with. Whatever you do don't just take one person's word for it. And above all find a job you're happy to go to work with.

 

it's a regional thing.. I think they are still hiring noobs in the Denver area (but I could be wrong. It's happened before. I think)

 

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