Yet Another "Which Company" Thread...

Hi guys,

Okay, so here's my quick story...

Both of my grandfathers were truckers, driving for Pacific Intermountain Express from the 1950's - 1970's.



before one of my grandfathers retired, he stopped by my house with his rig. I was 5 years old, but I still remember it like it was yesterday. It set off something in me that exists to this day.

At age 7, I would lock myself in my room, lay on the floor, and pour over the maps my grandfather gave me....tracing the lines all over the country with my finger and dreaming of following them one day.

When I was 8, the very last section of I-5 was opening just down the street from my house (Stockton to Sacramento). I begged my parents to take me. My poor parents couldn't figure out why their weird kid wanted to go see a freeway open, and said no. I actually cried.

They quickly figured it out though, and from then on, they (along with my grandfathers) worked diligently to discourage me from the idea of driving a truck. In my early 20's I got my first office job, and the dream faded, though it never fully died.

Now, here I am 20 years later. Office life, which was never enjoyable, has become unbearable. I sit in my chair like a 7 year old without his ADHD meds. I escape to be outside every moment I get.

I dream of the road. I never really stopped.

My step-daughter is basically grown - she turns 18 in a few months and unfortunately, we aren't terribly close. My marriage is such that my being out of the house for long periods of time would probably help more than hurt. I'm 43 years old and in good health. It may be now or never. I don't have a huge ego. I don't talk much, and I listen and observe a lot. I'm the opposite of those people who think they are God's gift to this or that (trucking in this case). I'm God's gift to nobody. I want to learn from safe, capable, professional drivers, so that one day I might become one too.

I'm located in Sacramento, which I know could be challenging on several fronts. I have no issue with working for a starter company for a year to pay back school debt, so I'm looking at training with a company instead of an independent school. Through pouring over these forums for hours, it seems that Prime, Knight, Crete, Gordon, Roehl, Millis and Schneider seem to be decent outfits to start out with - with Swift as a "meh", and a "stay the hell away" rating for England among others.

So I guess I'm asking a few questions...

1. Does it sound like I have the background to potentially make it as an OTR driver?
2. Any recommendations of a quality trucking company with their own training that runs through central CA often enough to get me home a couple days a month?
That's all I can think of for now. I'll fill in more as necessary if I've forgotten things. Thanks in advance for any advice y'all may have.

 

if u have a career that pays the bills, stay with it. but if ur hearts set on it, go for it

 

I don't know that you are financially astute but if you can pay a local accredited school to go there then you wouldn't owe anyone for your schooling then you would have more choices to go with, These companies that will take you and train you are a crap shoot if you get a good trainer then fine if not then you will not make it, I know you being older and like me when I went through my local community College, I want to suggest that you gain the confidence through the training you get at a local school, Then you can go to Watkins and Shepard and they will send you through their 10 Orientation making sure they are confident to send you out in a truck, once you have completed the 10 day and they know you can handle a truck out by yourself then they set you loose, they don't just let you go, they give you every phone number to call if you have an issue. I was just like you, I did other things and then rekindled that dream and so ere I am! I don't know it all but I can find a liar in the crowd every time! Take Care!

 

Thanks luvtotruck. The one area where I've come up snake eyes is in finding a good local, independent school in my area (Sacramento, CA). No community colleges in my area offer any training, and the predominant school in the area (Western) has a spotty record to say the least.

If anyone is aware of a quality school within 100 miles of me, I'd definitely love to hear about it!

 

Do you understand what first year pay is like? You live in California with a family and a good job. Lot's of guys on here hear "truckings good money", then are crying that their ###### company started them at 35K. Can you live on money like that for a year or two?

 

Seems like you have weighed all the angles and want to live your dream.

You do understand it's a tough life? Heartless a lot of the time?

Seems like you've done your research, so do it before you are too old to do so.

Where you live, my first choice would be Gordon.

I know Millis has a school, good company.

Roehl has a school, good company.

Talk to each company and see where the hiring is.

Good luck.

 

[FONT=Times New Roman, Times, serif]1787 Tribute Rd.
Suite L
Sacramento, CA 95815
Office: (916) 550-9650

Try this one...Commercial Drivers Learning Center....
[/FONT]

 

Are there good $55,000-$65,000/yr jobs in trucking??

You bet.

Recommend you get your 'B' first. Bus company or school district.

An easy route is to sign up with a school district or bus company that will train you on their dime. Typically they pay for EVERYTHING--medical, written test, skills test and provide the test vehicle--as long as you commit for a while as a substitute driver. I did this after I let my CDL go for many, many years. Got great training, air brake and passenger endorsements. Didn't have to drive school bus much. I was the substitute from HELL. My kids would warn those who hadn't been on my bus before that I would stop the bus, which I did. If they wanted to get home, they had to behave. Very, very part-time.

Then do some part-time weekends or whenever on a straight truck with your 'B'. IMO hooking up with a mega carrier is a huge mistake. Your Class 'B' CDL will open up a boat load of straight truck jobs, get you home every night. I schlepped propane tanks for a short while. Owner was nicely irritated when I quit to move over to an LTL outfit. But going in I told him my plans and that I would only stay until he found a 'real' propane tank schlepper. When a really good guy applied, I quickly gave notice.

Sound boring? Maybe. But you'll sleep in your own bed every night and get some experience with a large profile vehicle. I solved my 'itch' in California for a long time by delivering horse corral parts with an F350 power stroke and 24 foot trailer. Did not require a CDL as did not have duallies. All directions ended with, 'when the pavement ends.' It was great. I met lots of horses in the strangest places, like a block off tony El Paseo Drive in trendy Palm Desert.

And all the horror stories about the mega starter carriers you read here on TTR, including Gordon, Werner, Swift, England, etc.?????

Believe 'em. Believe me. Just believe 'em all. Low pay. Ridiculous hours.


/By the way, P-I-E (pronounced Pee-Eye-Eee) was a great company, Teamsters. Nothing like your mega starter carriers. Drivers and dockworkers had seniority, rights, great pay and pretty darn good working conditions. Benefits. The mega starter carriers are in a completely different universe. Dr. Who, where are you now??

 

Yep, been doing lots of research. I figure $28,000 in my first year is probably in the ballpark of what I can expect.

And Sacramento isn't like the rest of California. The cost of living here isn't that over the top. It's comparable to Las Vegas, Phoenix, Dallas and Salt Lake City, and cheaper than places like Portland, Seattle and Denver - especially if you rent instead of own....as I do.

My wife makes really good money, and we were already making plans to rent a smaller, cheaper house with the kid slowly making her way out into the world.

Believe me, I've read enough to know that there's NO good money in trucking for the first few years, and only potentially decent to good money several years down the line (if you make good choices, have some business savvy, and just a tiny bit of luck).

As much as possible, I'm approaching this with my eyes wide open.

 

Thanks! Those are definitely three companies that I've seen come up pretty consistently here in the forum. I'll definitely continue to look further into each of them.