Profile For RedKnight

I've only been driving truck for 18 months. I'm home every night and every weekend. I work for R&L Carriers, making $22.10 per hour, average 9.5 hours a day. After 3 years, I'll be making $27 per hour, with cost of living increases every year thereafter. Our benefits are also great. I spent most of my life in an office, and got layed-off at age 57 when my company downsized. I could not get another job in my field, so I went to CDL school. There are so many opportunities in this industry, and its too bad this fellow ripped the entire industry. Even though I drive locally, I have seen some of the most amazing sunsets driving Westbound interstate 78 in PA. Not going to see that in any office. I also like the fact that Im never stuck in one place all day.

Hey Redknight two guys from my school are driving for NFI on their Trader Joes accounts. They both like what they are doing and are say they make $1100 to 1200 a week. They have been there 6 months and are dispatched from the Nazareth area. The only concern is that the Major Medical is VERY expensive. I have considered going with them and if my wifes benefit package changes I might be there myself. Good Luck!

Hey Rich....Thank you so much for your response. I just bumped into a tanker driver Friday at a Wawa, and he has been driving tanker for them for 7 years and is also happy with them. The company I drive for now also has very expensive, so I am paying for my own policy with Blue Cross Blue Shield. It is good to know two of your friends are there and like it. The driver I met said there are all kinds of ways to make money with them. Example, they asked if anyone was interested in running to Florida and back for a trip, and the driver who took it made almost $2K! I am hoping to start with them in mid March. Thanks again and best of luck to you.

RK

I have a chance to drive for NFI, in Pennsylvania, specifically local tanker, with their Nestle contract. Wanted to touch base here to see if there were any drivers that could tell me pros and cons to help me with my decision. Any advice would be helpful. I'm a new driver, got licensed in July and have been driving for RIST LTL since Sept.

I drove for Schneider for 4 months before being recalled to flying job back in February. My experience, albeit a brief one, was an overwhelmingly positive one with Schneider. I can absolutely say that I enjoyed my time there and can recommend it as an excellent place to get your start in the industry.

Specifically, I appreciated the company's safety culture (it is not merely lip service at SNI, they are extremely safety-conscious), excellent training with instructors who genuinely cared about making sure that the drivers were safe and competent before being released on their own, constant freight (it was rare not to be pre-assigned a new load before delivering my current one), support from my Driver Business Leader and other administrative staff, and so on. I was also glad that they had a large number of divisions to choose from, had I decided to stay in the industry. I was based in Charlotte in the Van Division, but it was my goal to eventually go Intermodal since I live near the port in Wilmington, NC and would have been able to transfer eventually without switching companies. Living in PA, you'll have the option of switching divisions or picking up a dedicated route, also, should you choose to do so.

In short, I found Schneider to be a quality organization that lives up to its core values of Safety, Integrity, Respect, and Excellence. And no, I'm not a recruiter! :-) I was just very impressed with the company during my time there.

Been doing driving sessions the last three weeks at the school, finished yesterday, test tomorrow. So I haven't been on here for a while I do have another question though about Schneider.....Their dedicated jobs indicate 5 days out and two days home. One of the instructors at our school said that two days home means...you'd get home on a Tuesday AM and leave the next afternoon. Can you confirm that?

I drove for Schneider for 4 months before being recalled to flying job back in February. My experience, albeit a brief one, was an overwhelmingly positive one with Schneider. I can absolutely say that I enjoyed my time there and can recommend it as an excellent place to get your start in the industry.

Specifically, I appreciated the company's safety culture (it is not merely lip service at SNI, they are extremely safety-conscious), excellent training with instructors who genuinely cared about making sure that the drivers were safe and competent before being released on their own, constant freight (it was rare not to be pre-assigned a new load before delivering my current one), support from my Driver Business Leader and other administrative staff, and so on. I was also glad that they had a large number of divisions to choose from, had I decided to stay in the industry. I was based in Charlotte in the Van Division, but it was my goal to eventually go Intermodal since I live near the port in Wilmington, NC and would have been able to transfer eventually without switching companies. Living in PA, you'll have the option of switching divisions or picking up a dedicated route, also, should you choose to do so.

In short, I found Schneider to be a quality organization that lives up to its core values of Safety, Integrity, Respect, and Excellence. And no, I'm not a recruiter! :-) I was just very impressed with the company during my time there.

Shaun...Sorry I didn't reply sooner, I've been in a blur the last two weeks as I started the driving part of the school. Thanks so much for your input. You have helped me decide to stay with my first choice, Schneider.

Good deal! I don't think you'll be disappointed with your decision to start there. It's a great place to get started, but what impressed me the most were the number of drivers who'd been there for 10, 15, 20 years and more. That, to me, speaks volumes about the culture there.

Been doing driving sessions the last three weeks at the school, finished yesterday, test tomorrow. So I haven't been on here for a while I do have another question though about Schneider.....Their dedicated jobs indicate 5 days out and two days home. One of the instructors at our school said that two days home means...you'd get home on a Tuesday AM and leave the next afternoon. Can you confirm that?

I drove for Schneider for 4 months before being recalled to flying job back in February. My experience, albeit a brief one, was an overwhelmingly positive one with Schneider. I can absolutely say that I enjoyed my time there and can recommend it as an excellent place to get your start in the industry.

Specifically, I appreciated the company's safety culture (it is not merely lip service at SNI, they are extremely safety-conscious), excellent training with instructors who genuinely cared about making sure that the drivers were safe and competent before being released on their own, constant freight (it was rare not to be pre-assigned a new load before delivering my current one), support from my Driver Business Leader and other administrative staff, and so on. I was also glad that they had a large number of divisions to choose from, had I decided to stay in the industry. I was based in Charlotte in the Van Division, but it was my goal to eventually go Intermodal since I live near the port in Wilmington, NC and would have been able to transfer eventually without switching companies. Living in PA, you'll have the option of switching divisions or picking up a dedicated route, also, should you choose to do so.

In short, I found Schneider to be a quality organization that lives up to its core values of Safety, Integrity, Respect, and Excellence. And no, I'm not a recruiter! :-) I was just very impressed with the company during my time there.

Shaun...Sorry I didn't reply sooner, I've been in a blur the last two weeks as I started the driving part of the school. Thanks so much for your input. You have helped me decide to stay with my first choice, Schneider.

Hi all,

Well, I started the driving portion of CDL school last week, got help from a bunch here on backing. Need more help. When the instructor is in the cab, I can do the serpentine backup it without any trouble. When I'm in it alone, I can start OK, then I seem to draw a blank on the reference points, then panic, then get lost. Frankly, since my family's livelihood depends on me getting the CDL A, the pressure has been tremendous. I'm having trouble sleeping, I have a nervous stomach all the time, and I have never been like that in my life. I have had 3 skills sessions on the range so far, and tonight they are taking me out on the road for 4 hours. Frankly, I'm pretty worried, my very anxious as I write this, watching the clock till I have to leave at 3:45PM. After tonight, I am on the road again Thursday AM, 4 hours, then Friday AM, 4 hours. Then it's back to skills next with just a total of 5 sessions left before I get tested. If anyone can help me on how to remember the reference points on the serpentine back-up, and any tips on getting rid of this anxiety, would be very helpful. Thanks in advance.

Hi all,

Well, I started the driving portion of CDL school last week, got help from a bunch here on backing. Need more help. When the instructor is in the cab, I can do the serpentine backup it without any trouble. When I'm in it alone, I can start OK, then I seem to draw a blank on the reference points, then panic, then get lost. Frankly, since my family's livelihood depends on me getting the CDL A, the pressure has been tremendous. I'm having trouble sleeping, I have a nervous stomach all the time, and I have never been like that in my life. I have had 3 skills sessions on the range so far, and tonight they are taking me out on the road for 4 hours. Frankly, I'm pretty worried, my very anxious as I write this, watching the clock till I have to leave at 3:45PM. After tonight, I am on the road again Thursday AM, 4 hours, then Friday AM, 4 hours. Then it's back to skills next with just a total of 5 sessions left before I get tested. If anyone can help me on how to remember the reference points on the serpentine back-up, and any tips on getting rid of this anxiety, would be very helpful. Thanks in advance.

im looking to start a new career so im looking to find a good company that pays for CDL training but im not sure which ones are best as in pay starting out and everything else that goes along starting a trucking career any feedback would be great

If at all possible, get a loan for a private school. then you'll have much better choices

While going through Oklahoma City a wheeler once again was not looking where she was going and this time I was caught up in four wheeler drama. I don't know how to embed video in post so you will have to click the link below

Video of how my day went

Sorry about your day buddy, but thank God you and she are OK. Camera may have just paid for itself. Where do you get somrthing like that?