Profile For Phil W.

I am blind in my left eye, but have been driving a car for over 2o years with no accidents. The exemption, right now requires me to drive intrastate for 3yrs. then apply for a federal exemption that will allow me to drive interstate.

Hey gang, I know it has been over 2yrs. since I have posted, but I finanlly got my cdl w/hazmat, tanker , dbles endorsments. I graduated in december 2016, but I have put applications everywhere I know, interviewed at coke, pepsi, r.h. barringer, cookout, and nobody seems to want to hire me due to the fact I cant drive out of state for 3yrs due to a vision exemption. FMCSA has proposed to reduce it to 1yr. or to drop the requirement altogether, but that was back in 2013, I am hoping with all the changes going on in the DOT that maybe they have not gotten to it yet. I am so frustrated, I finally got my cdls and now it seems I am not meant to drive. Places like sysco, mclane, gsf, or pate dawson require experience, which is what Im trying to get. I would be willing to take a pay cut to what I am currently making and work a parttime job to get the experience but I am almost to the point of giving up. Anybody has any suggestions I would greatly appreciate it. I have looked into all the previous suggestions and most required experience. All I want to do is provide choices for my 2 daughters.

Hey gang, I recently found out that im going to be restricted to driving intrastate only b/c of my vision impairment until i can file for a federal vision exemption that will allow me to drive interstate. But that has to be 3 yrs from now to gain experience..But my question to you guys is if anybody knows of any local jobs in north carolina...other than pepsi, coke, cheerwine, etc. I want to drive flatbed but I realize iI may not be able to. I would appreciate any help. I will be starting my cdl school next month.

Hey gang, I recently found out that im going to be restricted to driving intrastate only b/c of my vision impairment until i can file for a federal vision exemption that will allow me to drive interstate. But that has to be 3 yrs from now to gain experience..But my question to you guys is if anybody knows of any local jobs in north carolina...other than pepsi, coke, cheerwine, etc. I want to drive flatbed but I realize iI may not be able to. I would appreciate any help. I will be starting my cdl school next month.

Hi Phil, I know how difficult decisions are when you have to consider other's needs also. Like Brett said, don't limit yourself to thinking of only 1 or 2 companies. Roehl Transport has a flatbed division, their training is fast, and they have some of the best home time options available. I am not sure about the flatbed division, but once I finish school and have my CDL I will be out with a trainer 10 to 14 days and then be a rookie solo driver. Some folks may look at that and think it is way too fast, but Roehl is one of the safest companies in the industry from what I have researched and the main reason I decided to come here. I know there are TT members that have driven for Roehl and a few recent graduates on here. It doesn't matter what any of us think about a particular company however, as you need to decide what works for you and your family. Best of luck to you and like Deb said, January will be here before you know it!

Thank You Jolie R....I will definetely take a look at Roehl..I'm just sooo ready to work..and make things happen..

Of course, also consider the benefits package. Insurance coverage for your family, unless your wife's new job will cover that. Regardless of who you choose, hang in there Phil, January/February will be here before you know it!!

Thank you Deb, a womans input is always eye opening..I really didn't pay close attention to the benefits..just always thought their all about the same, some more expensive than others..

Hey Phil....a lot of companies can get you home every weekend. TMC is one that can. A lot of dry van companies also have options for getting you home on the weekends too like Roehl, Schneider, Swift, etc.

If you're considering flatbed then obviously you're not afraid of the physical work. In that case you might consider looking into Werner Enterprises or US Xpress because both of them have accounts with the dollar store chains. Those accounts are hard work - you have to unload the freight from the trailers to a set of rollers yourself - but the pay is great and you're home on weekends. I did it for a year and that was enough of that. It wears you out after a while. But if you want to make all the money you can that first year and get home as often as possible then that's a great option. Once you get some experience you'll have a lot more opportunities open up with good pay and home time.

Thanks Brett, that sounds right up my ally..is it hard for a rookie to get that run?

Welcome Phill! I know how you feel about struggling financially. I was in your shoes minus the children.

First of all, do not job-hop three times for your first year. I'm sorry Driver, but that just kills your work porfolio. These companies invest a ton of money to train you and staying there for a full year is the best thing for yourself. Do a year of safe driving and you'll have companies knocking on your doorstep! Going to multiple companies just shows your future employers that you aren't loyal and don't have any sense of commitment.

Secondly, trucking is extremely tough on the family! It's tougher for your wife than it is for you because only thing you have to worry about is your job. But when you leave for weeks you give all of your duties and responsibilities to your wife. You change the lightbulbs, you fix the leaky sink, you change the oil in the car, now all of these things will fall on her shoulder. She is already a very busy person and she will be adding even more of a workload on herself. Make sure both of you understand this.

You definitely want to be home as much as possible, but finding that kind of job is not always possible. You will probably have to stick with it until either your 6th months or 1 year experience. You could possibly get lucky and land a job that would take you home more often with 6months experience but don't bet on it.

As far as Melton vs Prime. I personally think Melton runs a better flatbed operation. I'm saying this and I work at Prime currently. Prime charges you for all of the flatbed equipment which adds up to at least 3 grand, they take it out of each weeks paycheck slowly. But that's still money spent that shouldn't be.

Meltons Hometime policy is also more lenient than Primes. Prime is a strict minimum of three weeks on the road before you can go home. There's no going home every two weeks at Prime.

And this is just my opinion, and we dislike telling people that X is better than Y but for your situation I can honestly say in my personal opinion that Melton would fit your life better. I can easily say Prime is better because I work here but I care more about your well-being than recruiting for my company.

Thanks a bunch Daniel B>>My gut was telling me Melton..I didn't mean to put you on the spot about X or Y..I do understand and am grateful for your genuine honesty and character..I look forward to the journey in the flatbed division. I like staying busy..and am no stranger to manual labor..and can't wait to provide for my family like a true man is supposed to. I will keep updating as my progress continues.

Again, Thanks,

Phil

I forgot to mention I've been trucking for 3 years now. My 1st year of trucking was crazy because I changed employers often to maximize my pay when I was eligible with the amount of experience I had gained. Not sure if this will help you but I wish I could just easily tell you which company to go with but you really have to weigh out the pro's and cons based on your needs.

Thanks "Driver" for the input.. I can definitely see your reasons for doing that..we have to do what is neccessary for our families..I'm sure that was a trial as well..

Phil