Profile For William C.

Fancy a full body shave? Don't forget to pluck the eyelashes, or that nose hair.

Sorry Steve but if you are sent for a hair drug test but have no hair at all you can't do the test and its the same as a refusal.

OK I'm drug free but I keep the hair on my head very short. Will that be am issue or can they take an arm hair/ leg hair etc.

William, I've never driven team except for the time I spent with a trainer, and we always did around 6,000 miles.

As a new team with both drivers being new I would say you can count on around 4,700 to 5,200 miles for a few months and then as you get better at it, and your dispatcher grows more confident in your abilities, there's no reason why they shouldn't be dispatching you 5,000 to 6,000 miles in a week. Understand though that it takes a little while to get used to running that many miles every week. Basically you (as a team) are working 22 hours out of the 24 available to you each day every day of the week. You may decide you want to take a little break or something and that will have a negative effect on your ability to accomplish that much.

This is a rewarding career for me, I love it, but I find a lot of new drivers who just think it is way too much work for them. It's a lot like being self employed, if you are the type of people who like to get a lot accomplished and don't mind busting your tails to make something happen you will be able to do real well as a team. If you are accustomed to punching a clock and doing just enough to get by to get your forty hours in you are in for a wake up call as you get introduced to the realities of the road.

Thanks ! I do punch a clock but we also own our own business and understand the needs of "getting the job done" as opposed to "just getting by". I do appreciate your honesty and input!

Hello! I've been talking to a couple of recruiters. 2 of them told me that as a team we could expect between 5-6k miles a week. Another recruiter told me since we will be brand new drivers that the first six weeks we won't see as many miles because we're new but after the six weeks we could expect between 5-6k a week. I was just wondering if these numbers are realistic, overestimated, or underestimated. I'm always concerned that recruiters tell you what you want to hear not what is factual. Any input would be greatly appreciated.

Congratulations!

Dear Friends,

I set out a couple of months ago to start a new career at 56 yrs old. I needed the mobility of trucking because of the age of my parents and my wife's. I finished 4 weeks of school and passed my CDL test. I spent almost 3 weeks with a trainer and passed my audition last Thursday and was assigned my own truck. It is a "well used" 04 Freightliner Columbia but seems to run OK. 12.7 liters of Detroit diesel. Not a DD15, but I'll work up to that.

Sunday morning I'll set out on my first solo run to Ohio. I hope I don't make any bonehead mistakes. I am as ready as I can be to take this on.

I can't wait to be able to take my dog along. She has been giving me the cold shoulder since I started all this, since she was my traveling companion for over 4 years. She hates it when I leave without her. So do I.

Wish me well!

Wayne

Congratulations! I hope to be joining you in a few months.

Welcome aboard William.

I wouldn't worry too much just yet about researching companies. You're maybe getting ahead of yourself a bit.

Make sure you go through our Truck Driver's Career Guide before you make any decisions about which type of schooling you want, which school you'll attend, or which company you'll work for. There are a lot of considerations.

But you'll start with choosing a school:

Truck Driver's Career Guide: Choosing A Truck Driving School

How To Choose A Truck Driving School

Then, long before you begin your schooling you'll get started on our High Road Training Program. It's an online CDL training course which will prepare you to take the written CDL permit exam and all of the CDL endorsement exams. It also has sections that cover Logbook Hours Of Service Regulations and Truck Weight And Balance. Neither of those two subject areas are covered very well in training but you'll need them every day of your life out on the road.

Finally, if you'd like to learn more about life in the trucking industry, including some stories from the road, My Book is free to read online. You'll get a lot out of it. It's an easy read.

So take your time and do your research about the industry itself and the career path you'll be following. There's a lot to understand about the industry. The more you know, the better your decisions will be.

Everyone thanks so much for the feedback!

Bret just finished your book yesterday! It was awesome and I really enjoyed it. Got pumped up and excited about getting on the road ( except for New York :) )

Old school! I had previously ruled out reefers but maybe I need to reconsider it.

Hello! My wife and I are about to get our CDL as soon as we pay ahead some bills for the time were in training. I have been researching various companies and so far I have an interest in Schneider, and Averrit. Does anyone have any feedback about those companies or any suggestions for other companies for me to consider. Also, we were told that flatbed companies usually don't have teams is that correct?

I'd suggest looking at Company-Sponsored Training. I wouldn't limit yourselves to just two companies. Check out the others there.

Do keep in mind, you and your spouse will goto school at the same time, but train separately. Once you both finish then you can team up.

As for flatbed teams, I don't know.

David thanks for your response. We haven't limited our search to those two companies, I've been looking at several companies and I've narrowed it down to those two so far. Still in research faze :). I'm very apprehensive about company sponsored programs. I want to get all the training I can and I don't want to be limited to the type of equipment and rules that company has. Its not so much the cost of the school that has me concerned its the time off without a paycheck that does. A local company in knoxville trains in 3 weeks granted classes are 12 hour days but to me that's worth it.

Hello! My wife and I are about to get our CDL as soon as we pay ahead some bills for the time were in training. I have been researching various companies and so far I have an interest in Schneider, and Averrit. Does anyone have any feedback about those companies or any suggestions for other companies for me to consider. Also, we were told that flatbed companies usually don't have teams is that correct?