Profile For GREG D.

Yea, if you can afford to pay for it yourself, like Heavy C said private school would be the best. Unfortunately I don't have that luxury. At any rate, go get it man, best of luck to you.

I am a veteran and I want to get into trucking. My biggest question now is what is best to start out? Do I go with private instruction or company-sponsored? I know going through a company will get me on the road faster and making money faster. If that is the best course of action, does anyone know which companies train in NE Pennsylvania and are the best fit for a new trucker in this area. Also, I know OTR is the way to go to make money, but is it possible to go regional fresh from training? If possible I want to stay around my local area in order to spend time with my daughter.

If you can afford it, go with a private school. (a good one with at least 160 hours BTW training) Go to the nearest school and talk with the faculty. They should be able to tell you which local companies are hiring. I think the marcellus? shale guys are hiring like crazy but you will be working like a dog driving 16 hours a day and most of the time 7 days a week. It's excellent money but little family time. My wife's cousin has been trying to get me into that with him but i would rather be out 2-3 and have a couple days home in a row rather then work and sleep all the time. Just do extensive research and pick out the best plan of action for yourself.

When you say NE PA, where about are you... I'm just off the I-80 exit 101

No worries Mountain Girl, I was in no way offended... You and I seem to be cut from a very similar cloth and I hope that once I'm out on the road with ya we get a chance to break bread together... Being 5'2" I never would have been able to make it to 37 without a GOOD sense o humor. But I really didn't take your comment in any other way then just good advice... In fact I have yet get bad advice on this website and the more I talk to all of you the more excited I get to become one of you.

" People called him the used car salesman lol. That kind of turns me away because there's a reason for the flashy trucks and so forth. "

See...thats what you'll deal with in sales...lol. And yes...I've spent 6yrs in sales.

Exactly right Jimbo. That quote in itself only backs the point i was trying to make...

James,

Not to discourage you but I have been in sales my entire life from vacuum cleaners to jewelry and Cars... I can tell you first hand that it is a thankless job and you will find that it takes AT LEAST 2 years to build a clientele and 2 months is not enough time to establish whether you will flourish or not. In sales you will find that it is feast or famine meaning one month you could make a killing and the next NOTHING...If you are thinking about getting into selling cars I can tell you right now DON'T do it... Cars are the hardest thing out there to sell...

Think about it this way... What other product can you go online and find out " what the website says" is how much the retailer paid for a said vehicle. And people are Jerks about it. They will call you a liar to your face. Expect Kelley Blue books top price for their trade and want to pay the bare minimum for the car you are selling. When i sold cars i worked 12 hours a day 6 days a week and guess what, if you don't sell a car that day cause the weather sucks and nobody comes in, you made exactly $0.00 an hour that day... Sure you take the draw but then you gotta pay that back out of your nest check.

I will tell you that the only sales worth getting into at this time would be pharmaceutical sales and then you are traveling like mad anyways and hoping you make a check... Sales is dying because whatever you are selling, people can find it online and most of the time for less money then you can offer it to them. Guess what, then a truck driver will deliver it... LOL..

Just my 2 cents on the sales experience I have had. The future doesn't look to bright for the salesman!

What are or what were your studying habits before and durring your training.

Get on this website and go throughout the High Road Training Course. I just jump on here every day for a couple hours and pretty soon the questions and answers become like common knowledge...I haven't even picked up my DOT book and feel fairly confident that I can do very well on the written test right now... I'm not saying that you will never need to pick up the DOT manual but I bet one you finish the High Road course that the DOT manual will be like a refresher and maybe teach you things particular to your home state.

Which one is consider better. Where would I make more money. I'm going to go to the school.

The one that best fits your needs is considered better... I would (did) apply to both. Talk to each of the recruiters and see which will best fit you.

If you pick millis make sure you have a diploma or a GED.

I do and I'm actually planning on calling today to speak with a recruiter. I haven't heard anything bad about them yet.

Millis is at the top of my list too. Also looking at Knight. those 2 seem to fit me best but I've got backup plans in Swift and prime.

hi I am trying to get my cdl but I am not sure what companies to look for for my training cause I would have to make money at the same time

Dustin I too have that problem and I have decided to apply to every company based school out there and plan ahead. I know times are tough but what you are going to HAVE to do is find the company that suits you the best and plan to attend school a few months in advance... I personally have decided that it will take me until at least february to get my finances in order to leave my home and even thought the training is "paid" I have just gone with the thinking that that pay will basically only cover my expenses while on the highway. So I am saving as much as possible whether it's $5 a week or more until then and counting on my income tax return and the previously mentioned savings to cover the house bills until I actually get out there on the road. Also, my wife has recently taken a part time job to help on her end...

If that is not possible then you will need to find a night school or a part time school (private) and simply just go with the flow. It will take longer to get your CDL A but it will at least allow you to keep making money while in school. From the research I've done there are no company sponsored schools out there that will pay you a "living wage" while you are in training. I hope that helps and if not I'm sure one of the experienced or rookie driver can offer some better advice.

Man, Brett. You really know how to put things into perspective. It would be crazy cool to run into you somewhere and just bend your ear for a while.

You know, I've been telling these "doubters" that the things they worry about aren't really concerns for me as much as they may think. I mean like I said I've been in the service and with that comes family separation, not quite to the extent that a guy(or gal) alone in a truck separation but that part doesn't worry me as I easily can approach and talk to others with no problem. I know I'm a safe driver I've been driving for far o long and whether it be my motorcycle, car, or the Deuce and a half i drove in the Army I always use the same though process. #1 being the minute I lose respect for the machine I'm operating and think that I've mastered it is the exact moment when that thinking is going to get me into trouble. #2 the Moment that I am not concerned with the other drivers on the road that will also be the moment that tragedy strikes. We as humans can only control so much and the machines that we live with require a certain degree of respect that many take for granted. My real concerns are ones that I'm sure with time and experience will go away and that is mostly city driving as growing up in this small town I rarely experience driving in major cities. In fact the largest city I've ever driven in is Pittsburgh and I think it is laid out worse than most as far as the roads go but I've also never driven west of the Mississippi, so that tells you how much I know.