Profile For pacrattswife

Hey TruckingTruth,

I will begin orientation/training with Crete Carrier Corp. on May 19. It will be an 8 week training program, and then I will become a solo OTR driver. I will do my best to keep you updated as I go through the process. If anyone is interested in more detailed info on Crete, please feel free to ask. Also, feel free to ask any questions about my entire process from start to finish. I will be more than happy to pay it forward and help on the same forum that has helped me. Good luck to all my fellow newbies out there that are headed for the same process. Wish me luck!

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I know this is an old thread, but is there anything new going on, are you still with Crete? Update pls!!!

I just heard on SiriusXM Roaddog Trucking, that some states (such as Ohio) are now beginning to put restrictions on the actual license of a CDL holder if they can only drive an automatic.

Think AZ is like that too

Man, people really suck, don't they? Ruining it for everyone else. That's too bad. I'm thinking I'll go with Prime, for a number of reasons. But thanks for the heads up!

Yes they do, I hope you like it! I'm a daughter of a long time trucker and wife to a new trucker, thinking of doing teams with him so hopefully everyone including you are happy with whatever options we choose 😊

Hello ladies,

I'm brand new here on the forums, and pretty new to the trucking world. I'm wanting to join a company that will do the CDL training as well as all the regular training, that will let me take my dog with me on occasion, and that will have cross country routes. (That's OTR, right? Still learning the lingo.) I live in northern Virginia and was wondering how proximity to training location impacts a company's decision to hire someone. I don't mind living in the area while training, but was wondering if a move to that location is necessary to actually be employed.

I've seen a lot online about Swift, Conway, Prime, and Schneider. They all look pretty good to me. One that has really gotten my attention is Roehl. Have any of you driven for any of these and can say what it's like? I understand being super new I'm not going to get all the prime routes and such the first year or so, so I'm just looking for a good company overall, as well as one that is hopefully amenable to be still living in VA when I'm not out on the road.

Also, I'm super interested in the long drives out, solo or team. I used to tour with bands in a tour bus, so being gone for a month or so at a time is totally no problem. I actually love it, and I miss the schedule, which is why I'm looking at trucking as my next career.

Thanks in advance for any advice you may have!

Hi, I am with my husband while he's working for swift, just want to let u know they have a no pets policy, someone ruined it for everyone, so swift probly wouldn't be the best option if you're wanting g to being a pet 😕

My husband works for swift and we have a crock pot I make quite a few of our meals in, so much better than fast food. Swift doesn't allow for a converter, but anything 12v is acceptable. I am looking for more items that I can cook with, or maybe I just need to figure out how to stock our tiny fridge. There are also some hot plates and a lunch box, that you can cook food in as well. I like the ****pit cause I can cook while he's driving and dnt have to worry about it going everywhere with the bumps. Ive also seen a pot that boils water, you can boil vegetables in there if you dont like canned. You can also bring a little charcoal grill and cook for the night when your parked, good luck!

What fleet or fleets has primarily or all automatic transmissions? Just finished driving school and have no desire to drive a stick.

So to answer the question, so far we have:

Trans Am

US Express

National Carriers

Maverick Transportation

Car Com family

Raiders Express

Averitt Express

Anyone else have knowledge of companies with Auto transmissions?

Swift is moving to an automatic fleet, not sure of the current percentages of manual vs. automatic. I haven't driven a stick since July. Took a while to get used to it...different. Should be a real trick in the snow.

Although you may not want to drive a stick, I think (my opinion) it's important to learn and master that as a skill. It will provide you greater opportunities once you have a year or two of experience.

What I'm wondering if swift is doing automatic next year, will that effect the people that will be coming it of their training? Will they only learn how to drive an automatic which will put a restriction in their license, it would be a smart move on swift if they did that, cause it would be kind of put a limit on who they could go to for work after swift. Hoping they don't do that tho!!

Pacratts- I think husband-wife team is a fantastic plan to save money if you can work it out. A smart, hard working solo company driver can make about $70,000/yr- I might be a little high. As a h/w team, I don't see any reason not to double that, and almost never shut truck off- one drives 11 while other is sleeping, then other drives 11, and repeats. I understand for reefer teams, companies love them- can get coast to coast real quick.

I haven't written about all the negatives and how to work it out. One h/w team said they run hard 2 weeks- 6000+miles/wk; then the 3rd week run like 3000 and take a few days off.

Good luck.

That sounds really good, only have dry van experience currently, I've also heard produce is great money cause it's never slow throughout the year. Worried about swift just treating us like a number on a list, cause right now that's what we are. We were 70 yesterday and now 21 today.... hoping teams get treated different here

Ty both for ur responses, and we hope that teams company drivers (probly not doing o/o) will make us good enough money to save up buying a house, since we decided to live out of the truck to save, still haven't killed eachother yet, score one for us! We go to his parents for home time or mine. So if anyone has experience with company teams h/w or regular that would help as well. Do we need to get into a dedicated, or a company through swift, or will we get better loads if we became teams within swift? And I know alot of ppl say swift is horrible, but if u say it can u give me the reasoning behind it, cause we've done fine working with swift so far. Thnx again!

Its not so much everyone else's negative comments about a company...because that just tells you how THEY interacted with that company...THAT is the magic of it all...every company can end up bad for some people. They go in with preconceived ideas on what THEY want from the company...what THEY are worth...what THEY will accept..WRONG.

The company trains you in their school, trying to make sure you learn and understand all you can. Then they send you out with one of their drivers, to learn everything there is to know out on the road. After you do that, then you are put in your own truck. You are trusted with a vehicle unit worth nearly $200,00.00 empty...then you add on average, another $100,000.00 worth of freight. So do you think you should be able to do things "your way" ??

HECK NO !!

And these people who cry and complain about companies have, somewhere along the way, gone in the ditch, be it schooling, on the practice yard, out with a trainer, or solo for the first time. So many people think that they don't need to "work" in the school.."any fool can drive a truck" mentality. Going to any trucking school is INTENSE...repeat INTENSE.You have to work to get thru any of them. (Thats why we push the High Road..learn before you go). If you are self important on the practice field, you won't learn what you need to know, cuz your mouth will be open talkin' when it should be shut so your ears can hear....The very same thing when they go out with their trainer, EGO...EGO...EGO.

As a newbie driver, you have no ego...you have fear, and uncertainty, and questions...tons and tons of questions...and you better be asking every one of them. And even then, if you clear that hurdle, and you get sent out in your own truck, you will be scared, uncertain, and then have no one (but TT..we'll be here!!) to answer your questions. THATS when you wish you'd spent more time trip planning, and getting familiar with your atlas, and QualComm..But those folks who get in their solo truck with all that ego and nothing else are doomed to failure sooner or later...the ditch will find them.

Theres no place for ego in trucking, ever. You will learn every day you're out there, for as long as your out there. Just ask us old drivers...we learned until the last day we sat in the seat. So when you read, or hear some whiner complain about how the company " did 'em wrong"...just wonder what the person did to run themselves into the "I am the best thing that ever happened to trucking" ditch. You have to go into cdl school with all the early learning you can get...your permit and all the endorsements you can get, and a willing and open mind.And you need to stay that way for as long as you have someone to answer the questions you are going to have.

You do research, alot of it. THEN and only then do YOU pick the company that fits YOU...irregardless of what happened to Ernie Ego, when he was there.... I like this post so much, that i'm going to copy and past it on the general board...maybe it will give some other new folks a different way to look at all the negative whining they see on other sites...

I know this is an old post, but I feel like it's not just,the newer ppl that have an ego, the "super truckers" have them as well, and big ones, my father had one, is that different? And I'm really not being a smartass, just wondering. I understand that yes they have all that experience and know the roads like the back of their hand, but is that a reason to think so high and mighty of themselves? Correct me if I'm wrong, but are all the older truckers like that?

I am totally opposite from all u lovely ladies, I'm a heavy set girl, it's mainly in the hips, butt, and leg region. My husband is a driver and I am OTR with him, I don't have issues getting in and out of the passenger side, but a little difficulty on the driver side, which I hate. We're planning on doing teams, and I'm worried about my testing I would need to do, anyone know about what type of physical swift does for woman?