Profile For Matt S.

If you were to put OTR Drivers on Hourly pay, Store shelves would be empty in a week and they couldn't build enough Truck Stops to warehouse all of the Drivers!

Hourly pay would be bad!!!! I agree with that. That's why I suggest a base salary of 32K to 35K. Rewards for hard work get paid out in bonuses based on mileage pay. Bottom line is that there is no perfect pay system for truck driving. At this point, as the motoring population increases, we need a safer system.

This is a strong case for doing away with the mileage pay system. Instead, a lower base salary with bonuses in mileage pay. Sure this rewards steering wheel holders but if it makes things safer, I am all for it.

Matt, I drove from Ontario CA to Phoenix yesterday, my first trip in the automatic. I NEVER want to push in a clutch pedal EVER AGAIN!!!! Work smarter not harder!

Almost like driving a big Cadillac, huh?

I got my Truck this morning. 2015 Freightliner w/AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION!!!!!!! YAAAAAAYYYYY. 167000 miles. Super clean, I am stoked beyond words. Im on my 30 and on the way to Phoenix. (My home terminal) Then hopefully through the house for some HOMETIME!. More later.

Sweet!!!!! I'm a huge fan of automatics. Truck driving is challenging enough. I like one more thing to make it a little easier and safer

The fear of commitment is understandable, because in this case, it is actually fear of the unknown. Back in November of 2014, I had the same trepidation about going to Swift Academy. Yes, Swift is making a commitment on an unknown quantity but they have vastly more resources to recover from a poor investment, whereas a student could be crushed financially. I realize that life is often unfair but I feel we need to be understanding of both sides of the business transaction. Both company and student have valid fears and concerns. I don't think that the OP necessarily wants something for free because he is too lazy or weak. I cannot fault him for wanting to find the best deal possible; after all, isn't that the American way?

Hello Everyone!

I thank everyone for your replies! I will take all of them into consideration!

Also, if anyone has any more suggestions, I welcome them.

God Bless! Thanks again!

Western Express apparently does not require trucking school. They have a facebook post claiming that all that is necessary is a CDL A to get rolling.

Having driven both, I am a fan of an automatic transmission, if anything, for safety reasons. Your attention is freed from shifting to being on the road.

Unfortunately, right on cue, a fatal wreck just happened when a Tesla car, in 'Autopilot' mode, hit a tractor trailer broadside, killing the driver.

In an article from The Verge titled Tesla driver killed in crash with Autopilot active, NHTSA investigating:

A Tesla Model S with the Autopilot system activated was involved in a fatal crash, the first known fatality in a Tesla where Autopilot was active. The company revealed the crash in a blog post posted today and says it informed the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) of the incident, which is now investigating.

The accident occurred on a divided highway in northern Florida when a tractor trailer drove across the highway perpendicular to the Model S. Neither the driver — who Tesla notes is ultimately responsible for the vehicle’s actions, even with Autopilot on — nor the car noticed the big rig or the trailer "against a brightly lit sky" and brakes were not applied.

In a blog post from Tesla Motors:

When drivers activate Autopilot, the acknowledgment box explains, among other things, that Autopilot “is an assist feature that requires you to keep your hands on the steering wheel at all times," and that "you need to maintain control and responsibility for your vehicle” while using it. Additionally, every time that Autopilot is engaged, the car reminds the driver to “Always keep your hands on the wheel. Be prepared to take over at any time.” The system also makes frequent checks to ensure that the driver's hands remain on the wheel and provides visual and audible alerts if hands-on is not detected. It then gradually slows down the car until hands-on is detected again.

Sooooo.....autonomous trucks, anyone? How about not.

It is a bad idea. What if an entire fleet gets compromised by a hacker? Then you have the potential for multiple mass casualty incidents. Given the woeful state of network and computer security, I sure as hell hope the driver does not get replaced.

I am glad the driver is still living. I guess the lesson to be taken from this is proper nutrition.

I am going to try a white noise generator to drown out the foreign sounds. Hopefully that will be the ticket. The one thing I am not looking forward to about going back to semi driving is getting used to sleeping in the truck. I'll make it happen tho