Profile For Ellie

Where did you sign on to? You broke down so much Information wonderfully!! Weeks of gathering information packed here!! Thank you the type of training is exactly what I'm looking for, Jim Palmer, cr new England Werner Rohl and Wilsons are the final cut for me. Hard to choose..

Hi ladies.

Theres a few reasons why we recommend company sponsored schooling as opposed to local schools.

1.) companies are more selective than local schools

One perfect example is what Monika is going through on another thread here. She got her CDL at a local.school then went to Stevens for a job. Stevens is a great choice and they do offer paid CDL training. When she got there, it turned out that she had something in her medical background she did not expect to be an issue. when you go to schools, you get a 2 yr medical card, but many companies have DOT physical.requirements beyond what the DOT dictates. Therefore, every company will.put you through another physical and drug test.

So after paying for school, she went to stevens who told her they want her to go back to her doctor for a.medical release. Last she posted, she was going to a doctor in TX, but that was last week and we havent heard from her since.

CDL schools will say anything to get your money, and they often overlook things that companies wont. For example, DUIs, tickets and criminal backgrounds. Schools will tell you they wont be a problem, but most likely they will be depending on how long ago they were. even then, some companies have lifetime limits on DUIs or felonies. and even if something is expunged, it will show on your record, and they will find it.

So if it takes you a few.months after school to find a job because of a ticket or.medical.issue you didnt see as a problem, your 160 hour training certificate becomes less potent and after too long, many companies will want you to go through the whole program again. which means no tuition reimbursement and you still have the 1 year contract.

Had Monika gone company instead of local, she would have known right away about her issue, not forked out a ton of money, and could come up with a plan to get things done without the stress she is having now. Now she is in debt and worried she wont get a job.<2.) The free agent idea is a myth. Any new driver should stay at their first company for a year, regardless of whether they went company or local. Its insanely expensive to insure a new driver, and many people think they will come in for a few months then go local. That isnt impossible, but unlikely due to insurance. Plus, the more you move companies, the more you show potential trucking employers that you will leave them. However, stay a full year with the first company, do it safely, and be early and you can write your ticket to any company you want. We see this on the forum a lot. A driver will jump two or three companies during the first year and gets trapped. The higher paying better companies wont look at them any more. Plus, there are perks to staying more than a year....many companies reduce insurance premiums and up the bonuses the longer you stay with them.3.) Sometimes your training will be longer for less pay if you come into the company will a CDL. For example, someone who gets their CDL through Prime gets paid $700 per week gross for 30,000 team miles before upgrading to solo. If you come to Prime with your CDL, you get paid $600 per week for the first 6 weeks then goes to $700 for the remaining miles. and they must do 40,000 miles teaming instead of 30,000. this is because companies want you to learn their way and feel the need to untrain you to eliminate bad habits. <4.) CDL schools usually use old equipment with lots of students. SOME, not all companies, but some like Prime, Jim Palmer, Wil Trans, gives you one one training on the truck you would be driving. So I learned on a brand new Cascadia and a Peterbuilt. Since, i have had a 2015 and a 2016 Cascadia.. and already getting a new one ) At company sponsored you get immersed into the training. Its exhausting to have to go.to work all day then schooling all night. Then to have to test while exhausted??? But at the company sponsored, you can fully concentrate on learning without the distractions of work or home. Most company sponsored will be in a school like setting with much smaller groups and classes. But some, like what I did, put me on the road one week after i got my permit. I was delivering loads all over the country, at night, in fog, in rain, over mountains over 9000 miles before I even tested. i drove through Atlanta, chicago and NY/NJ traffic before i even tested for my CDL. that was some one on one awesome training. It made me a great driver. I got so much more one on one time than local.schools will give.6.) Companies will give you extra one on one time to pass. If you struggle and fail the first couple of times, companies will give you an instructor to work on your issues before you test again. Local schools are getting paid and will only give you the time in your contract. If you fail, they may charge you for extra pad time. Or additional testing, so read that contract carefully. Companies who trained you will be more forgiving when you hit something. They invested money in your training. You know what happens if you leave your first company after three months and hit something at your next company? you could be terminated.

Maybe it didn't come out clear... Every industry has "negotiations". Experience and inexperience pays differently . We,as women,are already lower paid in almost every field. I don't want to sign on a with a company and not "know to ask for detention time" and Alot of companies don't pay or pay only after a certain amount of time. That is the "inside tip" for negotiations I am looking for. My experience so far in This industry let's me know to ask for it but if I didn't have that knowledge/Experience I wouldn't know to ask for it!? Those tips ANY HELP is greatly appreciated.

I am talking with recruiters/ schools and companies, down to my last few companies now. Working on permit. than off to Training in January.

Welcome to Trucking Truth.

Truth is, as an inexperienced driver, there is NOTHING to negotiate. You have nothing to offer but risk.

We highly recommend company sponsored training, that way you have a job waiting, and a company has more of in interest in helping you succeed as a driver, in an attempt to recover their monetary investment in you.

These links will help:

• Truck Driver's Career Guide
• Brett's Book: The Raw Truth About Trucking (free online version)
• High Road CDL Training Program
• CDL Practice Tests

Paid CDL Training Programs

Apply For Paid CDL TrainingTruck Driver's Career Guide

I made switch, going from coordinating/loading trucks to driving one!! I am going for CDL permit then training with a company who will not low ball me or use my inexperience with FAIR pay. Finding a woman friendly program hasn't been horribly difficult but still road blocks to over come stereo types. I want to work for a women friendly company where I will thrive and successful get more women In this field! I want OTR.Tuition reimbursement. Paid training. Health insurance. Hourly rate. What else does one need to ask for when negotiations begin? Fair CPM? Average is.55 cents why do most common ranges .14? I'm not owner operator. Yet! And when/if I drive "team" the other driver gets half my milage?? Wt* each dont have there own pay scale? Are incentives/ bonus typical? If so what are common? Ie safe driver incentives Then I find out detention pay or breakdown pay isnt common? Again What?? I don't want to miss something or lose out because of lack of knowledge...