Profile For Lou

I’ll echo what PlanB said. I just completed my CDL training in a manual and tested and passed this past Friday. It was challenging for sure but worth it in my opinion. Once you get on the road with your instructor and learn to double clutch and downshift then it becomes enjoyable, at least for me it did. I will say that knowing how to drive a manual car can, as many have said, hurt you in some ways. It’s NOT the same for sure. The main advantage really is clutch control as far as letting off of it when you’re at a full stop. We had a student in my class that didn’t know how to drive a manual at all and he stalled and bucked that truck many times at first but eventually it all clicked and he too passed his test on his first attempt. I went to a private school. I wish you the best of luck!

Lou

Hello everyone,

It’s been a while since I’ve been on here but wanted to let you know that I have completed my CDL training and passed my test for an unrestricted Class A license this past Friday! Thank you for all the advice you guys and gals put out here each and every day.

I’ve been discussing employment opportunities with Schneider, Werner and ACT out of Kansas City. All can get me home weekly which is what I prefer and want but Werner’s weekly hometime is only for their Dollar General account in my area anyway. I need to figure out what will be the best fit.

Anyway, just wanted to give everyone an update and to once again thank you all for the continued advice you put out here!!

Lou

I don't have experience with any company as I'm not a truck driver yet but have done some research. Have you looked into G&P Trucking out of SC? They seem to have pretty good home-time and run mainly in the southeast. Give them a shot.

Honestly there's no good tricks to get that smell out of your clothes. I used to use coke instead of laundry detergent. Use enough water to get the clothes wet/covered then pour coke all over it and wash! If you choose not to use coke then you have to wash it multiple times and don't mix it with other clothes. Also after you wash your fuel soaked clothes, be sure to run a few rinse cycles on your washing machine with no clothes in it prior to washing other clothes to ensure it doesn't contaminate them! I also used to air dry them separately by hanging up the clothes vs putting them in my dryer. I worked with fuels for 24 years in the military and it's no fun to be drenched in it then come home and try to clean your clothes. Best of luck

I've heard and read that trucks with DT12 transmissions (and maybe others) have a creep mode that suppose to improve your low speed maneuverability especially in reverse. I don't know if yours does or not but it maybe worth looking into.

Some of the things that actually influence potential drivers are the specific company policies like: Pet policy, rider policy, length of training, proximity to company locations, etc. I don't think there is another company (correct me if I'm wrong) that has a more thorough training program than Prime.

Bruce,

Yes, exactly! That's why I was asking if anyone knew of Magnum. I have a list of questions to ask these carriers and this particular company doesn't seem to have too much info on their site. Some companies are more appealing than others based on the policies. Thank you for the response.

Lou

OD/Bruce,

Thank you for your input, I appreciate it. I understand not to get caught up in all the drama about good and bad companies etc... Truth be told any company can be good if one has a positive attitude and is willing to put in the work and be productive as all of you have said on this forum. I completely agree with that. I'm currently just putting together a list of companies I think I may be a good fit for. I also have a list of questions I'll be asking once I'm back in the US and start calling around.

Yes, I've heard the lies about these large (mega) carriers and really I don't buy it. Swift is a perfect example of a large company that seems to continue to have a bad reputation however, their site is well organized showing a lot of information and honestly the company seems to provide a wide range opportunity from CDL training to earning a degree! My point with all of this is that I understand there's a lot of negativity out here but I want to hear and learn from those who are succeeding no matter what company they are with and this forum provides that.

As for Magnum, it was a company I came across and from my very limited research and they seem like a company I may enjoy so I figured I would ask. I do have some specific items I would like in the company I choose such as a military apprenticeship program.

I appreciate all of you on this forum taking time out of your busy schedule to help people like me who are looking to get into this industry and those who have just started or have limited experience.

Oh and Prime is definitely on my list!

Old School thank you for the link, I will listen to the podcast!

Thanks, Lou

What are you doing in Japan?

I was military, retired about a year ago and got a contractor position here. My wife is a current government employee working on one of the military installations here however, she just accepted an offer (promotion for her) back to the states starting in mid July so it's time to move. We are heading to Missouri which seems like a great place to get started with my second career as a truck driver!

Thanks Bobcat, yes they seem like a good company and they do hire new CDL holders fresh out of school which is a bonus. I just don't know what their hiring area is and starting pay, detention pay etc... Their site doesn't break those numbers down. I have them on my list of companies to contact once I'm back in the states (currently living in japan and moving back next month).

Appreciate your input.

Lou

I don’t know G-town, I’m just out of rookie status in a similar flatbed outfit, running the same way solo does, and am slated for high 90’s this year (and that’s with several weeks at home.) Not unusual for my division, and actually low compared to a couple of our other divisions. Here’s my last two weeks:

Quick question, are you regional or OTR? I'm just curious because Maverick is one of the companies that I'm very interested in. I assume you do flatbed and not glass due to your tarp pay. Do glass drivers make about the same?