Wondering Which Company To Start My Career
Topic 12016 | Page 2
Well the slip seating would suit my needs for a little while, which is why I suggested Roehl to the original poster. I believe the home weekends would only be 34 hrs correct?
Well the slip seating would suit my needs for a little while, which is why I suggested Roehl to the original poster. I believe the home weekends would only be 34 hrs correct?
Yea that's right, depending on the load.
Sam and CT, if you guys are both looking for better hometime you should keep in mind local positions, or LTL companies instead of just truckload companies. Most of these opportunities will have more to do with location than experience. Some locations, like Florida, have fierce competition for local gigs and make it hard to land one as a rookie. Other areas, like the northeast, can have many opportunities for even rookie drivers fresh out of CDL school.
I started as a linehaul driver for a fantastic LTL company right out of trucking school. But I live in an area that has a big LTL presence and has lots of opportunities. Unless you're looking for that OTR lifestyle, most LTL companies will offer weekly if not daily hometime with very good wages.
Here's my thread on LTL if you're interested in that sector of the industry. I cover LTL in general, plus different job descriptions for linehaul and P&D drivers. There's also a list of companies somewhere in the middle of the thread.
Best wishes. We chose LTL and the job as a linehaul driver for our family and it was the best decision we could've made. I'm home every day now and make very good money. I wouldn't have it any other way.
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
- Any combination of vehicles with a gross combined weight rating (GCWR) of 26,001 or more pounds, providing the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of the vehicle being towed is in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 or more pounds, or any such vehicle towing another not in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any vehicle, regardless of size, designed to transport 16 or more persons, including the driver.
- Any vehicle required by federal regulations to be placarded while transporting hazardous materials.
LTL:
Less Than Truckload
Refers to carriers that make a lot of smaller pickups and deliveries for multiple customers as opposed to hauling one big load of freight for one customer. This type of hauling is normally done by companies with terminals scattered throughout the country where freight is sorted before being moved on to its destination.
LTL carriers include:
- FedEx Freight
- Con-way
- YRC Freight
- UPS
- Old Dominion
- Estes
- Yellow-Roadway
- ABF Freight
- R+L Carrier
OTR:
Over The Road
OTR driving normally means you'll be hauling freight to various customers throughout your company's hauling region. It often entails being gone from home for two to three weeks at a time.
P&D:
Pickup & Delivery
Local drivers that stay around their area, usually within 100 mile radius of a terminal, picking up and delivering loads.
LTL (Less Than Truckload) carriers for instance will have Linehaul drivers and P&D drivers. The P&D drivers will deliver loads locally from the terminal and pick up loads returning to the terminal. Linehaul drivers will then run truckloads from terminal to terminal.
Linehaul:
Linehaul drivers will normally run loads from terminal to terminal for LTL (Less than Truckload) companies.
LTL (Less Than Truckload) carriers will have Linehaul drivers and P&D drivers. The P&D drivers will deliver loads locally from the terminal and pick up loads returning them to the terminal. Linehaul drivers will then run truckloads from terminal to terminal.HOS:
Hours Of Service
HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.
6 string, I would love to do ltl out of school but I also recognize the need to learn the ropes in different scenarios like mountain driving and backing at truck stops. I would hate to do find a good fit and end up in a situation that I don't know how to handle. I have been looking religiously for jobs lately just to see what's available to new drivers. I am considering ltl or shuttle as well but I'd like to have that experience. Also I'm in the south east so not sure how much ltl is available anyway.
LTL:
Less Than Truckload
Refers to carriers that make a lot of smaller pickups and deliveries for multiple customers as opposed to hauling one big load of freight for one customer. This type of hauling is normally done by companies with terminals scattered throughout the country where freight is sorted before being moved on to its destination.
LTL carriers include:
- FedEx Freight
- Con-way
- YRC Freight
- UPS
- Old Dominion
- Estes
- Yellow-Roadway
- ABF Freight
- R+L Carrier
6 string, I would love to do ltl out of school but I also recognize the need to learn the ropes in different scenarios like mountain driving and backing at truck stops. I would hate to do find a good fit and end up in a situation that I don't know how to handle. I have been looking religiously for jobs lately just to see what's available to new drivers. I am considering ltl or shuttle as well but I'd like to have that experience. Also I'm in the south east so not sure how much ltl is available anyway.
I know you want to be prepared and be successful, but I think you're thinking about it too hard. You'll learn on the job no matter where you end up. No need to get every kind of experience you can think of so that you don't "blow it on your dream job." Plus, if you end up taking a local job - if that's what you want - you won't be doing much backing a truck stops anyhow, but you'll get plenty of practice backing at shippers and receivers!
If you're interested in LTL, don't think that you need that OTR experience. I briefly thought that way too when I was still in trucking school. I'm glad I didn't go OTR when I didn't need to do that to be successful at my linehaul job. Every bit of experience is useful, I'm not preaching against experience or diversity, but there's no need to spend years pulling a reefer if you wanna be a tanker driver - just as an example.
The best way to approach LTL is to jot down a list of companies you're interested in and then go to their respective websites and see if they've got terminals near your location. Local jobs can be searched for on headhunter sites or craigslist. Just realize that if you do wanna go OTR, then going local first would be a mistake since truckload companies usually don't count local experience, although even this is changing for the better.
Shipper:
The customer who is shipping the freight. This is where the driver will pick up a load and then deliver it to the receiver or consignee.
Terminal:
A facility where trucking companies operate out of, or their "home base" if you will. A lot of major companies have multiple terminals around the country which usually consist of the main office building, a drop lot for trailers, and sometimes a repair shop and wash facilities.
LTL:
Less Than Truckload
Refers to carriers that make a lot of smaller pickups and deliveries for multiple customers as opposed to hauling one big load of freight for one customer. This type of hauling is normally done by companies with terminals scattered throughout the country where freight is sorted before being moved on to its destination.
LTL carriers include:
- FedEx Freight
- Con-way
- YRC Freight
- UPS
- Old Dominion
- Estes
- Yellow-Roadway
- ABF Freight
- R+L Carrier
OTR:
Over The Road
OTR driving normally means you'll be hauling freight to various customers throughout your company's hauling region. It often entails being gone from home for two to three weeks at a time.
Linehaul:
Linehaul drivers will normally run loads from terminal to terminal for LTL (Less than Truckload) companies.
LTL (Less Than Truckload) carriers will have Linehaul drivers and P&D drivers. The P&D drivers will deliver loads locally from the terminal and pick up loads returning them to the terminal. Linehaul drivers will then run truckloads from terminal to terminal.Reefer:
A refrigerated trailer.
Hello everybody, I am starting school February or March(waiting for taxes to pay for schooling). I been working for Walmart DC for eight years now, march is 9 years. I want to change to a career and something I love(driving). I am trying to get things in order before I start school and figure out which company and division I want. Been looking at maverick and knight. Can't decide if flatbed or van would be best to start as a newbie. Does anybody have hints or advice to figure out which one will fit me better. I am open to more companies but don't know all of them. I like Knight because I can get my CDL without any commitment. Or is getting my CDL more beneficial from CDL school. I have a family with three children and we all know what's ahead. My father in law was a truck driver all of his working career. Looking at getting home time every other week. Thanks for everyone looking at this post. Sam the 4th
Sam the 4th...first let me say...Washington Court House is a great part of Ohio...I was in your DC last week. When I started with Roehl I decided it was best for me to do dry van. I wanted to learn to drive a tractor trailer and the thought of 30,000 lbs of product on a flat bed behind me did not really appeal to me. I'd be looking in my mirrors more than outside my windshield..lol. Now...just my thinking...take the tax money and put it in the bank. Give Roehl a call and see what's available for you. The reason I say this is...good home time, good school (fast paced)...school is 3 weeks long. You get paid while in school (500/week). Roehl will ask you for roughly one year (120k miles) of employment, but they will not deduct anything for CDL school. If you leave prior to fulfilling the contract, you will be charged. I think it's great that you want a better future for you and your family. Good luck in your pursuit!
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
- Any combination of vehicles with a gross combined weight rating (GCWR) of 26,001 or more pounds, providing the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of the vehicle being towed is in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 or more pounds, or any such vehicle towing another not in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any vehicle, regardless of size, designed to transport 16 or more persons, including the driver.
- Any vehicle required by federal regulations to be placarded while transporting hazardous materials.
Dry Van:
A trailer or truck that that requires no special attention, such as refrigeration, that hauls regular palletted, boxed, or floor-loaded freight. The most common type of trailer in trucking.
I wanted to learn to drive a tractor trailer and the thought of 30,000 lbs of product on a flat bed behind me did not really appeal to me.
50,000*
I wanted to learn to drive a tractor trailer and the thought of 30,000 lbs of product on a flat bed behind me did not really appeal to me.
50,000*
30,000 or 50,000 it still wasn't going to be behind me on a trailer without walls...lol.
30,000 or 50,000 it still wasn't going to be behind me on a trailer without walls...lol.
I don't blame you.
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Well exactly what type of hometime are you looking for? Regional alone means you should be home most weekends out of the year. Something like 14/7 involves slipseating and not every company does it.
Regional:
Regional Route
Usually refers to a driver hauling freight within one particular region of the country. You might be in the "Southeast Regional Division" or "Midwest Regional". Regional route drivers often get home on the weekends which is one of the main appeals for this type of route.
HOS:
Hours Of Service
HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.