Potential Rookie Here

Maybe I should come back after completing school.

You're at the perfect place at the perfect time. Our mission here is to prepare people for the start of their career and you'll benefit a ton from the information we have here. I certainly wasn't insulting you about the high school education thing. Heck, I only have a high school education with some tech college stuff mixed in and I was a truck driver for 15 years. It's not like I'm in a position to talk down to anyone from my high mountain of prestige.

But I do know this industry and we can help you understand it a whole lot better. We want you to go into it with the right information, the right approach, and the proper expectations.

But the biggest thing we focus on here as a foundation for everyone getting started in trucking is having a positive attitude. It's cliche as h*ll but that's because it's true as h*ll - attitude really is everything and that's never more true than at the start of someone's trucking career. It's a really difficult process and everyone feels overwhelmed by the amount of information, the long days, the risk and responsibility, and the radical change in lifestyle all at once.

Not only that, but trucking rewards those who produce the most. It's performance based. The drivers who go out there and know how to turn a lot of miles and get loads picked up and delivered safely and on time get the best miles, make the most money, and get the best treatment. So if you understand that going in you won't waste your time worrying about whether or not you're working for a bad company. You'll know that learning your trade and proving yourself is going to lead to those nice paychecks shortly down the road so you'll do what it takes to get there.

If instead you go into it with a cynical or negative attitude toward the company you might not ever perform at the level it takes to get the best miles and the best treatment. Your effort will be average, your miles will be average or poor, and you'll soon want to leave the company because you're under the impression it's their fault that you're not getting the miles the top drivers are getting. The truth that many drivers fail to see is that their performance and their attitude are the two things that will ultimately determine their success and happiness out there, not the quality of the company they're with.

So there's a lot more to it than it would appear on the surface, you know what I mean? On the surface, it's just truckin'. And in fact I tell people that all the time when they get nervous about being able to handle it. It's just truckin'. But at the same time this industry is a strange beast. There's nothing quite like it and you can't understand it until you've been in it for a little while.

Go through our Truck Driver's Career Guide if you haven't already. You'll pick up a ton of information and insights into the industry that you're going to want to know before making these major decisions.

Oh, and read my book too - it's free here on the website - it has some great stories from my years on the road and some insights into the career that you'll want to know - Becoming A Truck Driver: The Raw Truth About Truck Driving

Oh, and read my book too - it's free here on the website - it has some great stories from my years on the road and some insights into the career that you'll want to know - Becoming A Truck Driver: The Raw Truth About Truck Driving

Thanks a ton man, sorry for getting so sensitive about that stuff. I really wanna succeed at this and make this a major life change, I'll definitely check out that info above. I know my first year,hell my first months are gonna be scary and crazy but I just wanna make it and succeed and a year or 2 from now say I made it and financially support myself and fiance.

Kenneth observes:

I decided they weren't for me due to the fact that they seem to hire just anyone off the street and the local Swift location here is terrible run down and filthy and terribly managed, I went and checked it out

Yes, Swift hires "anyone of the street", as long as they can pass a DOT physical, the CDL written test and a drug test, and as long as they have a decent 3 year employment history and can explain unemployment periods, and have a clean driving history. Now, is that "anyone"?

As for the Memphis terminal , no, it's not a showroom for Freightliner. It's a large, industrial truck terminal. Maybe you drove by (guard gates keep out just "anyone") or looked at Google Satellite. I work there. There's business to be done, and its as well managed as any large busy terminal. I've been to other Swift terminals not so nice. Gary, IN, comes to mind.

If you want to be so picky, fine by me. If you want to talk more, I live in Olive Branch. PM me if you want to go into the terminal.

Welcome Kenneth.

Even though Swift hired me, I can assure you that I am not "anyone off the street". I have worked for them since 2012, make a very good living, love my job, and drive a 2016 truck with far less miles on than my 2012 F-150.

I think the accurate perspective is Swift will offer a qualified individual every opportunity to learn how to operate a truck, obtain their CDL , road-train and become a solo driver. It's up to you, the student to maximize the opportunity into a successful career.

The old adage is never judge a book by its cover. The exterior facade of the Memphis Terminal is by no means an indication of what's inside or the quality of the organization.

Oh, and read my book too - it's free here on the website - it has some great stories from my years on the road and some insights into the career that you'll want to know - Becoming A Truck Driver: The Raw Truth About Truck Driving

I read it man and it was fantastic material that I will probably continue to go back and read for more information. Thanks for all the info! I have officially enrolled in the School and sent in my application hopefully no more than 3 days and I should here back from the School and when I start! I'm so excited!!!

Ken,

Your current situation is only temporary...tomorrow will change all your assumptions!

Let's start this with the fact that I was a 16 year old high school drop out. Back then the Army took mercy on us drop outs and accepted me, with my mothers signature, at 17. About two years in (my next tomorrow) on a whim, I took, passed, and received my GED. Little did I know this little act would profoundly change the direction of my career by opening up many new opportunities. Among them was the opportunity to pursue and complete an Associates degree which improved my promotion potential. The next tomorrow, 22 years later, I retired, changed careers and went back to college in my new career field. My next tomorrow was way quicker than ever expected. After a short 8 years I found myself de hind the wheel of a big rig due to family health issues which took my wife out of the workforce for the foreseeable future. Now I happily drive a truck until my next tomorrow. The moral of the story is you never know what tomorrow will bring but you are better prepared to meet it with certain credentials - a GED or HS diploma being one of them.

Kenneth,

I know this thread is old, but I just saw it now and wanted to respond. You have another option to get both your GED and your CDL that you may not be aware of: Job Corps. It is a federally funded, residential youth training program, for youth ages 16-24. I used to recruit for it, and my students had their choice of 11 different training centers. Training centers offer different trades. A center is setup like a small college campus where it has dorms, dining halls, classrooms, recreation center, etc. Some centers are even former military installation centers. Some centers are not as nice as others. But you don't choose a center because you like the amenities or the location. You choose a center because of the program. Job Corps isn't the military. You don't march and you don't wear camoflauge, but you will wear uniforms (like a polo shirt and khaki's). You don't pay for anything. The government does. You receive basic medical, dental, vision as well as food, room/board and an allowance (enough to buy soap, shampoo, etc) all at no cost to you. When you finish the program, you can receive a graduation bonus. It used to be $1200, but not sure what it is now. It is not all fun and games, nor is it an escape, as some students thought. It is a tough program. You are living with all different personalities and with people who come from all different backgrounds. You also deal with a lot of drama in the dorms (yes even the guys have drama). That was the #1 complaint I heard, the drama. You would also have to do chores. But in return for that, you are being taught social skills, living skills and life skills and can finish your education and get a trade, all at no cost.