Military Retiree Starting New Career

Hello everyone, glad to finally join the group after lurking for a few months. I will be retiring from the Army in December after 20 years of service, and looking to get into trucking. I am going thru the Troops to Transportation program and already have pre hires from a few different companies. I will be attending CDL school in Miami, FL in January and am interested if anyone on here has attended that school? Also if anyone has any input on the Apprentice program. Right now I am interested in starting off driving regional for about six months to a year to get experience before ultimately getting into something local. I will be in the Nashville, TN area and the two companies I am really looking into right now are Schneider National and Western Express. Just looking for a good company to get my foot in the door that is going to get me headed in the right direction starting out and not put a bad taste in my mouth. Thanks

Welcome Brian. We've had plenty of people go through each of those companies and do quite well. They're both great places to get your career underway.

That first year in trucking I always recommend to people that they approach it as if you were entering the military. Expect there to be a lot of ups and downs, a bunch of red tape, a few awful personalities sprinkled in along the way, and a lot of proving yourself to everyone.

Whatever you do, don't take the approach that the company has to prove themselves to you. It's the other way around. You can't believe the number of people that get started in trucking and never even make it through the training. A far smaller percentage ever make it through the first year. There's a huge dropout rate. So until you've demonstrated that you have what it takes to work hard and haul freight safely and reliably they're not going to really give you the benefit of the doubt. They're going to take a "wait and see" approach. They'll give you all of the opportunities in the world to show what type of driver you intend to be so make the most of it.

The same way every knucklehead watches military movies and thinks they have what it takes to be a soldier, everyone thinks driving a truck is simply a matter of adapting to a larger car. But it's not the shifting, steering, and backing that's the most difficult part of the job. It's the lifestyle that gets people. The erratic sleep patterns, the time away from home and family, the super long days, the pressure, the tight schedules, and all that kind of stuff. With your experience you should have no trouble adapting to it. But be sure that it will be quite a struggle for a while. The amount of information you'll need to learn is enormous. And I'm not just talking about the regulations and such. I'm talking about time management, the inner workings of trucking companies, dealing with DOT officers, and managing your life on the road.

Here are some great resources to help give you a better picture of what to expect:

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

Brett,

Thanks for the info and advice. I already have it in my head that this is going to be a tough career change, and that I have to start basically from the ground up and build that trust and reliability with the company I choose to go with. I am ready for the challenge, and am looking forward to a successful career change.

Hi Brian,

First of all, thank you for your service to our Country!

I have recently retired and I am also considering truck driving as a second career, if it happens, I too might be starting CDL school after the first of the year.

So far, Schneider is my first choice for a job, but I'm studying Western Express as well, as they seem to be the primary recruiter of graduates of the Community College CDL school I would be attending.

So I am definitely looking forward to following your posts!

Any way, I just wanted to say hi, and even though I am brand new here myself, to welcome you to the forum, and wish you the best of luck on your new adventure!

Hello Brian

I just left the Navy last year and went to my first company the day after Christmas. It is probably the least stressful job I have ever had. The hours suck, but most of them for me are driving doing regional flatbed. Military experience made the transition pretty easy for me. Check out a guy named Dale Clay (retired Air Force) on Youtube. He does a good job explaining stuff. If you like being around family a lot the first year will be hard. There are more normal working hour driving jobs out there, but most require at least a year experience first unless you have connections.

It is a very enjoyably job being out there on your own, kind of like being the captain of your own ship. I even know of a Submarine captain that retired and started his own owner operator business and have talked to medical doctors that got tired of legal garbage and started trucking. So far I am enjoying working for Maverick Transportation LLC. This is still my first year so I don't have much to compare them too yet. I have heard some scary stories from guys that left some of the big companies though. If you want some physical activity from your job, flat bed is kind of fun. I am going to save box truck driving for when I get tired of physical labor.

Just do your research in picking out a good school and first company. Good luck.

Brian S.,

I'll be doing the same thing as you. I'm choosing Schneider National because of their military friendly approach, such as a higher starting pay. I'm sure you already saw this, but if not: https://schneiderjobs.com/company-drivers/military

I've been with Schneider since December, 2014. Very happy. Best part of the decision was that EVERYTHING the Recruiter promised was true.

Nashville/Lebanon TN is my Operating Center. I love it because it is a small, tight-knit group. Just like my Navy days, there are situations and people who occasionally present challenges, but nothing insurmountable.

If Schneider has a position that fits your needs, I feel there's no better company to start off with. For me, there have been no better opportunities than what Schneider offers.

Thanks for your service and I hope this helps.

We do have a ton of information on various military programs available and trucking companies with military-friendly programs:

Military Programs & Military-Friendly Trucking Companies

Thanks guys for all of the responses. I have been asking everyone for advice that I know that are either in the trucking industry or who have been, I guess just confirming stuff that I already knew so I feel better about it. From the people that I have talked to, and browsing thru these pages one thing is for sure. No one has anything bad to say about Schneider. Thanks again