Being Professional

Pete are you in Virginia or Montana? Your profile says Virginia but then you state that you are going to Sage in Billings. What type of trailer are you considering? I ask because we have several good companies here in Montana to drive for. Jones Brothers for flatbed. Jim Palmer and Watkins Shepherd are both dry van and all three are located in Missoula.

We have not heard from Persian Conversion in a long time and he started with Jones Brothers and even totaled a truck at the 3 month mark.

Pat, it's 'complicated...;' presently I'm in Cuenca, Ecuador. I've been living here 3 1/2 yrs., but returning to the U.S. in March. I'm from Richmond, VA, originally (actually, Sandston, VA, about 10 mi east of Richmond, but most people haven't heard of Sandston, even though that's where the Richmond Int'l Airport is located), and spent the last 10 yrs. living in Norfolk, VA before moving to Ecuador. I chose the SAGE school in Billings, MT, because I liked the program there, and really for no other reason. I'm open to the type of trailer. Tanker seems to award the highest pay, so I will probably try to pull that first; re: flatbed or dry van, I have no preference. In the end it will come down to who will hire me, and then who offers the best pay.

My circumstances seem to be a problem for some [companies]. I don't and won't have a legitimate 'home address;' I'm going to be an OTR driver, and will relocate after CDL school to whichever terminal I'm assigned to by whichever company hires me. I'll find a room or motel to stay in during the 2 days off every 3 weeks, if I can score a schedule like that, and that will be my new 'home address.' I'll go where the job is. Several companies I've applied to however really want me to have an established home address, and don't seem keen on my 'gypsy' approach. I thought my flexibility in this regard would be looked upon as a positive.

Thank you for recommending the trucking companies; I've already looked into Jim Palmer, they seem like a fantastic company to work for, but I'm ineligible to work for Jim Palmer/Wil-Trans because I've been out of the country for over 3 years. They require at least 3 years of previous driving history/record of insurance, which I don't have. Prime won't hire me because they require at least one year of previous driving history/record of insurance. I have not applied to Jones Bros. or Watkins Shepherd but will do so today. The more applications I have out there the better the pool of companies to choose from, right?

Thank you Pat for getting in touch; I greatly appreciate your advice and everyone's comments on this forum. It's been my go-to resource since I made the decision to become a trucker. BTW, has anyone nominated Brett for Time's Man Of The Year yet? How many lives has he influenced in a positive way by creating this website?

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.

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.

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.

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.

HOS:

Hours Of Service

HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.

OOS:

When a violation by either a driver or company is confirmed, an out-of-service order removes either the driver or the vehicle from the roadway until the violation is corrected.

Wil-Trans:

Darrel Wilson bought his first tractor in 1980 at age 20, but, being too young to meet OTR age requirements, he leased the truck out and hired a driver.

Through growth and acquisition, Wil-Trans now employs over 200 drivers, and has a long-standing partnership with Prime, Inc. to haul their refrigerated freight. The family of businesses also includes Jim Palmer Trucking and O & S Trucking.