Interested In Being A Truck Driver

Was looking to pick a company. My mother works for Prime. Was wondering about who everyone works for, and, your opinions on who are some of the better companies to work for . Have 2 kids under 3 and want to be home some .

Welcome Zachary to the forums!

I work for a smaller company that specializes in Haz-mat loads. They're called A.R. Paquette. Haz-mat has a ton of rules and regulations, but I find it extremely enjoyable and the pays good.

Are you looking for local, regional? Think home time is on the top of most drivers lists (I know some of you hard core are here).

Anyways, pretty wide range of drivers here who can likely answer questions about pretty much the gambit of options.

As I am sure you already know, with most reefer companies expect to be out 3-4 weeks at a time. If you are looking to be home every other week or even weekly you will be better served looking at Dry Van or Flatbed companies.

Here is a short list of some questions you may want to ask yourself. As these will point you along your way.

Do you want to do company sponsored or private schooling for your CDL? They both have their pros and cons. Company sponsored will have a greater time commitment away from family as well as a contract. However, you will pay little to nothing for the training. Private schooling will come at a greater personal financial expense. However, it will often be flexible enough to fulfill commitments at home.

How long do you want to stay out at a time? General rule of thumb is you get 1 day off for every week out. Regional gigs are a little different as you will be home for 34-48 hrs (generally) every weekend.

What kind of freight do you want to haul? Reefer, Dry Van, or Flatbed? Each have their pros and cons.

is a Pet and/or Rider policy important? Although the Rider policy is pretty much a moot point with small children.

These basic questions will go a long way to point you in the right direction.

I'm going to have to go through a company that trains . Do not have my cdls yet .

Was looking to pick a company. My mother works for Prime. Was wondering about who everyone works for, and, your opinions on who are some of the better companies to work for . Have 2 kids under 3 and want to be home some .

new guy here as of about 4 minutes ago.

i started driving back in the mid 80's, you know, horse teams.

i have done the long haul, regional , and some local.

for the past oh about 20 years ago now, i have been a dedicated driver for a company, that has customers. same drops, same pick ups, same pay structure.

frankly, i wouldn't want any other type of job. i got this job via, (yes) Craig's List.

we haul electrical, plumbing supplies for our customer to thier satellite warehouses, during the night, so when they open in the AM, they have everything on thier docks.

we are home every morning, and for me, and MY route?

i put in on average, UNDER 9 hours a night!!

BUT, my employer (in particular) DOES NOT HIRE newbies, they cannot afford to.

you can however apply to UPS Freight, they do also dedicated routes, for one, VW, going to the VW dealerships, nightly as well.

so check Craig's List, INDEED, for dedicated jobs, and go from there,

best of luck to you

BuddyD

How can i edit my posting?

i can now see i made a mistake or 2

thanks in advance

And how do i change settings in my profile, like, who can email me?

i really do not want emails everytime i post something

thanks again

Buddy, in the Trucking Truth forum, once you hit the Submit button, your post is there forever - no editing. A decision by Brett. You can use Preview to check your words.

Also, PM and email listings are not available, per Brett. A while ago, Brett explained his reasoning, and I agree.

For forum posts, you'll never get email, either automatic or direct to you, unless you choose the Notify My Of New Comments" or put your email in a post. (I don't know if there's a switch for Weekend Dispatch or New Articles messages.)

So, make sure your post is "right" before you Submit; and TT won't be filling your inbox with spam.