US Express

Scott, I see several things that will hold you back. Either find someone to take care of your cats, or give them to a good home. Hire someone to mow your lawn. Get good entry locks, deadbolts, homeowner's insurance and leave the house until you get back. That will open up a myriad of options to you. You are too attached to your material possessions and cats. Now, if you had dogs, it would be different.

Sorry but the cats are my kids. not gonna happen.

I just want to emphasize that starting out as a driver with any company is difficult. I'm sure a lot of people find it more difficult than they anticipated and blame the company. I just switched companies and you know what? It's more difficult than I thought. Driving on the freeway is simple. There is more to being a driver than driving. Learning your company's procedures, managing your clock, and planning your trips are things you might find more difficult. But with time it will get easier. Your first year is all about fighting through the frustration of being in situations that you're not comfortable being in. As well as dealing with the uncertainty of learning new things. Communicating with fleet managers and asking questions on this forum will help.

unloading a trailer doesnt bother me at all. quite the oposite in fact, i kinda wanna get off my ass here and there. I also grew up on a farm driving equipment with trailers, big trucks ect ect by age 8 solo.

We don't expect you to obey us as if we were your parents, but everything you just said doesn't change how challenging those accounts are. We gave you some solid advice, you can do with it what you want.

Have you considered a flatbed job? Many of them are regional and regularly get you home every weekend. You should talk to TMC and Maverick - check with McElroy also. Each of them has a solid program of regional runs that get you home for a 34 hour reset each weekend. If you grew up on a farm, you'd probably enjoy the load securement part of flatbed work. Your location will determine whether this is available to you or not.

unloading a trailer doesnt bother me at all. quite the oposite in fact, i kinda wanna get off my ass here and there. I also grew up on a farm driving equipment with trailers, big trucks ect ect by age 8 solo.

We don't expect you to obey us as if we were your parents, but everything you just said doesn't change how challenging those accounts are. We gave you some solid advice, you can do with it what you want.

Have you considered a flatbed job? Many of them are regional and regularly get you home every weekend. You should talk to TMC and Maverick - check with McElroy also. Each of them has a solid program of regional runs that get you home for a 34 hour reset each weekend. If you grew up on a farm, you'd probably enjoy the load securement part of flatbed work. Your location will determine whether this is available to you or not.

im eligable for mcelroy, and i tow my race to to the track on bumper pulls all the time. im still searching and looking, just not taking any ole carrot of the stick.

Yeah. Flatbed is something you might enjoy. And as for your cats...I'm with you on that, brother. Don't listen to Bruce (about the cats). He's probably one of those "dogs are better" people. Lol

im still searching and looking, just not taking any ole carrot of the stick.

Scott, don't get me wrong. I'm being honest with you. You thought that money sounded good from those dollar store accounts, so yes, you are willing to take the carrot.

New drivers have nothing to offer but a shiny CDL in their pocket. Trust me, I know. I was in your shoes once. What you want to do is get started somewhere that will help you establish yourself. Any one of those three flatbed companies mentioned are great places to work, and you'll be a lot more likely to make a good start with them than on a "Dollar Store" account.

Check out this article. I try to explain how you get to making good money in this career. It has nothing to do with the company or the account.

Show Me The Money!

im still searching and looking, just not taking any ole carrot of the stick.

Scott, don't get me wrong. I'm being honest with you. You thought that money sounded good from those dollar store accounts, so yes, you are willing to take the carrot.

New drivers have nothing to offer but a shiny CDL in their pocket. Trust me, I know. I was in your shoes once. What you want to do is get started somewhere that will help you establish yourself. Any one of those three flatbed companies mentioned are great places to work, and you'll be a lot more likely to make a good start with them than on a "Dollar Store" account.

Check out this article. I try to explain how you get to making good money in this career. It has nothing to do with the company or the account.

Show Me The Money!

ill send the others apps through my pulse app. shall see where it ends. main reason i paid up front for school. not tied down right off that bat as i wiggle through offers and routes.

Biggest thing about the Dollar General accounts and Family Dollar is that you have to do a lot of City driving and backing into retail malls unless they are stand-alone stores which there aren't many of them. You have to maneuver around vehicles very tight corners and that's in good weather. One of the biggest issues your first year is learning the truck and backing. That's why there's so many new drivers that wash out when they are stuck on these accounts their first year. The end up having accidents usually due to the backing situation. I remember in CDL school listening to the recruiters Rave about the money and home time on these accounts. And they said they would give you video cameras to help you back. Trust me... Your first year it's hard enough to back into a spot at a truck stop and some of the deliveries and Pickups you make. And these places have a hell of a lot more room than a strip mall. I'm not bashing recruiters but they make their money on getting butts into the driver seats... not how successful the driver will be.

One caveat here. I'm not bashing US Xpress, Werner, Schneider or any of the other companies that have these accounts. They are all top-notch that's why they are the biggest carriers in the country. It's just that they have these accounts and the recruiters are pushed to fill the slots.

As previously pointed out, tight spaces plus limited experience add up to higher probability of failures. Clip a building, back into a car fender, take a wrong turn onto a truck-restricted neighborhood street, etc. Very, very few new drivers are going to succeed at one of these accounts, which is why they always are looking for drivers. Take a look at the parking lots of these type of stores soon. They are not set up for big trucks at all. Good luck being one of the few.