Heavily Considering Trucking For Career
Topic 29097 | Page 1
Howdy, Canaan . . . and welcome to Trucking Truth !!! I love the name, btw ~!
In your perusal of this site, have you come across the following? This is the best, and totally epic . . . to put it all in perspective for you. It's free on the site, also!
Becoming A Truck Driver: The Raw Truth About Truck Driving
Additionally, we are all about company sponsored training , and the reasons why, are abundant . . . everywhere !!
Did you see these links?
- Truck Driver's Career Guide
- Brett's Book: The Raw Truth About Trucking (free online version)
- High Road CDL Training Program
- CDL Practice Tests
High Road CDL Training ProgramPaid CDL Training Programs
- Trucker's Career Guide: Choosing Your First Truck Driving Job
- Article Category: Finding The Right Truck Driving Job
Forum Topics Tagged "Choosing A Trucking Company"
The above should keep you busy for a bit, as we wait on the veteran drivers and moderators to give you further advice.
Again, welcome!
~ Anne ~
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.
Company Sponsored Training:
A Company-Sponsored Training Program is a school that is owned and operated by a trucking company.
The schooling often requires little or no money up front. Instead of paying up-front tuition you will sign an agreement to work for the company for a specified amount of time after graduation, usually around a year, at a slightly lower rate of pay in order to pay for the training.
If you choose to quit working for the company before your year is up, they will normally require you to pay back a prorated amount of money for the schooling. The amount you pay back will be comparable to what you would have paid if you went to an independently owned school.
Company-sponsored training can be an excellent way to get your career underway if you can't afford the tuition up front for private schooling.
OWI:
Operating While Intoxicated
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.
Howdy, Canaan . . . and welcome to Trucking Truth !!! I love the name, btw ~!
In your perusal of this site, have you come across the following? This is the best, and totally epic . . . to put it all in perspective for you. It's free on the site, also!
Becoming A Truck Driver: The Raw Truth About Truck Driving
Additionally, we are all about company sponsored training , and the reasons why, are abundant . . . everywhere !!
Did you see these links?
- Truck Driver's Career Guide
- Brett's Book: The Raw Truth About Trucking (free online version)
- High Road CDL Training Program
- CDL Practice Tests
High Road CDL Training ProgramPaid CDL Training Programs
- Trucker's Career Guide: Choosing Your First Truck Driving Job
- Article Category: Finding The Right Truck Driving Job
Forum Topics Tagged "Choosing A Trucking Company"
The above should keep you busy for a bit, as we wait on the veteran drivers and moderators to give you further advice.
Again, welcome!
~ Anne ~
Thanks for the reply Anne! Thanks for the warm welcome as well!
Is company sponsored training better than private schooling? Thanks! - Canaan
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.
Company Sponsored Training:
A Company-Sponsored Training Program is a school that is owned and operated by a trucking company.
The schooling often requires little or no money up front. Instead of paying up-front tuition you will sign an agreement to work for the company for a specified amount of time after graduation, usually around a year, at a slightly lower rate of pay in order to pay for the training.
If you choose to quit working for the company before your year is up, they will normally require you to pay back a prorated amount of money for the schooling. The amount you pay back will be comparable to what you would have paid if you went to an independently owned school.
Company-sponsored training can be an excellent way to get your career underway if you can't afford the tuition up front for private schooling.
OWI:
Operating While Intoxicated
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.
Howdy, Canaan . . . and welcome to Trucking Truth !!! I love the name, btw ~!
In your perusal of this site, have you come across the following? This is the best, and totally epic . . . to put it all in perspective for you. It's free on the site, also!
Becoming A Truck Driver: The Raw Truth About Truck Driving
Additionally, we are all about company sponsored training , and the reasons why, are abundant . . . everywhere !!
Did you see these links?
- Truck Driver's Career Guide
- Brett's Book: The Raw Truth About Trucking (free online version)
- High Road CDL Training Program
- CDL Practice Tests
High Road CDL Training ProgramPaid CDL Training Programs
- Trucker's Career Guide: Choosing Your First Truck Driving Job
- Article Category: Finding The Right Truck Driving Job
Forum Topics Tagged "Choosing A Trucking Company"
The above should keep you busy for a bit, as we wait on the veteran drivers and moderators to give you further advice.
Again, welcome!
~ Anne ~
Thanks for the reply Anne! Thanks for the warm welcome as well!
Is company sponsored training better than private schooling? Thanks! - Canaan
You're most WELCOME, Canaan ~!!
Company sponsored training is our MANTRA here.. and here's why: The company that will take you in / on, has a VESTED interest in YOU. They train you TO succeed, and hand you the keys to THEIR shiny truck at the end of training, with a guaranteed J.O.B. (providing you pass their schooling, which is custom tailored to their standards and safety!) Sure, they'll ask you to stay with them for the 1st year, but...why wouldn't you? That's their opportunity to recoup their interest in footing the bill for your training. Most (Well, many!) will stay with their choice of a starting company well beyond the 'one year' mark.
Look at G'Town, for example. He's pushing 7 years with Swift, on a dedicated WalMart route. Loves it. All of it.
A day in the life... G'Town ~!
Many companies even PAY you, while training. Most cover food and lodging during this time. Last but NOT least, beCAUSE they have a 'vested' interest IN you, will be WAY more forgiving with any 'mishaps' during your first year. It happens. It definitely happens; often within the 1st 3 months. Incidents are extremely common with new CDL holders, and they know this. Yet, you are still making THEM money, and yourself, of course .. so... they will carry you through..however their safety departments dictate; and off you go onto the next load.
Much of this is covered in the links I've sent you.
Any further questions, and/or comments will be GLADLY answered here at TT, good sir!
Happy to have you; hope we help~!!
~ Anne ~
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.
Company Sponsored Training:
A Company-Sponsored Training Program is a school that is owned and operated by a trucking company.
The schooling often requires little or no money up front. Instead of paying up-front tuition you will sign an agreement to work for the company for a specified amount of time after graduation, usually around a year, at a slightly lower rate of pay in order to pay for the training.
If you choose to quit working for the company before your year is up, they will normally require you to pay back a prorated amount of money for the schooling. The amount you pay back will be comparable to what you would have paid if you went to an independently owned school.
Company-sponsored training can be an excellent way to get your career underway if you can't afford the tuition up front for private schooling.
OWI:
Operating While Intoxicated
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.
That answers every question I had regarding private vs company paid training, I really appreciate the answer you provided.
Do we have recommendations on company's that are the better ones for newbies? The most i really care about is the ability to travel to basically everywhere possible, home time isn't THAT important to me, it's really only my mom (who I plan on fully supporting financially) and my only best friend. Its going to suck being away from them for so long, but my best friend has his life planned out with his lady and my mom wants to live in a retrofitted van on the road (runs in the family i guess lol)
I have looked at a few company's, I read on here that prime is great and swift seems like a great one as well, any others to consider?
Thanks! -Canaan
Hey Canaan!!! I’ve looked at a lot of them. Pretty much all the major carriers have training programs, starting pay rates and benefit packages are very similar and all run coast to coast. All the veterans here have stated many times that the name on the door has nothing to do with your success, you control your destiny by being safe, reliable and on time/early. You need to decide weather you want to run Dry van/Reefer or Flatbed, by doing that it may narrow your options a little bit due to some companies like TMC are flatbed only. Also, some companies dont hire from certain areas of the country so where you live may limit your options as well. The link below will give you the basic info on the major carriers.
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.Reefer:
A refrigerated trailer.
That answers every question I had regarding private vs company paid training, I really appreciate the answer you provided.
Do we have recommendations on company's that are the better ones for newbies? The most i really care about is the ability to travel to basically everywhere possible, home time isn't THAT important to me, it's really only my mom (who I plan on fully supporting financially) and my only best friend. Its going to suck being away from them for so long, but my best friend has his life planned out with his lady and my mom wants to live in a retrofitted van on the road (runs in the family i guess lol)
I have looked at a few company's, I read on here that prime is great and swift seems like a great one as well, any others to consider?
Thanks! -Canaan
Your 1st two choices are EXCELLENT, Canaan~!!!
We really don't recommend one company over another, for obvious reasons. They all have different divisions, regions, hiring areas, et al.
Some people want to start being a skateboarder (flatbedder) right out of the gate. Read Turtle's diary, starting with Prime. Rob D.'s, as well, with Prime. TMC is ANOTHER great flatbed company to start with; full training. Then there's andhe78 who (I believe!) started with Maverick. They have decent home time options, for sure.
Then, there's Roehl (pronounced Rail .. be careful on that, haha!) who has one of the 'shorter' training programs, and does flats AND boxes, and has some interesting hometime packages. Brandon Kitts is currently there; read his stuff!!
AND, of course . . . G'Town is the Swift Guru, although many OTHERS on here work for AND train for them! They've not been the 'butt' of all the jokes lately, thank gawd, Lol.. Fine company! Big T. started there as well, a few years back, and is now a Mentor for them!
Some start in food service / local delivery (non conventional, of course...) and that would lead you to Rob T.'s diary.
Banks did Dock to Driver with FedEx... that's another way to get the training going~!!! Read HIS diaries, as well~!!
Others that like, or don't mind, the teaming aspect, head to CRST. Stevo Reno has the down low on them currently; and Millionmiler24 got a heckuva start there....and still IS, as a trainer/lead driver. (Went from homelessness on the East coast, to Cedar Rapids, all thanks to the help of this website..about 3 years ago.)
Millis is another great training company, and you can click the banner at the top of this page (or one of them) to get more information, and apply. Mostly dry van. Noob Driver and Pete E Pothole have excellent Millis diaries.
Will THAT ^^^^ keep you busy for awhile?!?!? ;) wink wink ~!!
Glad to help; keep US in the loop as to how things progress for YOU~!!!
~ Anne ~
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.
I most certainly have my assigned homework now, thanks everyone who replied!
And yes Anne, that should keep me busy for a good bit and hopefully help me decide what I am trying to get into lol
Hello and here is more homework....
I have a bunch of blog articles I have written over the years that tried to answer questions and discuss topics.... Especially about realities on the road.
I also have a Youtube channel where I donate all proceeds through the end of the year to Meals on Wheels. Just watching helps and i have all sorts of topics for newbies... Including company vs local school.
Hello and here is more homework....
I have a bunch of blog articles I have written over the years that tried to answer questions and discuss topics.... Especially about realities on the road.
I also have a Youtube channel where I donate all proceeds through the end of the year to Meals on Wheels. Just watching helps and i have all sorts of topics for newbies... Including company vs local school.
🤦🏻♂️ more homework, oof.
Jokes aside, thank you for the reply, I will be sure to check into what you have supplied me. Ill be busy for another month on just research it seems haha
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Maverick Transport Becoming A Truck Driver CDL Test Preparation Choosing A Trucking Company Flatbed High Road Training Program Regional Jobs
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Hey guys, names Canaan, yeah its from the Bible. I'm new here to Trucking Truths. Been on a couple weeks reading everything I can.
I'm looking to become a OTR trucker as one of the only things that brings me pure joy is being on the open road. I also have nothing tieing me down to stay in my area aside from mom of course.
I am looking for any helpful tips, information, anything that anyone wants to say to a newbie looking to seriously get on the road and never look back.
Thanks! -Canaan
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.