New Permit Holder In Central Florida

Hello All, my name is Joe and Tuesday I passed my General, Combo and Air Brakes tests to get my A permit. I live in Spring Hill, FL which is north of Tampa on the left coast. I've already spoken to some recruiters and even received a conditional offer from Cypress. A bit too quickly IMO. I like what CFI and Wilson Logisitics have to say but am not for of the fact that they do not have terminals close to me. I noticed Knight and their terminal is in Lakeland. Their pay seems low to start but they have incentive based pay scale and bonus structure. Other carriers that have terminals in that area are Werner and Prime. Knights seems to have more options and in house training as do Wilson and CFI.

Also, i'm blessed to have a very good friend who worked for Swift for 7 years. We have known each other for 20 years and speak frequently by phone. I learned much from him about do's and don'ts way before i decided to take this step.

Another note for those that may not know. Yellow/YRC is hiring and has an in house training program. They have received a 700 million loan from the government as part of the relief packages. They are buying lots of equipment and hiring 1500 drivers. I spoke to their recruiter and they are training for Orlando as positions are available there. You must live within an hour drive of the terminal so that counts me out. I'm on the list for Tampa but it looks like that may take a while if it happens. Its a small terminal and I'm sure they hire from within as well.

The wife is on board and the kids are old enough so I'm good to go OTR/Regional. Regional is fine by me as I'd prefer to stay out for bit and rack up the miles. I know I'll have to do some OTR too and am OK with that.

So this me. I'm looking forward to ditching a dead end job and hitting the road for a much appreciated pay raise. I'll be around here reading up. Feel free to drop a comment and stay safe.

Why do you need a terminal close. CFI has two terminals in Florida. One is in Jacksonville, the other, I think is near Orlando. You would need a place to park a truck and trailer while on home time. In your area that most likely would mean paying for parking.

CFI will train you for free with a one year contract. Our Temperature Controlled fleet is based in Florida and runs nationwide. For dry van we have OTR , regional and dedicated.

You can find out more by calling a recruiter.

Good luck.

Hello Joseph, and welcome to our forum!

Any of the companies you mentioned would be great places to start your career, and Cypress runs a great operation down there in Florida. Your location will limit you somewhat, but you are North of I-4 which helps a little. Swift also has a terminal near you and I know they have some dedicated opportunities in that area as does Knight. I go to Florida a lot with Knight. You've got the ports down in the Tampa area and I deliver a lot of flatbed loads of aluminum extrusions to customers near Lakeland, Plant City, and Miami. I think you will have plenty of opportunity to find employment from your area.

Thanks Big Scott. I was aware of Jax terminal but not Orlando. My concern on location is that not every company allows you to take the truck home. Glad to hear about Orlando as Thats a 2 hour drive as opposed to Jax which is 3. Still, Lakeland is only 1 hour.

Thanks Old School. I'm glad to hear they have those runs. My friend who drove for Sift is pushing me towards flatbed if it's available. I'd rather be paid for a bit of manual labor than be unpaid to sit and wait at some DC.

I read Davy A's entire thread last night and am amazed by how much I was able to learn. I haven't spoken with a Knight recruiter yet. Probably will today, the CFI recruiter has been informed I'm interested but am not rushing. He and I will be in contact again soon enough.

Howdy, Joseph from a former Florida gal!

I grew up in Bradenton/Sarasota, myself; I used to deliver boat propellers to your town, for General Propeller Company..hotshot driver at a very young age!

I'll be following your journey myself, as well.

As the others said, Welcome to Trucking Truth!!

~ Anne ~

(& Tom, the driver hubby of mine!)

It sounds like you are doing some good homework. I too may look at pursuing flatbed at some point in the future. Whichever company you choose to go with, it sounds like you are on the right track.

Thanks Anna and Tom and Davy. I'm starting to get my ducks in a row here.

I took care of some house stuff today and have had some time to consider options. I'm getting closer to a decision and am probably going to pull the trigger soon.

Thanks Anna and Tom and Davy. I'm starting to get my ducks in a row here.

I took care of some house stuff today and have had some time to consider options. I'm getting closer to a decision and am probably going to pull the trigger soon.

Joseph;

Still here, following, for sure! So many peeps on here are a wealth of information..and more!!! The diaries. The blogs. Plenty of reading.

Great example, Old School's blogging..right here! Old School's Blog

Kearsey, our mod with Prime, has an amazing & educational YT channel: Truckin' Along with Kearsey

Let us know what you may be leaning toward, and one or ALL of us, will advise from there, lol! Any idea what freight you'd be more inclined to haul? There are SO many more opportunities in Florida, than years past. A family member of mine, worked for LCG (Lester Coggins) .. now defunct; yet so many opportunities are opening, as of late. (If I ever move back, LoL!) The YRC is interesting, in an of itself!

(Just got off the 'FLORIDA PHONE' w/my long winded sister, her youngest son is going into this profession as soon as he's done with his current obligations..as a medic. News to ME! >> Almost like y'all got a time zone of your own, haha!)

Between boating and deciding, read the 2nd item down:

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

...and then, all the rest! Goes great with Sunday morning coffee!!

Best wishes,

~ Anne ~

Thanks Anne. I've already been watching Kearcy on youtube. Her interview with @asianmai was hysterical. Old Schools blog is great too. I've been reading through the website and am enjoying the informational articles and blog posts.

I'm doing more research this weekend and have now been leaning towards Prime. My mindset has shifted towards them as they have many options and a nearby terminal. I also like the way they are using social media t o help their drivers and make sure they know to dot their I's and cross their T's correctly.

My driver friend speaks highly of them and believes it would Abe a great choice. I'll probably be speaking to their recruiter tomorrow morning as I'm ready to start this journey and get my license to learn.

Prime it is. Flatbed. Recruiter is running the background and MVR reports today. I have a tentative agreement for training starting August 2nd.