Advice Needed For New Rookie Getting First Job

Dave, I started with Schneider, dry van and stayed with them two years before moving to a Southeast Regional company. Many companies seem to have great operations at one location, but might be lacking at another.

The short duration of Schneider’s Orientation was perfect for me. It’s not for everyone and probably not a good idea for tanker if you have zero experience.

You have companies (such as John Fayard) based in Mississippi or McElroy (based in Alabama), Stevens Transport (Refrigerated out of Dallas) which might be an option. My point is; there are so many companies , don’t give up.

As for private school, that’s what I did. I’d be very surprised your school has NO recruiters coming in. Mine had plenty. Push the people there to get you connected. You’re paying them.

If you end up driving for Schneider, it’s a pretty good company.

Thanks Steve,

These are also the reasons I like Schneider. It's holiday season and many people are on vacation. Schneider told me I'd be meeting my regional recruiter in person soon.

As for the tanker driver, I've worked at sea. I am well aware of what a little wave can do to a 100-ton boat, and I've been hit by a few hammers while out to sea. No thanks to that, ever.

My dad started as a tech at Schneider and always said it was a good company. He always wanted me to be a driver. The day I made the decision to do it he suddenly and unexpectedly passed away. So, I never got the chance to tell him. It's almost like he knew and his mission on Earth was over.

I appreciate your feedback.

You may check the Indeed website to find out which companies in your area are hiring rookies.

Thanks TCB,

I will look into it.

If you want to know who runs in your area, go to the industrial parks and look at the trucks. I am in and out of Houston, Baytown and Galveston all the time.

Get your experience then choose what you want. You may be surprised what you thought you wanted isn't so great. What you thought would be PITA could be awesome.

I suspect G Town to be correct. Your expectations are keeping you from getting hired. Prime takes CDL grads all the time. They make them take an evaluation before putting them in team training and pay a low reimbursement compared to other companies ($1500 max I think over 3 months). They also pay LESS the first month and make them do more miles but they do in fact take new grads.

My guess is that you want day driving.... Local.. weekends off or something similar. Good luck. Which BTW you won't get as an owner op much either and still make a profit. There are plenty of us here working for the companies you mentioned and many at companies you haven't.

Don't discount companies. Apply to all of them. See what they offer. And don't be over dramatic. We all know you can find a job as a CDL grad. You say you know you have to pay your dues... So do it and next year the sky is the limit.

Good luck.

I went through private school almost 5 years ago and had no problems getting offers from every company I applied to. Swift I remember offered me to start in 3 or 4 days, Magnum was the same. I don't remember who it was but they said I could start that same week.

With drivers now being in higher demand than ever there has to he another problem, did you get a 160 hour certificate? Did you go to an accredited school? There was a school here in IL that some companies wouldn't take students from.

I am not here to recruit. I don't have a ton of time to be on here. Which is why I limit my comments.

I love CFI and since Brett refuses to update info on this site I give as much CFI info. I love CFI and the way drivers are treated here. After almost four years OTR , my wife wanted me home more. I asked for some specifics in a route and they made it for me. This cannot be done for everyone.

CFI is the only company I have worked for and can only talk about them. I do not get any referral bonus for inexperienced (student) drivers.

Stevens has a heavy presence in Houston also.

Big Scott perhaps you should offer to update the CFI information and pass it on to Brett. I’m sure he’d appreciate the effort and gesture. As we all would.

Suggestion. If you don’t want to be perceived as a recruiter, then skip the hard sell. IMO you come off as selling...as if CFI is the only company on the face of the earth that treats their drivers like professionals. They are not. They treat you like any of the megas treat a driver who has made a long term commitment and proven themselves a top performing, safety first driver.

I am not here to recruit. I don't have a ton of time to be on here. Which is why I limit my comments.

I love CFI and since Brett refuses to update info on this site I give as much CFI info. I love CFI and the way drivers are treated here. After almost four years OTR , my wife wanted me home more. I asked for some specifics in a route and they made it for me. This cannot be done for everyone.

CFI is the only company I have worked for and can only talk about them. I do not get any referral bonus for inexperienced (student) drivers.

Big Scott perhaps you should offer to update the CFI information and pass it on to Brett. I’m sure he’d appreciate the effort and gesture. As we all would.

Suggestion. If you don’t want to be perceived as a recruiter, then skip the hard sell. IMO you come off as selling...as if CFI is the only company on the face of the earth that treats their drivers like professionals. They are not. They treat you like any of the megas treat a driver who has made a long term commitment and proven themselves a top performing, safety first driver.

I am not here to recruit. I don't have a ton of time to be on here. Which is why I limit my comments.

I love CFI and since Brett refuses to update info on this site I give as much CFI info. I love CFI and the way drivers are treated here. After almost four years OTR , my wife wanted me home more. I asked for some specifics in a route and they made it for me. This cannot be done for everyone.

CFI is the only company I have worked for and can only talk about them. I do not get any referral bonus for inexperienced (student) drivers.

C’mon now. He loves his company. When I was with Schneider, I couldn’t believe anyone would not like them. I still think they’re tops in the industry. I seem to remember a few times you were pretty strongly encouraging people to go to Swift. Nothing wrong with it.

AND, should we second-guess how a company treats their drivers if we’ve never driven for them? If you have, I apologize.

Maybe Big Scott is a little much for some of us. But doesn’t a passionate appreciation for one’s employer speak pretty well of said employer? 😊

C’mon on? Who said anything about second guessing his experience at CFI? It’s genuine.

I know he loves his company. And that is fantastic. Whenever I see a red KW I look to see if it’s got “Big Scott” stenciled on the door. But it has way more to do with his attitude, work ethic and performance than it does with CFI. That holds true with every company.

Overall I try very hard to be objective. I was never selling Swift. Primarily setting the facts straight when it was obvious they were being misrepresented.

I’m not going to apologize for suggesting he tone it down a bit. People will take him more seriously if he tempers it a bit. And I’m not the only one who feels this way.

Big Scott perhaps you should offer to update the CFI information and pass it on to Brett. I’m sure he’d appreciate the effort and gesture. As we all would.

Suggestion. If you don’t want to be perceived as a recruiter, then skip the hard sell. IMO you come off as selling...as if CFI is the only company on the face of the earth that treats their drivers like professionals. They are not. They treat you like any of the megas treat a driver who has made a long term commitment and proven themselves a top performing, safety first driver.

I am not here to recruit. I don't have a ton of time to be on here. Which is why I limit my comments.

I love CFI and since Brett refuses to update info on this site I give as much CFI info. I love CFI and the way drivers are treated here. After almost four years OTR , my wife wanted me home more. I asked for some specifics in a route and they made it for me. This cannot be done for everyone.

CFI is the only company I have worked for and can only talk about them. I do not get any referral bonus for inexperienced (student) drivers.

C’mon now. He loves his company. When I was with Schneider, I couldn’t believe anyone would not like them. I still think they’re tops in the industry. I seem to remember a few times you were pretty strongly encouraging people to go to Swift. Nothing wrong with it.

AND, should we second-guess how a company treats their drivers if we’ve never driven for them? If you have, I apologize.

Maybe Big Scott is a little much for some of us. But doesn’t a passionate appreciation for one’s employer speak pretty well of said employer? 😊

Impartial observer here. I've always figured Big Scott simply loves his company and wants to help it succeed. It would also be real easy for people who don't follow the forum regularly to perceive you to be a recruiter. Since the forum teaches paid CDL training as a best practice, it'd be important for it to not appear as though that wasn't merely being said because the forum is being run by the companies. I'm sure there is some middle ground there in how prospective drivers are being talked to about it.