Baby Step #1
Topic 32197 | Page 2
The above posts are so 'spot on.' One of the guys that did NOT reply to this thread (yet) like Grandpa Clark (over in the diaries section) is in a VERY similar situation as yours; I highly suggest you read it. He's joined with the ranks of Maverick. There are many more that went the private route, doing okay!
Also, what Ryan speaks of, re: 'decent' companies, is the fear of the "too good to be true" 1099 gigs. They're popping up a lot lately, but have always existed. Look at Z.M.'s thread, for example. (Put 1099 in the white 'search bar' above, for more.)
Another thing to watch for, re: 'decent' companies, are those that will try to shove leasing down your throat, out 'the gate. I've noticed that more lately, myself as well. It's something we highly frown on here on TT....but it happens. Texas Tim went that route with Wilson, and according to his Facebook page, he's doing alright. Pretty sure Ryan didn't mean anything about the 'name on the door.' At all. We don't care about that here, just the safety and integrity of 'said' company!
That explained, I'd recommend this, too: Apply For Truck Driving JobsAnd grab all the pre hires you can!
Keep us in the loop, and ask as you need! Best to ya;
~ Anne & Tom ~
Anne / Tom,
Thanks for the recommend on Grandpa Clark... his story plus all the comments by others with similar stories are great reading and definitely an encouragement. I had really thought I'd be somewhat of a unicorn, getting started at this stage in life. (I'm also a grandpa x2. Long way to go to catch up to 18 grandkids...)
I've applied to about 15-20 companies so far... some recommended by my cdl school, and several others that I've learned about here on this site. Most have been very positive. Made a lot of contacts and will have several options to choose from in about a month when I am licensed 🤞
To me, a 'decent' company is going to be one that takes the time to choose me, and not just looking to fill a seat. I want to be a name and not just a number, with a company that is proven to be who they say they are. I realize that I will have to earn that. All of them say the same things about pay / miles and home time and the importance of family etc... I'm really trying to dig into it and seek out the ones that mean it. I have a top 2 or 3 that I'm pretty excited about. But any additional nudges in the right direction would be appreciated 🙃
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.
Pre Hire:
What Exactly Is A Pre-Hire Letter?
Pre-hire letters are acceptance letters from trucking companies to students, or even potential students, to verify placement. The trucking companies are saying in writing that the student, or potential student, appears to meet the company's minimum hiring requirements and is welcome to attend their orientation at the company’s expense once he or she graduates from truck driving school and has their CDL in hand.
We have an excellent article that will help you Understand The Pre-Hire Process.
A Pre-Hire Letter Is Not A Guarantee Of Employment
The people that receive a pre-hire letter are people who meet the company's minimum hiring requirements, but it is not an employment contract. It is an invitation to orientation, and the orientation itself is a prerequisite to employment.
During the orientation you will get a physical, drug screen, and background check done. These and other qualifications must be met before someone in orientation is officially hired.
Pre Hires:
What Exactly Is A Pre-Hire Letter?
Pre-hire letters are acceptance letters from trucking companies to students, or even potential students, to verify placement. The trucking companies are saying in writing that the student, or potential student, appears to meet the company's minimum hiring requirements and is welcome to attend their orientation at the company’s expense once he or she graduates from truck driving school and has their CDL in hand.
We have an excellent article that will help you Understand The Pre-Hire Process.
A Pre-Hire Letter Is Not A Guarantee Of Employment
The people that receive a pre-hire letter are people who meet the company's minimum hiring requirements, but it is not an employment contract. It is an invitation to orientation, and the orientation itself is a prerequisite to employment.
During the orientation you will get a physical, drug screen, and background check done. These and other qualifications must be met before someone in orientation is officially hired.
HOS:
Hours Of Service
HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.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.
The above posts are so 'spot on.' One of the guys that did NOT reply to this thread (yet) like Grandpa Clark (over in the diaries section) is in a VERY similar situation as yours; I highly suggest you read it. He's joined with the ranks of Maverick. There are many more that went the private route, doing okay!
Also, what Ryan speaks of, re: 'decent' companies, is the fear of the "too good to be true" 1099 gigs. They're popping up a lot lately, but have always existed. Look at Z.M.'s thread, for example. (Put 1099 in the white 'search bar' above, for more.)
Another thing to watch for, re: 'decent' companies, are those that will try to shove leasing down your throat, out 'the gate. I've noticed that more lately, myself as well. It's something we highly frown on here on TT....but it happens. Texas Tim went that route with Wilson, and according to his Facebook page, he's doing alright. Pretty sure Ryan didn't mean anything about the 'name on the door.' At all. We don't care about that here, just the safety and integrity of 'said' company!
That explained, I'd recommend this, too: Apply For Truck Driving JobsAnd grab all the pre hires you can!
Keep us in the loop, and ask as you need! Best to ya;
~ Anne & Tom ~
Anne / Tom,
Thanks for the recommend on Grandpa Clark... his story plus all the comments by others with similar stories are great reading and definitely an encouragement. I had really thought I'd be somewhat of a unicorn, getting started at this stage in life. (I'm also a grandpa x2. Long way to go to catch up to 18 grandkids...)
I've applied to about 15-20 companies so far... some recommended by my cdl school, and several others that I've learned about here on this site. Most have been very positive. Made a lot of contacts and will have several options to choose from in about a month when I am licensed 🤞
To me, a 'decent' company is going to be one that takes the time to choose me, and not just looking to fill a seat. I want to be a name and not just a number, with a company that is proven to be who they say they are. I realize that I will have to earn that. All of them say the same things about pay / miles and home time and the importance of family etc... I'm really trying to dig into it and seek out the ones that mean it. I have a top 2 or 3 that I'm pretty excited about. But any additional nudges in the right direction would be appreciated 🙃
For your location, two decent companies that immediately come to mind are CFI and Prime. Both pride themselves on the quality of their training. Both have their own school, but these two companies also hire drivers who have chosen to obtain their CDL from an independent school. There are two active members here with extensive knowledge of those two companies. Rainy, aka "Kearsey" is a trainer for Prime. She has a YouTube channel with tons of information on Prime and trucking in general. Big Scott either drives for or used to drive for CFI. These are two mega carriers, but you will not find better training (equal perhaps but not better). Both of these carriers care immensely about safety. Anyway, I pointed these two out specifically because there are active members here who are able to speak personally about the companies and both have terminals in Missouri.
There is your nudge. 😁
--Ryan
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.
Terminal:
A facility where trucking companies operate out of, or their "home base" if you will. A lot of major companies have multiple terminals around the country which usually consist of the main office building, a drop lot for trailers, and sometimes a repair shop and wash facilities.
Pre Hire:
What Exactly Is A Pre-Hire Letter?
Pre-hire letters are acceptance letters from trucking companies to students, or even potential students, to verify placement. The trucking companies are saying in writing that the student, or potential student, appears to meet the company's minimum hiring requirements and is welcome to attend their orientation at the company’s expense once he or she graduates from truck driving school and has their CDL in hand.
We have an excellent article that will help you Understand The Pre-Hire Process.
A Pre-Hire Letter Is Not A Guarantee Of Employment
The people that receive a pre-hire letter are people who meet the company's minimum hiring requirements, but it is not an employment contract. It is an invitation to orientation, and the orientation itself is a prerequisite to employment.
During the orientation you will get a physical, drug screen, and background check done. These and other qualifications must be met before someone in orientation is officially hired.
Pre Hires:
What Exactly Is A Pre-Hire Letter?
Pre-hire letters are acceptance letters from trucking companies to students, or even potential students, to verify placement. The trucking companies are saying in writing that the student, or potential student, appears to meet the company's minimum hiring requirements and is welcome to attend their orientation at the company’s expense once he or she graduates from truck driving school and has their CDL in hand.
We have an excellent article that will help you Understand The Pre-Hire Process.
A Pre-Hire Letter Is Not A Guarantee Of Employment
The people that receive a pre-hire letter are people who meet the company's minimum hiring requirements, but it is not an employment contract. It is an invitation to orientation, and the orientation itself is a prerequisite to employment.
During the orientation you will get a physical, drug screen, and background check done. These and other qualifications must be met before someone in orientation is officially hired.
HOS:
Hours Of Service
HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.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.
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Yes, by decent company, I am basically saying any company that isn't 1099 and doesn't try to strongarm new drivers into a lease program.
As for the name on the door, that's all relative because what one person needs/wants from a company is likely different from another person. Every company has its own way of doing business. So, one company may be great for some people, but other people that same company may be a terrible fit. It's for this reason that I don't like when someone posts on a forum talking about "never go to ... company," especially when said company is well enough established that there are obviously drivers there who have chosen to stick around.
Pre Hire:
What Exactly Is A Pre-Hire Letter?
Pre-hire letters are acceptance letters from trucking companies to students, or even potential students, to verify placement. The trucking companies are saying in writing that the student, or potential student, appears to meet the company's minimum hiring requirements and is welcome to attend their orientation at the company’s expense once he or she graduates from truck driving school and has their CDL in hand.
We have an excellent article that will help you Understand The Pre-Hire Process.
A Pre-Hire Letter Is Not A Guarantee Of Employment
The people that receive a pre-hire letter are people who meet the company's minimum hiring requirements, but it is not an employment contract. It is an invitation to orientation, and the orientation itself is a prerequisite to employment.
During the orientation you will get a physical, drug screen, and background check done. These and other qualifications must be met before someone in orientation is officially hired.
Pre Hires:
What Exactly Is A Pre-Hire Letter?
Pre-hire letters are acceptance letters from trucking companies to students, or even potential students, to verify placement. The trucking companies are saying in writing that the student, or potential student, appears to meet the company's minimum hiring requirements and is welcome to attend their orientation at the company’s expense once he or she graduates from truck driving school and has their CDL in hand.
We have an excellent article that will help you Understand The Pre-Hire Process.
A Pre-Hire Letter Is Not A Guarantee Of Employment
The people that receive a pre-hire letter are people who meet the company's minimum hiring requirements, but it is not an employment contract. It is an invitation to orientation, and the orientation itself is a prerequisite to employment.
During the orientation you will get a physical, drug screen, and background check done. These and other qualifications must be met before someone in orientation is officially hired.
HOS:
Hours Of Service
HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.