Choosing That First Employer

Hey Rico, I know your stressing over these decisions, but I just wanted to tell you that as far as a well managed company goes, Conway would be hard to beat, they have a great operation with lots of different opportunities.

I hear ya. Con-Way is the kind of company you start working for, and before you know it you've been there 20+ years.

And yes, I'm stressing about which way to go. There's two things I'm after. First, I want good training. In fact, I want top notch training. I've waited too long and had too many starts and stops to end up a victim of the sorry excuse for training too many of these schools get away with. I want a solid foundation to build from. No, I won't magically become a good truck driver because of a few weeks of training at any school, but I want every step in the process of becoming that good driver to be the best that I can find. Second, I want a decent company to get my start with. The first year or two are going to be difficult any way I slice it or dice it. I want the best that I can find in a company while putting that time in. In short, I feel as if I deserve the best the industry has to offer a newbie and see no reason to settle for less.

Lots of decisions. Took me quite awhile to narrow down the list of companies I'd like to work for.

It seems like the list of companies is endless. Some companies are easy to write off the list, but the good companies (like Con-Way) can be hard to sort through. I talked with one company, PGT, that comes highly recommended by my friend. After speaking with their recruiter, it appears that he's right. The problem is that they require a minimum of six months experience. I'm finding out that that's pretty common with better companies. They're just not interested in dealing with the fresh out of school drivers.

I'm finding out that that's pretty common with better companies. They're just not interested in dealing with the fresh out of school drivers.

I certainly wouldn't say "better companies" don't feel like dealing with new drivers. I'd say some companies don't feel like dealing with lousy drivers (newbies). It's a lot of work and a lot of headaches getting lousy drivers started in the industry.

Sucks being called lousy, doesn't it? I don't know why everyone does that with trucking companies. When it comes to hiring it's not about "better companies" versus "lousy companies". In fact, the best companies I ever worked for all hired new drivers straight out of school. Whether or not they hire new drivers has nothing to do with the quality of the company.

And I'll say this....get signed on with one of your "better companies" and get stuck with a lousy dispatcher. You won't believe what a lousy company you'll be working for when you can't get any miles, you can't get replies on the Qualcomm , you won't get load assignments until night dispatch comes in, and you'll never get home on time. The dispatcher you have will make a much bigger difference in your happiness and success out there than the name on the side of the door.

We have a driver in our forum that works for Werner and one that works for Western Express. Both companies have pretty awful reputations in the "online slander" community. But both of these drivers are top-notch pros so they get great miles, make great money, and love the companies they're with.

So ignore the "online slander" communities and focus on pay, benefits, home time, equipment, types of freight, and other perks and opportunities the companies offer. If you're a great driver you'll do well anywhere you go. If you're not, you'll be miserable anywhere you go. As a cover for their inadequacies, and because they never get the miles and treatment they'd like, it seems like the lowest quality workers always dish out the most criticism of their companies. Ignore that kind of garbage and focus on what matters when evaluating companies.

I'm finding out that that's pretty common with better companies. They're just not interested in dealing with the fresh out of school drivers.

I certainly wouldn't say "better companies" don't feel like dealing with new drivers. I'd say some companies don't feel like dealing with lousy drivers (newbies). It's a lot of work and a lot of headaches getting lousy drivers started in the industry.

Sucks being called lousy, doesn't it? I don't know why everyone does that with trucking companies. When it comes to hiring it's not about "better companies" versus "lousy companies". In fact, the best companies I ever worked for all hired new drivers straight out of school. Whether or not they hire new drivers has nothing to do with the quality of the company.

And I'll say this....get signed on with one of your "better companies" and get stuck with a lousy dispatcher. You won't believe what a lousy company you'll be working for when you can't get any miles, you can't get replies on the Qualcomm , you won't get load assignments until night dispatch comes in, and you'll never get home on time. The dispatcher you have will make a much bigger difference in your happiness and success out there than the name on the side of the door.

We have a driver in our forum that works for Werner and one that works for Western Express. Both companies have pretty awful reputations in the "online slander" community. But both of these drivers are top-notch pros so they get great miles, make great money, and love the companies they're with.

So ignore the "online slander" communities and focus on pay, benefits, home time, equipment, types of freight, and other perks and opportunities the companies offer. If you're a great driver you'll do well anywhere you go. If you're not, you'll be miserable anywhere you go. As a cover for their inadequacies, and because they never get the miles and treatment they'd like, it seems like the lowest quality workers always dish out the most criticism of their companies. Ignore that kind of garbage and focus on what matters when evaluating companies.

Yeah, I get what you're saying. There's good and bad everywhere. It's not that I think that companies that require experience are automatically a better company than those that don't. It's that most of the companies I've looked into that require experience have better reputations than most of the ones that don't. Of course, the fact that the companies that don't require experience get stuck with the task of weeding out the wannabes and others who just aren't cut out for this type of work factors into the equation.

After sleeping on it, I've decided to pursue the opportunity with Con-Way. It boiled down to really having nothing to lose and Con-Way's reputation. I'm already penciled in for one school for the 21st. If everything goes through with Con-Way, I would start classes on the 28th. So, I'll fill the paperwork out for Con-Way, and if everything gets approved, I will cancel with the other school. I didn't set out to do a company sponsored type of schooling program, but the one Con-Way offers has an excellent reputation.

Just got off the phone with Con-Way. I did the application earlier today, she called and said she'd call me back for phone interview, just got that done and am now waiting for them to do all the checks they need to do. In the meantime, she's sending me a form I have to sign and enrollment information for Crowder College. I was completely honest with her about everything in my past, and none of the bad stuff I did in my 20s will count against me. It looks like this is going to happen with Con-Way. Can I get excited now? lol

It looks like this is going to happen with Con-Way. Can I get excited now?

Nooooooooo.....wait on that just a bit. In trucking you're not allowed to get excited about anything until after it happens. Once they hand you the keys to your own truck and the company fuel card and you've pulled out of their yard on your first solo trip then you know it's really happening!!! Until then, stay guarded.

That's truckin!

It looks like this is going to happen with Con-Way. Can I get excited now?

Nooooooooo.....wait on that just a bit. In trucking you're not allowed to get excited about anything until after it happens. Once they hand you the keys to your own truck and the company fuel card and you've pulled out of their yard on your first solo trip then you know it's really happening!!! Until then, stay guarded.

That's truckin!

See how ya are? I was just startin' to like you too!

Well, I just got signed up for the classes at Crowder. My recruiter says the background stuff should be ready in a couple of days. I'm going Friday for the physical and permit test. I'm getting a 90% or better on the practice tests, so I'm confident I will do fine.

I'm getting a 90% or better on the practice tests, so I'm confident I will do fine.

Rico, with all of the talk about our High Road Training Program, why didn't you go through that???? That's what is going to prepare you for the CDL permit exam, endorsement exams, and life on the road including the Logbook rules and the Weight & Balance requirements. The practice tests aren't for teaching or they'd be called "teaching tests". They're for staying sharp on what you've already learned from The High Road.

Oh man.....I wish I would have known. I mean, you still have time to plow through a bunch of it and every little bit will help. But you're missing out on a huge opportunity if you don't take advantage of that program. The scores people get on their exams are astounding! And practice questions are just that - practice. There's no way to know if any of them at all will be on the actual exams you'll be taking. Did you at least read through your state's CDL Manual?

Also, do you have any actual pre-hires yet or are you just counting on your application with Con-Way to get approved? I know you'd like to go with them and you're hoping everything works out but from what you're saying you don't even have a pre-hire from them yet. You're ready to slap down the money for schooling and take the permit exam without any pre-hires or going through The High Road?

Honestly you're getting ahead of yourself a little bit. You should be applying for all of the pre-hires you can get and then deciding on which company you'll be working for and which school you'll attend. You're skipping some critically important steps in the process.

I'm getting a 90% or better on the practice tests, so I'm confident I will do fine.

Rico, with all of the talk about our High Road Training Program, why didn't you go through that???? That's what is going to prepare you for the CDL permit exam, endorsement exams, and life on the road including the Logbook rules and the Weight & Balance requirements. The practice tests aren't for teaching or they'd be called "teaching tests". They're for staying sharp on what you've already learned from The High Road.

Oh man.....I wish I would have known. I mean, you still have time to plow through a bunch of it and every little bit will help. But you're missing out on a huge opportunity if you don't take advantage of that program. The scores people get on their exams are astounding! And practice questions are just that - practice. There's no way to know if any of them at all will be on the actual exams you'll be taking. Did you at least read through your state's CDL Manual?

Also, do you have any actual pre-hires yet or are you just counting on your application with Con-Way to get approved? I know you'd like to go with them and you're hoping everything works out but from what you're saying you don't even have a pre-hire from them yet. You're ready to slap down the money for schooling and take the permit exam without any pre-hires or going through The High Road?

Honestly you're getting ahead of yourself a little bit. You should be applying for all of the pre-hires you can get and then deciding on which company you'll be working for and which school you'll attend. You're skipping some critically important steps in the process.

I actually read through the manual several times before I started taking any practice tests. I had already read it through the first couple of times before I signed up here. I learned a long time ago that taking practice tests until you can answer enough questions to pass is no way to learn anything. I've been taking practice tests through more than one source too. I do them through TR and I specifically googled IN CDL practice test and found a site that bases its practice tests on Indiana's tests. To be honest, the information in the manual hasn't changed a whole lot from the other times I've studied the manual.

The way Con-Way's program works is that they complete the background checks BEFORE they approve you for school. Normally, they would have had me wait before enrolling with the school, but there was only one spot left in the class that starts on the 28th. The only money I've had to pay is a small deposit with the college that I can get back as long as I cancel with them by the 21st. I will know before then whether or not I passed Con-Ways background check, so, if something happens I can back out. The only promise Con-Way makes to anyone going through this program is that I'm guaranteed to go to their orientation program once I graduate. In those four days, I have to pass a skills test and the hair follicle test, at which time I will officially be employed by them. So, yes, I will be a pre-hire before I even head out to Crowder College.

I will submit more applications with different companies between now and the time I graduate from Crowder's program. If, for some reason I end up not going to Crowder, then I will go to the other school in Indy. The way I see it is that I don't have anything to lose by signing up for Con-Way's program. If the recruiter calls and says they rejected me for some reason, I'll just do my schooling here in Indiana. If I go through the schooling at Crowder and don't make it through Con-Way's orientation, the total amount I will end up having to pay Crowder will be about $400 more than going through the schooling in Indy.

Let me break it down for you. The school in Indy costs $3150. On top of that, I will have to pay to stay in a motel. The actual training is just over 2 weeks long, but the plan is to stay in Indy for three weeks so I can take the skills test. Three weeks in the motel will cost me $550. I will also have to pay for all my food while I am there. Let's assume that costs me $225. The DOT physical will cost $60, and the permit will cost $16. That puts me right at $4000.

The total cost for the program at Crowder is $4400. That includes tuition, room and board, two meals a day, DOT physical, and the license fee. I am responsible for half that up front. Once I graduate, go through orientation, and haul one load for Con-Way, they pay the remaining $2200 and I owe them nothing. There's no deducting so much a week until I pay them back, no contract agreeing to work for them for so long, none of that sort of thing.

I hope I've explained this OK, but the bottom line is that going to this school in MO wouldn't cost me that much more than going to the one here in Indiana, regardless of whether or not Con-Way hires me.