Werner Dollar Tree…

I am on my wits end here. Having graduated in March, I am not exactly a recent grad anymore! Due to unexpected surgeries my son needed, I was unable to jump into trucking until the insurance matters were all cleared up. Now that it is, I have NO experience driving and choices are VERY slim to none for me it seems.

I’ve been browsing the forum for months and appreciate so much of your input into the trucking world. That being said, so far Werner has been the only place offering me a “Dollar Tree” interview. Many other companies are wait list, not accepting trainees or my recent grad title has expired. I’ve read up on so much Dollar Tree experiences and NOT to start out doing it as a noob.

But at this point, I’m running out of options and time 😩

Any advice on companies that might consider taking me in 4 months after I last hopped in a truck?!

How about confirming for the millionth time that a Dollar Tree account would possibly kill me or my future in trucking faster than I can say Really Lazy Students Love Recess?!

Mahalo in advance.

Leah, if Werner is your only option, then your choice has been made for you.

You can wait, but at this point time is not on your side.

It will be of interest to see what the more experienced drivers have to say about your situation. Should you pull the trigger with Werner or wait?

I do not think a Dollar Store account is a good way for a new driver to get their start. They require some very difficult backing, then you have to hand unload the truck.

We had a member here who did it as a rookie and successfully so it definitely can be done.

Papa Pigs on a dollar account

Leah, if Werner is your only option, then your choice has been made for you.

You can wait, but at this point time is not on your side.

It will be of interest to see what the more experienced drivers have to say about your situation. Should you pull the trigger with Werner or wait?

BK, best way of putting it…pull the trigger or wait, indeed!

I do not think a Dollar Store account is a good way for a new driver to get their start. They require some very difficult backing, then you have to hand unload the truck.

We had a member here who did it as a rookie and successfully so it definitely can be done.

Papa Pigs on a dollar account

Bobcat Bob, Papa Pigs adventures have made my heart palpitate multiple times. Maybe desperate times do not always call for desperate measures.

I usually play things pretty safe. Not a regular risk taker….probably shouldn’t start now🤦🏻‍♀️

I originally received my CDL in 1993 and drove for CRST for about a year, then was out of the truck for almost 30 years. In the spring of 2019, I got an updated medical and with that re-instated my CDL in Florida (originally earned in Iowa and then transferred to Illinois back in the day).

In 2019, I went to Knight's training academy in AZ with my CDL in hand expecting to be there for two to three weeks of refresher training. At the beginning of my second week, they had me do a couple of backs and a road test with the range instructor/tester and graduated me early in less than a week and a half at the school. I had an advantage because I already had my CDL, no official tests had to be completed which is a big boost in the right direction. Mind you, this is all after I'd been out of a truck for decades.

I'm sharing my experience so far for a simple reason. To show that it won't be the end of the world if you wait a few weeks or even a few months for the right opportunity to come to you. Worst case scenario I can see is you would need to do some refresher training before jumping into a truck with a trainer for your OTR training experience. This may be something you could pursue with a recruiter when looking at opportunities. I think many of the larger carriers that do their own company sponsored training also offer some variation of refresher training as well. I can't say for certain that this is an option given the current market, but it certainly doesn't hurt to ask.

So, to sum it up... if it were my decision to make, I'd pass on the Dollar account option and keep putting in applications.

To the best of my knowledge, we're still hiring. As is a variety of other carriers.

I'm assuming that you graduated from a private school. Meaning that you would have had to go through Training with whichever company you hired on with anyway. So it's basically the next step in your journey anyway.

A lot of people think that obtaining their CDL is the end of their schooling, but in reality it's the beginning. It's the key that unlucks the door to Training and eventually becoming a professional driver.

Have you considered Apply For Paid CDL Training and Apply For Truck Driving Jobs

There's a good chance that many carriers may want you to do a refresher with them and then go onto their Training. I know that at Knight we've had a few candidates that were graduates or little experienced and they used our Top Gun program as refresher course prior to being placed with a trainer. Swift also uses our Top Gun program.

If you really want to get into the industry and assuming you can do OTR or regional to start, there are still opportunities to be had, but given the tight market, it may involve being flexible.

I find it interesting that Werner is pushing you specifically towards a dollar tree account. You'd think they'd be happy to make you OTR spot freight. Hmm.

But I'm as new to this industry as you are so I dunno.

I find it interesting that Werner is pushing you specifically towards a dollar tree account. You'd think they'd be happy to make you OTR spot freight. Hmm.

But I'm as new to this industry as you are so I dunno.

I was told the two openings to apply for were Dollar Tree, Family Dollar, or TEAM OTR out 2 weeks home 2-3 days…

To the best of my knowledge, we're still hiring. As is a variety of other carriers.

I'm assuming that you graduated from a private school. Meaning that you would have had to go through Training with whichever company you hired on with anyway. So it's basically the next step in your journey anyway.

A lot of people think that obtaining their CDL is the end of their schooling, but in reality it's the beginning. It's the key that unlucks the door to Training and eventually becoming a professional driver.

Have you considered Apply For Paid CDL Training and Apply For Truck Driving Jobs

There's a good chance that many carriers may want you to do a refresher with them and then go onto their Training. I know that at Knight we've had a few candidates that were graduates or little experienced and they used our Top Gun program as refresher course prior to being placed with a trainer. Swift also uses our Top Gun program.

If you really want to get into the industry and assuming you can do OTR or regional to start, there are still opportunities to be had, but given the tight market, it may involve being flexible.

Davy A., I paid for 160 Driving Academy. After I passed, they handed me a brochure to JB Hunt. When I applied, I was offered an interview for Intermodal or Home Depot. At the time I wasn’t comfortable with either (maybe more scared to be honest, I was interested in Regional) and then at the same time, emergency family obligations popped up. Now I am in the clear to apply again.

Thank you for the great input! I applied through TT and will make calls to several others I overlooked. Let’s see who will be up to training this old noob!