Need Advice

My personal opinion is, take home time, clean out your truck of everything that won't fit into a suitcase and carry on. Make sure you have enough cash or credit for a one way flight home. THEN put in 2 weeks notice. That way, no matter what happens, you won't be up a creek without a paddle.

Yes ma'am, already did this :) Maybe I will take a scenic train ride if them dump me somewhere, always want to do that. (not being sarcastic at all)

What is a "starter company"? Do you think any trucking company's goal is to produce experienced drivers for other competitors? Any company who is willing to train you is wanting you to stay with them and make your career there.

How did you end up at Schneider National in the first place? OK, so you discovered OTR isn't for you. maybe It is best to move on. But did you talk to anyone at Schneider to see if they have any local positions? Home every day, or home on weekends? I drove for Swift, and they have both of those types of assignments, not just OTR.

Have a You Are Here moment and look closely for options.

As for the two week notice, that is a good idea. No, Schneider dispatchers won't get back at you. They may give you shorter routes that end up finally near your main terminal. Whiny people who don't understand the trucking business will often post sad stories where they are not the problem.

What is a "starter company"? Do you think any trucking company's goal is to produce experienced drivers for other competitors? Any company who is willing to train you is wanting you to stay with them and make your career there.

It seems to be. Swift, Knight, Prime, TMC, Roehl, and others I cant think of start mid 50's cpm. Schneider starts at .39 cpm and climbs to .44 cpm at 6 months. Based on the pay side of things, doesnt seem they are too interested in retention. From what i am heard the attrition rate is pretty high ( and yes this is he said she said, BUT it is believable based on my experience)

How did you end up at Schneider National in the first place? OK, so you discovered OTR isn't for you. maybe It is best to move on. But did you talk to anyone at Schneider to see if they have any local positions? Home every day, or home on weekends? I drove for Swift, and they have both of those types of assignments, not just OTR.

Their recruiter was very "on it" I like people and companies that are "on it" so I went with them. Initially, I went in on this for the experience and didnt care for the money(because I have money from selling my house from moving) but as I realized the time away from my dog and family isnt worth what I was getting paid. Yes I didnt try to find different poositions but I live further than 50 miles from my OC and there are and will never be positions other than OTR for me.

As for the two week notice, that is a good idea. No, Schneider dispatchers won't get back at you. They may give you shorter routes that end up finally near your main terminal. Whiny people who don't understand the trucking business will often post sad stories where they are not the problem.

Honestly, i wouldnt mind the shorter routes, lol. I much prefer having multiple stops per day than driving for 11 hours straight. The particular stories I was refering to involved companies trying to dock pay for damaged trailers etc ( in one of the cases the driver took pictures of everything beforehand and took the company to court and won, good for him ;) )

You already got great advice in the previous posts, so I will chime in ad a former Schneider driver.

I did 2 tours of duty with Schneider. I was only able to get re-hired the second time because I left on good terms the first time. So, my thinking is that you don’t want to burn a bridge that you may need to cross again, even if that seems unlikely. Talk to your DBL, or whatever they are currently called, and ask if they want two week notice or not. It sounds like you could go either way, so let them decide and your record will show that you went away on a positive note. They will not penalize you either way because, frankly, you are just a number to them and what you are planning to do happens within the company multiple times every day. It’s just routine for them. This is not a criticism of Schneider, but with about 15,000 drivers they don’t get personal with individual drivers.

And yes, if you start out with Schneider and you don’t like it, there are jobs that you would find better suited to you. This was the case with me. I received really great training from them but their overall system was not something I liked, so I chose another company that suits me much better.

Leave Schneider on the best terms possible. In the future, you may need a reference from them for another job and you want them to say positive things about you.

This was really what I was looking for, thanks!

My DTL is actually really good, if I had the ability to give him a raise i would. Unfortuanly there are always...bad birds...in the flock and this particular bad bird answered the phone a lot.

I would hope i wouldnt need a reference for myself to myself. ;)

If It works out that i get back into trucking i would like to do flatbad looks to be way more physically involved. Than after that low boy. Van is extremely boring.

Again thank your for your insight!!

4 months is nothing in the big scheme of things. And 39 cpm starting was better than my 31 cpm in 9/19, but, with monthly raises for 1 year, and couple more, I was at 46 cpm by years end. 6 months later, was bumped up to 60 cpm (driving teams) that was not my first choice, but it's what got me started driving.

22 months later after taking 5 months off, I got started with a new company at 60 cpm and was netting $1,500+ per week solo. Which I saved most of, for my upcoming early retirement in 3/22.....Which I did give 2 weeks notice, even though on my last day, I got a call from my new DM , who had no clue it was my last delivery. They were both good companies I drove for, regardless of the bad rep by disgruntled prior drivers out there......Schneider has been around for a LONG time, so they must be doing something right.

Currently, with how the economy is back home in the states, I'm glad I don't have to deal with trying to maintain the same miles I had before it tanked back home. I miss the money, sure, but to me some things are more important than money. And I sure don't miss the US lol

Good luck in your future goals in life, trucking or not.

Just some thoughts. 1. You have 4 months experience. I'm guessing you are young. There's a prevalent sense of wanting to immediately go to the top and bypass paying your dues with the younger generations. The beauty of trucking is that it doesn't work that way. You get paid by what you produce.

2. At 4 months experience, you're not qualified to know what a starter company is and isn't. This may sound harsh, bur it's the equivalent of an 8 year old kid saying "I really prefer the handling of the Vette over the mustang".

3. Have you maxed your earning capacity where you're at? It's a simple concept. I pulled a hair bit over 84k my first year at Knight. So is it really a starter company?

4. Doing the math, at 4 months you haven't driven a winter yet. If you're bored, feel free to ask for routes over Monarch Pass, Donner, wolf creek pass, Eisenhower and Vail and of course i80 through Wyoming with a light load. I guarantee you, it will cure your boredom. Another thing that gen X learned better than to say.

Again it may sound harsh, but a few months in isn't enough time to even begin to develop as a professional driver. If your dispatch is only handing you safe boring routes, it's because they can't count on you to take the difficult ones yet. It's part of the process. They know what you do not, yet think you do.

I'd recommend you stay with them for a year. If you can make money there, you can make mo eu anywhere. You're also in for a shock switching to local from otr. Different philosophies, management and areas to negotiate.

4 months is nothing in the big scheme of things. And 39 cpm starting was better than my 31 cpm in 9/19, but, with monthly raises for 1 year, and couple more, I was at 46 cpm by years end. 6 months later, was bumped up to 60 cpm (driving teams) that was not my first choice, but it's what got me started driving.

22 months later after taking 5 months off, I got started with a new company at 60 cpm and was netting $1,500+ per week solo. Which I saved most of, for my upcoming early retirement in 3/22.....Which I did give 2 weeks notice, even though on my last day, I got a call from my new DM , who had no clue it was my last delivery. They were both good companies I drove for, regardless of the bad rep by disgruntled prior drivers out there......Schneider has been around for a LONG time, so they must be doing something right.

Currently, with how the economy is back home in the states, I'm glad I don't have to deal with trying to maintain the same miles I had before it tanked back home. I miss the money, sure, but to me some things are more important than money. And I sure don't miss the US lol

Good luck in your future goals in life, trucking or not.

Congrats, on retirement! I took my first two week vacation at my last job and 3 days into it I wanted to go back to work. Ill probably die working. My goal is to find something I am passionate about. Anyway, thanks!!

3. Have you maxed your earning capacity where you're at? It's a simple concept. I pulled a hair bit over 84k my first year at Knight. So is it really a starter company?

4. Doing the math, at 4 months you haven't driven a winter yet. If you're bored, feel free to ask for routes over Monarch Pass, Donner, wolf creek pass, Eisenhower and Vail and of course i80 through Wyoming with a light load. I guarantee you, it will cure your boredom. Another thing that gen X learned better than to say.

Again it may sound harsh, but a few months in isn't enough time to even begin to develop as a professional driver. If your dispatch is only handing you safe boring routes, it's because they can't count on you to take the difficult ones yet. It's part of the process. They know what you do not, yet think you do.

I'd recommend you stay with them for a year. If you can make money there, you can make mo eu anywhere. You're also in for a shock switching to local from otr. Different philosophies, management and areas to negotiate.

Does knight train drivers?

If yes than its a starter company.

You need math to figure out that I havent driven in winter yet? lol.

I have no desire to waste what little time I have left on this earth getting paid trash money and being only able to see my family 4 days a month. Maybe in the grand scheme of things, 4 months is little experience but with what that experience has shown me is not good.

Do I hate schneider, not really. But they are not for me.

On the 2 weeks notice issue: yes turn it in and let them decide. That way they can never give you a bad reference.

Your bigger issue is with only 4 months experience once you get done with your school and decide you want to drive a truck as a side hussle your cdl will be worthless. Any mid to large company will require full retraining and any small outfit will not be able to get you on their insurance. For us small folks the insurance companies totally dictate who we can hire.

Just a reality to think about.

You need math to figure out that I havent driven in winter yet? lol.

I have no desire to waste what little time I have left on this earth getting paid trash money and being only able to see my family 4 days a month. Maybe in the grand scheme of things, 4 months is little experience but with what that experience has shown me is not good.

This, along with the fact that the Original Poster only joined Trucking Truth in the past couple of days, is what is often disheartening to me; that if a person doesn't get instant gratification, they move on. How will you ever gain wisdom if you're not willing to stick around long enough for it to appear? And why do you come to such a knowledgeable place only after you've decided you know better than the experienced drivers? A bit of an oxymoron isn't it?

Well, good luck with school and your future endeavors. But, you might want to seek out the advice of the experienced before diving into any endeavor, not after. It'll get you farther, faster IF you heed the advice and practice a little discernment in your decision making.

Maybe in the grand scheme of things, 4 months is little experience but with what that experience has shown me is not good.

This is hilarious and sad at the same time. I have a lot I could say, but I'm just not feeling like wasting my time today.