Starting With Maverick

I got my cdl June 20 i got approved for Maverick Transportation. I was suppose to start yesterday but Thursday i got a call for an interview on Tuesday for a local job driving for Pepsi. Thursday i got a call from Swift they want me to come out next Monday. A lil confused right?

The entire time i was in school the only company i applied for was Maverick but after talking to a classmate that already went through their training got cold feet don't know should I go to Maverick, Swift Transport, or take the local job at Pepsi. My classmate say maverick is very strict and will send you home at the drop of a dime.

My classmate say maverick is very strict and will send you home at the drop of a dime.

Jonathan, most of the companies are like that, especially with new drivers. They have to be. The stakes are too high. And you wouldn't believe how many people come into this industry thinking they know it all. As if a truck is just a little bigger version of what they've been doing all along. There are also people who lose focus easily, can't be on time to save their lives, and can not (or will not) follow directions. Those people are incredibly dangerous and unproductive. Trucking companies try like crazy to make sure the people they put behind the wheel have the potential to be safe, productive drivers. And let me tell you, a lot of people that come into this industry do not have that potential. Sometimes you can see it in five seconds. Sometimes you have to put them under some pressure or test them to see what they will do.

Every trucking company and Company-Sponsored Training Program wind up sending a lot of people home from their school or orientation classes for all sorts of reasons - failing the physical or drug test, not following directions, having a bad attitude, not picking up on the driving quickly enough, and all sorts of things. All you can do is prepare yourself the best you know how:

• Be honest on your application - they will check everything
• Have a great attitude
• Do what you're asked to do and do it well
• Take safety very seriously
• Learn all you can every single day
• Demonstrate your ability and desire to be a safe, productive driver - a true professional

You'll get more help and you'll be shown more patience and tolerance if you'll do those things. Anyone with a great attitude and a true desire to be awesome at what you're teaching them is a real joy to teach and to have around. They also have great potential. Trucking companies are looking for this sort of thing in a big way. They'll test you continuously. Many times you won't even know that they're testing you. They'll throw you some curveballs just to see how you'll react.

Decide on a company based upon the things you're looking for - types of freight, home time, pay & benefits, equipment, opportunities within the company, etc. Don't worry about a company's reputation on the Web or any baloney you hear on the Web. Find a company that closely matches what you're looking for and go in there and show em you intend to be a true professional driver - safe and productive with a great attitude. That's how you find a home in this industry.

Hey Jonathan, if Maverick is the only company you applied to during school I'm going to assume that you were really interested in them for some reason. Go with your own desires, ignore what ever your class-mate says. I have never come across a disgruntled Maverick driver, and I see a lot of them at the same places where I am loading and unloading. You have got to want this job to make it work for you. The trucking industry suffers form an over abundance of lazy quitters, under achievers, and naysayers, A brief look at most trucking forums will provide you with plenty of supporting evidence of that. Heck Jonathan, if you were the boss and you were about to hand the keys of 250,000.00 worth of equipment over to a rookie driver who doesn't really have a clue about what he is about to get himself into, wouldn't you be a little strict also? All trucking companies have a long list of rules that you must abide by, this is a job. What makes you think that Swift is not going to be strict?

Jonathan, when you are at orientation for a trucking job, it is just like an extended interview. Somehow people get the impression that they already have the job and they've just got to get through this initial week of paper work before they get started. That is not the case, and your classmate is in that camp. When he realized that they still might "send him home at the drop of a dime" he didn't like it because he was still having to prove himself. Well, I hate to break the news to you, but you will be having to prove yourself everyday in this industry. This is a competitive business. I work hard at proving myself everyday by "getting er done" when others can't seem to manage their time as efficiently, or face the challenges as undauntedly as I do. I'm not bragging, I just want you to realize how it is out here. These are also the things I love about this business. Other drivers at my company gripe and whine about not getting enough miles, not getting home when they want,or the way their dispatcher is treating them. I never experience any of those problems, and the truth is I can sometimes barely get all the miles done that they give me. Why do you think that is? The answer to that question is because I continually prove myself every day by "getting er done" - I love it that way, and so do the load planners who realize they can always count on me. If I start dropping the ball on them they will find someone else to run those really good runs. They don't just hand this stuff out like it's candy, this is their customers who will move their business elsewhere in a hurry if they don't get the results they need.

Jonathan, it takes a heart that enjoys excelling at what you do to be really successful at this, and the whole reason I'm telling you all this is simply because I want you to succeed at it. If it's true that you were really interested in Maverick, then go for it man. Ignore what others may have to say about them. After all what does your classmate really understand about this business? NOTHING! He's just as green as he can be. You get out there and show them what you are made of. If it's the right stuff, you will be very happy over there at Maverick.

Hi Jonathan,

I started CDL school April 7 and started with my trainer April 30. We had 5 students in our class and one experienced driver than joined during orientation. Out of the 6 of us, only 3 remain now.

Like the others have said, I think a lot of the companies that hire new drivers are the same.

The one piece of advice I can give no matter which company you choose is to listen. While I hear a lot of complaining from drivers that were let go for "nothing", most of it boils down to not listening and following the instructions from the trainer. If you go in with the attitude that you are a student and want to learn, I think just that can carry you a long way.

Good luck with whatever you do.

Da-ang, OS.

Carpe diem!

-mountain girl

Thanks for the advice Im heading out to Maverick Saturday to begin my flatbedding career me an a classmate of mine leave out at the same time. Still a little intimidated but failure is not an option, keeping a open mind an ready to learn as much as I can an get my career started. Keep you guys updated on my progress.

Question: can u pay bills or shop off line with the cards they put your check on, i have a savings account but it takes my bank forever to issue a new atm card.

SSSup Jonathan.

Everything mentioned above is dead on. I have been with my company for a little over 11 months starting out fresh from school. They were very strict for the first 6 months or so then eased up on me a bit (either that or I brought my malfunctioning brain up to an acceptable level). Now, the only time I actually voice talk to my FM is when there is an issue, like, breakdown, or he needs me to detour from my route to go dock a trailer that some dum dum dropped in the middle of a customers parking lot. It is not all fun and cruising. You will be tested...Hard. Just build up a thick skin, sense of humor and go, go, go.

Thanks for the advice Im heading out to Maverick Saturday to begin my flatbedding career me an a classmate of mine leave out at the same time. Still a little intimidated but failure is not an option, keeping a open mind an ready to learn as much as I can an get my career started. Keep you guys updated on my progress.

Question: can u pay bills or shop off line with the cards they put your check on, i have a savings account but it takes my bank forever to issue a new atm card.

Some companies are starting to use a new ComData card with the MasterCard logo which will allow you to use it as an ATM/Debit. I found this out when I was at Primes Orientation. One of the drivers staying at the hotel showed me the card. Not sure If Mav does it.