Roadblock #1 - Advice?
Topic 5732 | Page 1
Hey Carter, Welcome to Trucking Truth!
Ma-an, if I had the time, I would ditch the 3-party recruiter and start hunting for information on my own. You might want to look into LTL , linehaul , and city driving, to keep you close to your family. I realize Maine is a deceivingly huge state, and I don't know what major cities you're near. Look up freight companies that deliver locally. I found a Con-way terminal in Sidney, just North of Augusta. Old Dominion Freight Line is a good freight company. They don't seem to have anything in Maine but they look like they have a terminal in Vermont. How 'bout New England Motor Freight (NEMF) with home-every-night linehaul. They have a terminal in Portland. I would seriously look into them or any other company that specialized in delivering local freight around New England. Also, sometimes Swift and other companies like C.R. England, J.B. Hunt, and Werner have semi-local runs for drivers but (Swift and J.B. Hunt may require 3-6 months experience first.) Look on craiglist, as well and see what's out there in your area.
Try to expand your thinking, beyond what the recruiter's coming up with.
I hope some of this helps. It's not a road block. Just a little speed bump. You'll find something.
-mountain girl
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.
LTL:
Less Than Truckload
Refers to carriers that make a lot of smaller pickups and deliveries for multiple customers as opposed to hauling one big load of freight for one customer. This type of hauling is normally done by companies with terminals scattered throughout the country where freight is sorted before being moved on to its destination.
LTL carriers include:
- FedEx Freight
- Con-way
- YRC Freight
- UPS
- Old Dominion
- Estes
- Yellow-Roadway
- ABF Freight
- R+L Carrier
Linehaul:
Linehaul drivers will normally run loads from terminal to terminal for LTL (Less than Truckload) companies.
LTL (Less Than Truckload) carriers will have Linehaul drivers and P&D drivers. The P&D drivers will deliver loads locally from the terminal and pick up loads returning them to the terminal. Linehaul drivers will then run truckloads from terminal to terminal.
Thanks mountain girl. I need something with a school, I can't afford private. I don't mind giving a company that teaches me the one year commitment; Hell, if they are fair with me and value my work I'll give them a lot more than that.
My primary concern is making sure that after the first 8 weeks or so of training and mentorship I am doing regional. I live in the downeast region of Maine (about 30 minutes south of Bangor) so a good company with a school that runs regional in the northeast is what I'm looking for.
The recruiter isn't affiliated with prime or knight, maybe I will submit to them myself.
Thanks again
Regional:
Regional Route
Usually refers to a driver hauling freight within one particular region of the country. You might be in the "Southeast Regional Division" or "Midwest Regional". Regional route drivers often get home on the weekends which is one of the main appeals for this type of route.
BMI:
Body mass index (BMI)
BMI is a formula that uses weight and height to estimate body fat. For most people, BMI provides a reasonable estimate of body fat. The BMI's biggest weakness is that it doesn't consider individual factors such as bone or muscle mass. BMI may:
- Underestimate body fat for older adults or other people with low muscle mass
- Overestimate body fat for people who are very muscular and physically fit
It's quite common, especially for men, to fall into the "overweight" category if you happen to be stronger than average. If you're pretty strong but in good shape then pay no attention.
You're welcome. Ok ... Con-way Freight has a 12-week program of training dock-workers while they're employed with them, to get their CDL. You'd have to start out as a dock-worker and be with them for at least 90 days before you could start the 12-week driver training but it's local. You work on the dock for at least 90 days, you apply to the driver program, and then once you're in it, you'd work on the doc for 8 hours and go to class right there, for 4 more hours, every day. After the first 7 weeks of training, they would make sure you took your CDL test, and then for the final 5 weeks, you'd train with them as a new driver. After that, you'd get a sizable raise from dock-worker to driver and then you're committed to them for at least a year. They'd also have you sign a contract that said if after you got your CDL through them, you quit their company before the year was up, you'd owe them $3k for the cost of the schooling. I know all this because I worked for them for 5 weeks, alongside the 12-weekers. You might find some threads I'd started and written about them. I had a bad experience at one particular terminal with just a couple of people and it didn't work out. Overall, as a company, they are excellent. I had a very difficult time leaving because I loved that company so much. There are many, many drivers out there who swear by them, so check them out. It looks like it's only a 1-hour commute from Bangor to Sidney on a good day.
-mountain girl
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.
Thanks, that sounds like something to look in to
Check with Prime, they have a Northeast Regional and they will let you have all the NE that you want...plus in a Lightweight it starts at .48 cents a mile for a rookie. We have Company sponsored training with pay of $700 a week once your in TNT.. Ask Daniel B. any questions you might have about Prime He was my PSD Trainer and is a wealth of Knowledge for Us Trucking Truth guys that drive for Prime
Ken C
Regional:
Regional Route
Usually refers to a driver hauling freight within one particular region of the country. You might be in the "Southeast Regional Division" or "Midwest Regional". Regional route drivers often get home on the weekends which is one of the main appeals for this type of route.
Company Sponsored Training:
A Company-Sponsored Training Program is a school that is owned and operated by a trucking company.
The schooling often requires little or no money up front. Instead of paying up-front tuition you will sign an agreement to work for the company for a specified amount of time after graduation, usually around a year, at a slightly lower rate of pay in order to pay for the training.
If you choose to quit working for the company before your year is up, they will normally require you to pay back a prorated amount of money for the schooling. The amount you pay back will be comparable to what you would have paid if you went to an independently owned school.
Company-sponsored training can be an excellent way to get your career underway if you can't afford the tuition up front for private schooling.
PSD:
Prime Student Driver
Prime Inc has a CDL training program and the first phase is referred to as PSD. You'll get your permit and then 10,000 miles of on the road instruction.
The following is from Prime's website:
Prime’s PSD begins with you obtaining your CDL permit. Then you’ll go on the road with a certified CDL instructor for no less than 75 hours of one-on-one behind the wheel training. After training, you’ll return to Prime’s corporate headquarters in Springfield, Missouri, for final CDL state testing and your CDL license.
Obtain CDL Permit / 4 Days
- Enter program, study and test for Missouri CDL permit.
- Start driving/training at Prime Training Center in Springfield, Missouri.
- Work toward 40,000 training dispatched miles (minimum) with food allowance while without CDL (Food allowance is paid back with future earnings).
On-the-Road Instruction / 10,000 Miles
- Train with experienced certified CDL instructor for 3-4 weeks in a real world environment.
- Get 75 hours of behind-the-wheel time with one-on-one student/instructor ratio.
- Earn 10,000 miles toward total 40,000 miles needed.
TNT:
Trainer-N-Trainee
Prime Inc has their own CDL training program and it's divided into two phases - PSD and TNT.
The PSD (Prime Student Driver) phase is where you'll get your permit and then go on the road for 10,000 miles with a trainer. When you come back you'll get your CDL license and enter the TNT phase.
The TNT phase is the second phase of training where you'll go on the road with an experienced driver for 30,000 miles of team driving. You'll receive 14¢ per mile ($700 per week guaranteed) during this phase. Once you're finished with TNT training you will be assigned a truck to run solo.
I find it hard to believe that Swift isn't running a school. Ditch that 3rd party loser and contact companies yourself to find out the real deal.
Phil
Thanks Ken. My only concern with prime is I thought that I read here somewhere that even their regional runs were 2-3 weeks out minimum.
I don't want to be that whiney guy who thinks that I should get whatever I want because I have graced a company with my presence. I just know that being away from my family for that long each time I go out (even with swift regional, I understand that sometimes I'm going to miss a weekend here and there) won't work.
The funny thing is, I am looking to do this in reverse. start out regional and then when my youngest is old enough have my wife get her CDL and then go team OTR (yes, this is what the wife would like too).
If I get a pre hire letter, the state will actually pay for my private CDL schooling, then I may have a better chance of finding what I need. Now to get that letter...
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.
Regional:
Regional Route
Usually refers to a driver hauling freight within one particular region of the country. You might be in the "Southeast Regional Division" or "Midwest Regional". Regional route drivers often get home on the weekends which is one of the main appeals for this type of route.
OTR:
Over The Road
OTR driving normally means you'll be hauling freight to various customers throughout your company's hauling region. It often entails being gone from home for two to three weeks at a time.
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.
*UPDATE* So I took the advise that I got from you guys and called swift. Turns out that they aren't bringing on students from Maine UNLESS they are willing to go to the Salt Lake City center. I got the direct number for my recruiter (the one that was going to contact me for orientation scheduling) and left her a message.
Per info I received on this board, I well call her tomorrow nice and early and hope to catch her first thing.
I'm going to call prime too. I'm driving around right now and every time I see a rig, I want to be in it.
Let's do this thing 
Go for it, ya downeaster!
-mountain girl
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Ok, so I was told by a third party recruiter on Friday that Swift Transportation had accepted me into orientation (no major accomplishment, but it was a start) and I would hear from them soon to schedule. So... I just heard back from 3rd party that Swift is only accepting experienced drivers and recent grads right now.
She is trying to look into C.R. England, but I'm worried that I won't be able to get a northeast regional run once I'm done with training. With a wife and 3 kids at home, they can deal with me being gone all week, but home most weekends, but gone 3-4 weeks at a time as a regular occurrence would be a non starter.
Any advice? Some insight into C.R. England would be great too.
Thanks
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
Regional:
Regional Route
Usually refers to a driver hauling freight within one particular region of the country. You might be in the "Southeast Regional Division" or "Midwest Regional". Regional route drivers often get home on the weekends which is one of the main appeals for this type of route.