Napier Truck Driving Training....Hamilton, OH

Brett,

I finished that series last night and it was so insightful. I really appreicate the great read. As far as the companies on my list. They are in no particular order and there are 11. Maybe less if I cant reach anyone at a few companies. The companies are:

Crete/Shaffer (leaning towards Shaffer), TMC, Maverick, Boyd Brothers, Central Refridgerated, Celadon, Grand Island Express, Navajo Express, Melton, Swift, Werner

I believe this is a great list and there are a lot of great companies on here. I am going to wait till the recruiters of some of these show up at my school so I can talk to them face to face. Also, I am still looking for companies that are hiring.

In other news, it keeps getting better. I now have a part time job. My wife and I are going to be teaming up and cleaning offices in the evening (after my school day is over with) for 4 hours a night, 5 days a week. It is not a lot of money, but it will be enough to sustain us while I am in school. So, I am excited about that. I have my physical next Friday so I am just working on that too. Thanks for reading. God bless America and God bless the American Truck Driver.

Hey that's fantastic news about the part time job!!! Whatever you can do to keep moving forward in life, that's what you do. Great to hear!

Now your list of companies is really all over the board. You have dry van , flatbed, and refrigerated carriers. One of the biggest differences between companies will normally come from the type of freight they haul. Each type of freight has different characteristics.

What are you shooting for as far as home time, amount of physical labor involved, and regions of the country you'd like to run?

Sorry it has been a while since my last post. As fas as hometime goes, my wife will be with me so I am willing to stay out as much as I can to make money. I mean your not making money if the wheels aren't turning. As far as regions of the country I want to run all 48 states. I would be okay with Canada (I am working on getting a passport for my wife and I) and I would even run to Alaska if they would let me. I want to see the west. I have never been west of Kansas City, Missouri, and never have been in the Northeast so those are the two areas I am really looking forward to venturing too. This is why I am leaning towards the refridgerated companies. I have read somewhere, and may have been here, that refers usually have the longest runs because usually you are hauling fruit out of California and are bringing it back east. My top five companies right now are: Shaffer, Centeral Refridgerated, TMC, Werner, and Swift. Oh, and Maverick Temp Controlled.

More good news. I nailed my physical. I can see and here. My doctor told me that my blood pressure was amazing for someone with diabetes. I got my DOT card, so I am super excited. I start school on Monday. One thing that I love is that the school wants you to get all your endorsements up front so you can have them when you get out on the road. This just makes me more marketable as a driver. Not sure if I will ever haul doubles and triples, but will be nice to have that endorsement just in case I ever need it. I am also looking forward to meeting all the company recuriters and learning about the companies that are out there.

One question that I did have is do I need to worry about getting my TWIC card right away if I am hauling refers? I know that it is all but a requirement for flatbeds, but not sure about refers. Thanks for any info that you can provide on that.

Unless the company you're going to work for requires it, there's no desperate hurry to get your TWIC card. It's one of those things you want to knock of the list as soon as you reasonably can, but there's no big hurry.

Congrats on passing the DOT Physical!!!

Thanks for the info and the congrats.

I am studying the Highroad Series right now and I must say that it is truly remarkable. The way you ask the review questions helps me actually remember and learn the info, not just memorize it and forget it once I take the test. Thanks for putting all this together.

You're quite welcome and I'm glad it's working well for ya!

So, today was the big day. I started school. It was so much fun and so much different than the previous school I got to go to. We did an open book test out of what the trainer calls the trucking bible, the FMCSR monthly rule book and got 100%. We did that at the other school too, but this one let us keep it. I was so prepared for the Airbrakes and General Knowledge portions by studying the High Road Series. We are learning Hazmat and Airbrakes tomorrow. So, getting ready to study Hazmat.

A Maverick recuriter came in today. They are an amazing company. I like what they stand for, and I think it would be interesting to haul glass, but unless anything changes, I have my mind made up for who I want to go with. I am waiting to meet with them on Wednesday.

It amazes me how many people were late to class today. We had a few that were a few minutes late, but one showed up at 12:30. It was just like wow. I like that the school helps you get all your endorsements, though the company I am leaning towards doesn't require any of them, but makes me more marketable, and the more you know the better you will be at your job. Well, gotta get to looking at Hazmat. Thanks for reading, have a great night and God bless.

It amazes me how many people were late to class today.

Every truck driving class has a sizeable number of knuckleheads. They don't listen, they don't take it seriously, and they have terrible attitudes. Half of em will be sittin at a bar about 30 minutes after class lets out.

But what troubles me more than anything is that these people are going to land a job, screw it all up for themselves, and run home to TheTruckersReport and tell the world what a horrible company they worked for and how awful the trucking industry is. And when you're new to the trucking industry you have no way of knowing (unless we tell you) that there's nothing wrong with these companies - it's the drivers that normally screw things up for themselves. But that message is a tough sell. You're about to see what I mean though!

Study hard, ask a lot of questions, and have fun!

Brett, I know what you mean. I have visted the TruckersReport there and you would think that there is not one happy driver in all of America the way that they talk.

Today was a good day, tested on Air Brakes and HAZMAT and scored pretty well. I can always do better, but missed 3 on Air Brakes and 4 on HAZMAT. Tomorrow is doubles/triples, combinations, and tankers. Thanks to the High Road Series, I am prepared for whatever they throw at me.

I was really interested to see that the recruiters from U.S. Express and Averitt were so different then the one from Maverick that came yesterday. The U.S. Express lady seemed to be rude and crass, while the Averitt one didn't seem to care if he was there or not. Tomorrow we have BST, Shaffer/Crete, and one other company and it has slipped my mind.

I really wanted to ask this...the U.S. Express lady recommeneded that we pick two companies, sign up for both orientations and then when we make a final decision, call and back out of the other one (nicely, of course, without burning bridges). That seems a bit rude to me, but is that something you all would reccomend that people do, or should I just pick a company, and God forbid it doesn't work then take my pre-hire to the next company? What do you all think.

I have narrowed my final two companies to Crete/Shaffer and Werner. Both are great companies, and both have been around a long time. Shaffer has been around since 1933, before being bought out by Crete, and Werner has been around since the 50's. After comparing and contrasting the two, they are both so similar and offer a lot of the same things, with slight variances. For instance, Shaffer offers the deal where you can pick your load from a list of three and they have great pay. Werner's pay is on a sliding scale (which worries me), but they have a sign on bonus, and first to implement electronic log books, so you know they are on top of innovation. Benefits both start at 30 days. Crete/Shaffer pays more for orientation pay and training, but Werner has the sign on bonus. Hometime is the same within a day or two (something not interested in). Both will let me take my wife from day one, year round, while Shaffer's is free, Werner there is a small fee. Shaffer's benefits are really expensive, not sure about Werner's. With all that being said, how do I choose a company between these too, when they are so similar? Any ideas? I know you cant give recommendations, but any help or something I missed, please point out. Thanks and God bless.

As far as booking more than one orientation - there's no reason to do that. Get as many pre-hires as you can, but once you make a choice then book an orientation date with that company. If something falls through then you simply go to the next company on your pre-hire list and book an orientation with them. I'm not sure why she recommended booking more than one orientation at a time. I guess she figures people are trying to get out there ASAP and if one orientation date falls through you will still be booked in another one without having to wait. But the wait wouldn't be long anyhow. Just book one orientation at a time.

As far as choosing between the two companies, the biggest difference is the type of freight - dry van versus refrigerated. There's a pretty big difference between the two types of freight.

I wrote an article a while back about it:

Choosing A Truck Driving Job Part VI: Dry Van and Refrigerated Companies

But really, it's a crap shoot when they're that similar. Honestly, the quality of your dispatcher and the relationship between the two of you will have a far greater affect on your miles, home time, and overall happiness than the company you choose. Having a lousy dispatcher or a poor relationship between you will make your life miserable at the best companies in the nation - guaranteed. That's why I tell people not to obsess over which company they choose. Pick the one you feel suits you best and go for it. In the end, it's not "the company" that's going to determine your happiness and success out there - it's a combination of two main factors:

1) How hard-working, safe, and reliable you are 2) The quality of your dispatcher and the relationship between you

Every company has a ton of miles available for their best drivers. It's a matter of sticking with a company long enough to prove you're a top-tier driver and developing a relationship with a solid dispatcher that you know will get you that freight and work well with you.