Starting Trucking In Philadelphia. What Trucking Schools/Companies Should I Look Into?
Topic 7056 | Page 1
John, unless you want to go OTR , you do realize that being in the Philly area will give you a ton of local jobs, right? You can make good money locally without any experience, and still be with your family. LTL is one example, with P&D (pickup and delivery) or linehaul jobs. Also food service. There are also intermodal jobs you can get that will pay as well as OTR and get you home weekly if not daily. New Jersey is a big port area. Schneider bulk, for example, runs a lot out of New Jersey.
Is private CDL school an option for you? Or are you set on company-paid schooling? Because if you can get a loan or foot the bill for private trucking school, and you want to go OTR, you can start at companies like Crete / Shaffer and Prime that will pay you much better than Celadon. Prime has their own school in Springfield, MO. Crete / Shaffer will need you to be a student driver with a CDL A from an approved school.
You have a plethora of choices where you are located, from trucking schools to job opportunities.
But if you're looking for company-paid schooling, and were already willing to go to Indy for Celadon, I'd rather choose Prime. They pay well during training, and will start you off at a much better cpm as a rookie driver.
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.
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
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.
P&D:
Pickup & Delivery
Local drivers that stay around their area, usually within 100 mile radius of a terminal, picking up and delivering loads.
LTL (Less Than Truckload) carriers for instance will have Linehaul drivers and P&D drivers. The P&D drivers will deliver loads locally from the terminal and pick up loads returning to the terminal. Linehaul drivers will then run truckloads from terminal to terminal.
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.Intermodal:
Transporting freight using two or more transportation modes. An example would be freight that is moved by truck from the shipper's dock to the rail yard, then placed on a train to the next rail yard, and finally returned to a truck for delivery to the receiving customer.
In trucking when you hear someone refer to an intermodal job they're normally talking about hauling shipping containers to and from the shipyards and railyards.
CPM:
Cents Per Mile
Drivers are often paid by the mile and it's given in cents per mile, or cpm.
OOS:
When a violation by either a driver or company is confirmed, an out-of-service order removes either the driver or the vehicle from the roadway until the violation is corrected.
Sounds like you are looking for a school with no upfront cost and you should check out Company-Sponsored Training but let me tell you this those company sponsored schools are fast paced and you will learn everything you need to pass the written and driving tests withing 3 weeks and if you decide you want to go to a private school IE local college to obtain a slower paced training you will want to get a bunch of pre-hires and here's a link to help you Understand Pre-Hires but whatever path you take just remember that you should stay with that company for at least one year to gain experience and prove to the company and future companies that you are a safe and reliable driver that can get the job done in a timely manner..... So when you do pick the company you want to work for just remember attitude is everything..... You should check out Brett's Book its a great read
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.
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.
Pre-hires:
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.
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.
HOS:
Hours Of Service
HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.
Thank you I will defiantly check out PRIME. I am not exactly sure of what kind of truck driving I would like to do. I do not mind being out for long stretches of time (I have no wife or kids or even a girlfriend). The family I was referring to was my father who just went through some tough times and I would like to spend a little time with him as he is 70 years old. (but a very fit 70). I was looking at 21 days out and 3 or 4 days home and was OK with that. More home time would be ok as well but not really a major goal. The biggest 2 goals I have at this point is getting as much experience as I can and earning as much $$$ as I can. You said you can make good money driving locally, what do you consider good money? What kind of trucking makes the most money consistently? What trucking companies pay the best and which try to rip you off? Thank you for your reply. PS Maybe we will run into each other on the road up in PA sometime, I'll buy you dinner.
Sounds like you are looking for a school with no upfront cost and you should check out Company-Sponsored Training but let me tell you this those company sponsored schools are fast paced and you will learn everything you need to pass the written and driving tests withing 3 weeks and if you decide you want to go to a private school IE local college to obtain a slower paced training you will want to get a bunch of pre-hires and here's a link to help you Understand Pre-Hires but whatever path you take just remember that you should stay with that company for at least one year to gain experience and prove to the company and future companies that you are a safe and reliable driver that can get the job done in a timely manner..... So when you do pick the company you want to work for just remember attitude is everything..... You should check out Brett's Book its a great read
Thank you for the links I will check those out. I do plan on staying with whatever company I get hired to for at least a year to 2 years. After that I might be moving to another part of the country. If not I would prefer to stay with the same company for as long as I can.
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.
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.
Pre-hires:
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.
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.
HOS:
Hours Of Service
HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.
Thank you I will defiantly check out PRIME. I am not exactly sure of what kind of truck driving I would like to do. I do not mind being out for long stretches of time (I have no wife or kids or even a girlfriend). The family I was referring to was my father who just went through some tough times and I would like to spend a little time with him as he is 70 years old. (but a very fit 70). I was looking at 21 days out and 3 or 4 days home and was OK with that. More home time would be ok as well but not really a major goal. The biggest 2 goals I have at this point is getting as much experience as I can and earning as much $$$ as I can. You said you can make good money driving locally, what do you consider good money? What kind of trucking makes the most money consistently? What trucking companies pay the best and which try to rip you off? Thank you for your reply. PS Maybe we will run into each other on the road up in PA sometime, I'll buy you dinner.
Hey John, if you're just concerned with making the dough, and not driving OTR for the lifestyle and adventure, then check out LTL. Google the difference between truckload and LTL and you'll see a world of difference. It mostly has to do with how truckload and LTL companies offer their services to shippers. What might concern you as a driver is how you're paid, and the huge difference in hometime. LTL companies will almost always pay more than truckload companies, and will get you home weekly if not daily. I break down the world of LTL in the context of my linehaul job here:
What do I consider good money? Well, that's kind of a loaded question, but I'm saying that you'll make more LTL than with truckload. Very good truckload pay is anything at or slightly above .45 cpm. More often than not, you're not making that until at least 6 months in to your job. Some companies don't ever pay their experienced drivers that much. As a rookie linehaul driver, I currently make .58 cpm. I will eventually top out at low .60s cpm in about two years. I don't know any truckload company that will pay rookie or experienced drivers .58 cpm. They usually drop off in the high .40s or very low .50s for their top pay, meaning that's not what you'll make as a rookie. Lots of truckload companies are still only paying mid .30s cpm - some even less for rookie drivers, like mid .20 cpm.
Rookie OTR drivers can generally expect $30-$40k gross - 40k would be on the very high side and not the norm. Experienced OTR drivers can make up to 60k if they're with a company that pays well and offers consistent miles. Most experienced OTR drivers are making 45-55k. You can substitute the world 'OTR' with 'truckload' if you'd like to, cause we're really comparing the difference between truckload and LTL. As a rookie driver, I should gross around $70k my first year. There are guys at my terminal that routinely hit close to $90k, some nail $100k with longer schedule runs that give them 625+ miles every day.
Do the math, I can run 2500 miles a week and gross at least $1,450 (before extra pay). Somebody earning .45 cpm will gross $1,125. Somebody at .35 cpm will gross $875. It can be close to a 1k difference per month in earnings between two drivers that run the same miles, but get paid at .58 vs .45 cpm.
And here's the kicker, because I"m on what they call a bid schedule, I can ALWAYS expect to reach the same amount of miles, so there's no variation in my paycheck, AND I get home everyday, with two days off a week. Now, some linehaul jobs will be different, and I had to "pay my dues" in the beginning and be out a few days a week. But, I was laying over at hotel rooms paid by my company instead of in the back of my tractor's sleeper at a truck stop, and having my two days off at home with my family. I always have only worked a 5 day work schedule since being hired. 5 day work weeks are typical for LTL. I got into trucking for a job to support my family, not to be married to a piece of equipment and seek adventure. I love trucks and love my job, but I love my family and time at home more.
To get a LTL job, you'll have to be near a terminal. I know that's probably the case for you being in Philly. It's why I'm mentioning it to you as an option. You can get a OTR job anywhere because you don't have to operate out of a local terminal - not the case for LTL.
I gave you lots of info, because perhaps you'd be into LTL. Plus, I know other people will be reading this thread. I sort of consider myself an ambassador for LTL. I know I would've appreciated it if somebody did it for me when I started out. I thought I was going to have to go OTR as a rookie truck driver. Just so happens I live in a great place for trucking opportunities, and I have half a dozen LTL companies surrounding me. I was fortunate enough to find out about LTL before I attending orientation at Crete / Shaffer trucking.
Nothing wrong with truckload companies. Some folks wouldn't take an LTL job even if they could - they want the adventure with OTR. Using your own words, I decided I'd fill you in on LTL, because your first goal was to make the most amount of $$$. You'll gain plenty of experience no matter what kind of job you choose, as long as you go in with a great work ethic and willingness to learn.
Shipper:
The customer who is shipping the freight. This is where the driver will pick up a load and then deliver it to the receiver or consignee.
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
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.
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.CPM:
Cents Per Mile
Drivers are often paid by the mile and it's given in cents per mile, or cpm.
OOS:
When a violation by either a driver or company is confirmed, an out-of-service order removes either the driver or the vehicle from the roadway until the violation is corrected.
LTL Sounds wonderful. I personally would not mind being out all week and home for the weekends. Home every night? not so much. How does one go about getting started in that line of trucking? Are their different schools for LTL than for OTR? I did a quick Google search and saw one called Conway trucking. Their webpage says they start all of their truckers as dock workers so that they can "to gain an understanding of the freight business and insight into what it’s like to work for Con-way Freight." I really do NOT want to be a dock worker, if I did then I wouldn't be looking into trucking. Do you have any suggestions for schools and companies to look at for getting into LTL Truck Driving? Thanks for the interesting and educational information. It is nice to know that some of the people in the field I am looking into are helpful and professional and I can not thank you enough for that.
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
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.
John, I give a list of companies about 1/2 through that thread link I gave you. Conway Freight is one of the major players. The mandatory dock work must be part of their in-house program to earn a CDL A. I don't work for Conway, so I'm not aware of their in-house CDL program.
You can go to the same private trucking schools for LTL as you would for truckload companies. LTL companies will usually require you to also have your doubles / triples, hazmat , and tank endorsements. Linehaul drivers usually pull doubles. P&D drivers pull 48' or 53' trailers. Most LTL companies don't have assigned equipment, and you're running w/ day cabs - which is why you usually are staying in hotels instead of a sleeper truck in a truck stop.
Sounds like you wanna be out and about though. There are linehaul jobs that keep you out for a few days, they're kind of like regional trucking jobs.
I give a lot of info on LTL in my thread. You can start w/ that if you're interested.
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.
HAZMAT:
Hazardous Materials
Explosive, flammable, poisonous or otherwise potentially dangerous cargo. Large amounts of especially hazardous cargo are required to be placarded under HAZMAT regulations
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.
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
Day Cab:
A tractor which does not have a sleeper berth attached to it. Normally used for local routes where drivers go home every night.
P&D:
Pickup & Delivery
Local drivers that stay around their area, usually within 100 mile radius of a terminal, picking up and delivering loads.
LTL (Less Than Truckload) carriers for instance will have Linehaul drivers and P&D drivers. The P&D drivers will deliver loads locally from the terminal and pick up loads returning to the terminal. Linehaul drivers will then run truckloads from terminal to terminal.
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.Doubles:
Refers to pulling two trailers at the same time, otherwise known as "pups" or "pup trailers" because they're only about 28 feet long. However there are some states that allow doubles that are each 48 feet in length.
New Reply:
New! Check out our help videos for a better understanding of our forum features
Preview:
This topic has the following tags:
Con-Way Freight Prime Inc Becoming A Truck Driver Choosing A Truck Driving School Choosing A Trucking Company Company Sponsored CDL Training Home Time Truck Driving Lifestyle Trucker's Family Matters
Why Join Trucking Truth?
- The High Road Training Program
- The High Road Article Series
- The Friendliest Trucker's Forum Ever!
- Email Updates When New Articles Are Posted
Apply For Paid CDL Training Through TruckingTruth
Did you know you can fill out one quick form here on TruckingTruth and apply to several companies at once for paid CDL training? Seriously! The application only takes one minute. You will speak with recruiters today. There is no obligation whatsoever. Learn more and apply here:
TT On Facebook
I have been looking into getting into trucking for a bit now. However parts of my plans have changed. I am wanting to move to the Phily area to be closer to family. I know I will only see them a few days a month, and I am fine with that and so are they. Does anyone have any suggestions about what schools and companies to look into?
I was thinking about going with Celadon in Indianapolis for school but from what I have read here that may not be a good idea. Celadon pays their trainy drivers 15cpm to 18cpm for the first 120,000 to 240,000 miles and everyone here seems to say don't drive at all for anything under 30cpm. Also I am a little put off by having to drive for probably a full year with someone I don't really know. Lets just say I value my privacy and my alone time. Are these 2 concerns warranted or am I being to picky?
I would prefer something where I train for a trucking company at their own school and then drive with them. I do not plan on job hopping from 1 company to another, I value loyalty as a personal trait.
Any suggestions would be great. Thanks in advance.
CPM:
Cents Per Mile
Drivers are often paid by the mile and it's given in cents per mile, or cpm.