Getting Back In After 9 Years Off

If tghe company has no freight coming out of a certain area, they won't be able to give you home time, without sending you home empty...they don't like that. FL is horrid for freight...it is mostly locked up by local companies, what little there is. We hated going to FL, as we would have to deadhead (empty) back to GA for any hope of a load.

Starcar hit the nail on head. Has mostly to do with getting you home & back out again. FL is really bad about getting loads back out without having to deadhead (going out empty) to reload.

That is the main reason for the not wanting to hire folks that live in FL.

Ernie

All true. The companies goal is to get you home on time without breaking the bank. Meaning they don't want to deadhead you 400 miles to go home and then 400 miles after your home time to pick up a load. Remember they pay for the fuel. Their goal is to get you a load that's as close to home as they can get. In 9 months, I still have never been to Florida and I work at Central Refrigerated. That says a lot right there.

There are some companies that have intra-state divisions only for Florida. We rarely have loads to Florida, to Plant City usually, then sometimes DH back out to GA or SC for a load back North.

Lots of knuckleheads culled out, some knuckleheads remained, but met a few real good guys with good attitudes. If you are planning on going this route, get it in your head that your training is your responsibility. Yes, you will pay Stevens for the school and make only 350 a week while otr training, but self motivation and a proactive attitude are a must. And you better have a thick skin; a very thick skin. You can learn a lot, even if you're returning to the career field like me. You have to pay attention, ask questions, and know when to just keep your mouth shut. Oh, and did I mention you have to have a thick skin?

Well said!!!

There are a lot of "big egos" in the training process - otherwise known as:

"Big, obnoxious jerks with fragile egos and tiny brains that only know how to make themselves feel important by making others look like idiots"

You'll find a lot of those in trucking.

It takes a ton of patience and determination to get your trucking career underway. Everyone hits a ton of obstacles, runs into personalities they can't stand, and has days where nothing goes right. Nobody is spared from tough times at the start of their career.

So for anyone getting ready to get started in trucking, approach it like you would the military. You know there's going to be time when you're miserable. There's going to be plenty of times you'll consider quitting or you'll think you've made a bad choice. You have to see it through. You have to stick with the plan, persevere, and keep moving forward. It gets better with time.

Here's an update re: Stevens Transport.

My last day was Feb 28. When returning to this career field, I hoped the experience would compare to my days with Western Express, JB Hunt, and Hornady years ago. It was not what I expected.

I was prepared mentally for the normal day to day challenges that driving over the road include. I'd worked for three excellent companies in the past. I still had my CDL so really just needed a refresher.

Why I resigned: - A 16 year old and a 14 year old that required Dad in the house every day to restore "order". - Way too many repowers. The only time I did a repower with those other companies was for a very long distance run that required a team.

There are some drivers there who love the lease program and love being trainers. There are others who are just slogging through a year or three so they can go somewhere else. Like anywhere else there are the Happys and the Grumpys.

What I liked: The school was good. Expensive as hell, but they all are. The equipment was good, but the DEF system causes many problems. My trainer was good. Some days I hated his guts, but in retrospect he was fine.

What I didn't like: The frequent repowers. The dispatchers that don't remember who you are or where you live even though they have your info on the computer. The fact that you have to argue way too much just to get home near your expected home date. The fact that they hire you from the Florida panhandle, saying they can get you home, then tell you they can't get you home because you live in the Florida panhandle.

A BIG HOWEVER: There are some dispatchers, some trainers, some safety people, etc. at Stevens that are worth their weight in gold. It was those people that kept me hopeful and helped me persevere, until the home situation required my daily presence.

Here's a few thoughts: 1. I definitely needed the refresher, but within a few weeks, everything came back. 2. Stevens will actively and persistently promote their lease program. Not for me. 3. I knew I would be required to pay the full amount for the school since I resigned before the one year. I called a couple of days after I got home to get the exact balance so I could pay it in full (I had the money). I was told it was policy to automatically and immediately turn it over to a collection agency. I called the collection agency to get the exact amount so I could pay them. I was threatened and talked to like a criminal. I tried to explain that I had just quit a few days before and was not running from the debt. I wanted to pay it off. They still talked to me like I was a deadbeat, threatening legal action, etc. I got the money to them within 24 hours. This really bugged me. 4. The employee contract I signed included a non compete clause prohibiting working for another trucking company for the one year term of the contract. That ended July 19 for me, and I honored it.

Now I'm looking hard at going back on the road again.

Hi,after coming off the road for 11 years,I decided back to the road,my primary job really slow and I need to find company that offer CDL refresher course,I just applied for KLLM and FFE three days a go and still waiting for response or call,anyone here have an idea what's the best recommendation in my particular case?,thanks.

Averitt Express, KLLM, FFE, and Covenant offer refreshers. But it depends on how long you have been off the road. I believe the limit might be five years. I went to the Covenant refresher, but you had to have at least six months on the road in the last five years. The refresher consisted of three days of backing drills and a forth day on the road. If you want to drive teams then this is for you.