CDL TRAINING SCHOOL REALLY NECESSARY ?

It seems that in trucking, the smarter you think you are, the harder it hits you up side the head. Trucking will either mold you into another person or it will chew you up and spit you out.

That is superb. The trucking industry really does run on its own set of rules and it has hardly changed in 30 years. You either figure out how the industry works and use that to your best advantage or you're going to be swimming upstream at a painfully slow and frustrating rate every day of your life.

I read on here somewhere that trucking has about a 100% turnover rate.

Indeed it does. It's a combination of things like:

1) The pay is too low for the risks and sacrifices you have to make. To me, the travelling lifestyle is what makes it worth doing. The pay should be $20,000 per year higher than it is. But the pay is based upon supply and demand so there's nothing you can do about that except keep hunting for better paying jobs.

2) People are completely unprepared for the shocking lifestyle change you're thrown into cold turkey. Those first three or four months of school, CDL testing, training with a mentor, and then running solo are extremely challenging and stressful. You feel like you barely know enough to be on the road legally (which you do), you have no idea how to manage your life on the road, and you don't know 5% of the things an experienced driver knows about the in's and out's of the job and the industry. You're missing your home, family, and friends. Your sleep patterns are all screwed up. It's tough! People don't expect it to be as bad as it is. There are a lot of people who drop out of the industry that could have handled it just fine but mentally weren't prepared for it at all.

3) A lot of people get into trucking that really don't want to be there or really don't belong but life forced them in that direction. The economy is tough these days. A ton of people are "under-employed" you could say. They're either not making what they want to be making or they don't have a job in their field. So they turn to trucking, sometimes as a temporary measure, sometimes without any other plans. But they get into it and pretty quickly realize they don't want anything to do with that kind of job and lifestyle. It's certainly not for everyone, and in fact it's not for most people. Even people who are really cut out for it find that it's almost never easy. But to those people that's the best part. For others, they weren't looking for that level of risk, stress, and sacrifice. They're just looking for a simple, everyday job and a reliable paycheck.

So there are a lot of reasons for the high turnover rate.

*DISCLAIMER* I have had a somewhat frustrating day, am not in the best of moods, and am a bit crankier than is probably good for me. Thus, this reply is going to come off as me being a bit of an ass.

Deek, your assurances that anybody driving today has not been through any kind of training school, and is somewhere between toe fungus and protozoa on the evolutionary ladder, are pure and unfettered horsesh*t. I am an educated man with a well above-average intelligence, I went through company-sponsored training , and I drive a truck for a living. The same can be said for a LOT of others in this forum. Frankly, I genuinely hope you never find yourself behind the wheel of a tractor trailer, because you have entirely the wrong attitude for this profession, and a huge chip on your shoulder that everybody is out to screw you in one way or another. There are far too many people in this industry like that already, and it just serves to make life more difficult for those of us who know how to play nice with others.

Hey if you were military, then you can go get trained at CR England and you will only have to be company's w _ _ _e for six months!

Deek, I wouldn't know how to address your many issues. I agree with Fatsquatch.....your attitude sucks! Brett has patiently answered your questions. It seems like you are just trying to stir the pot. I know 1 driver who got his CDL on his own and he's not very proficient, in fact he's a menace and cannot hold a steady job. Fortunately, he's very, very slow so he hasn't injured himself or anyone else yet although I did see him "kill" a parked trailer once. We don't need both of you on the road, so do everyone a favor and find another job.....you seem to hate everything about trucking anyway!

Deek, It seems you have a fine understanding of the trucking business, as far as your own understanding goes. So, when you get that CDL , and are ready to be underpaid for the long hours and the stress of driving are worth, go for it. I know of few people, very few, that push so hard for a job they don't want, and, as I understand your words, aren't all that intelligent anyway. If these are your thoughts, your attitude, here's your award:

Now go get that job you don't want!

It appears that the simple solution to your problems with the training/schooling and company issues is to buy your own truck, start your own company, find your own loads, and get going. Simple, right? Keep us posted how that goes.

Well I'm not going to re-iterate what every body else said, so I'll just add what I did as a statistic point.

I have an older brother that drove some years ago and "informed me" as to what was the best course of action should I go against his advise and get into the trucking business anyway.

Under his advise "Plan B" (Plan A was to find a job that does not involve trucks), was to pay for the schooling out of my own pocket. Then I wouldn't be under obligation to a hiring company. I could pick and choose from a wider range of carriers.

The school cost me $5900 just for tuition. But all in all, the plan worked. I'm solo driving and making about 50K+ a year. I haven't been here a year yet, so,.. You get the idea. I can quit at any time, for there is no time contract. However, my plan is to stick with this company for at least a year. Some drivers here have been here for MANY years, so this could be my last job till retirement.

OH that's all right boys...jump on me. I'm a little smarter than that !

**Talked to two of my friends that drive. Both said to RUN from the idea ! No money in it once they explained the math. Once again,,,the jobs, any job, that the company has to advertise to hire for isn't worth having or they wouldn't have to beg for help !! Brett himself even said there was a 100% turnover rate.

The part I neglected to look at, which is odd as I can and usually do "run the numbers" first and foremost on any proposition, goes like this:

Sure...you might get 40 cents a mile (buddy been driving 13 yrs. and that's all he gets....so this 50 cents etc... sure,yeah...uh huh). Run from IN. to Little Rock in a day....one of his runs ea. wk. Say..700 mi. $320. Barely a decent day after taxes, food, take out for retirement, insurance etc.

OUGHT OH !! You gotta sit ALL NIGHT and wait to get unloaded ! Gotta babysit THEIR truck. They didn't mention that part did they ? They gonna pay you for sitting there from 6p till the dock employees show up at 7A ? NOOOP ! So....it's on your time at that point....once you've cheated the log as much as you dare for the day. (coming to a halt too as soon as the NATIONWIDE trackers in EVERY truck are implemented within the next couple of years....they will know where you are 24/7...no way to fudge the books then boys)

So..start deducting "babysit the truck" time from your "great money to be made driving a truck" and you're back to another minimum wage job.

Basically, you can work at Wal-Mart and make as much or more and sleep in your own bed every night.

Not worth it. I'm out. Run your a$$e$ off chasing that dollar if you want to boys. Help yourself.

OH that's all right boys...jump on me. I'm a little smarter than that !

**Talked to two of my friends that drive. Both said to RUN from the idea ! No money in it once they explained the math. Once again,,,the jobs, any job, that the company has to advertise to hire for isn't worth having or they wouldn't have to beg for help !! Brett himself even said there was a 100% turnover rate.

Basically, you can work at Wal-Mart and make as much or more and sleep in your own bed every night.

Not worth it. I'm out. Run your a$$e$ off chasing that dollar if you want to boys. Help yourself.

Yup. Your friends are dumbasses for driving trucks. Thank God they caught you in time though!