On the job training?

and YOU have an idea of what life on the road is..????

do you really think there is "glamor" or the truck stops are all that "fascinating"..????...try and pull into a truck stop past oh say 5 PM in many parts of the country, and drive around in circles trying to find a parking space...and you think that there is a whole lot of "freedom" out there..?? when you have appointments to make, shippers/receivers, road construction, dispatch the DOT/cops and government regulations that are like a hangman's noose around your neck...??

you need to reanalyze what you think about trucking...delivering flowers, what did you drive..?? a covered pick up truck, a mini-van, and SUV...?? certainly NOT a CDL required vehicle, even a "6 wheeler" does NOT give you the FULL CONCEPT of driving and dealing with all the BS you WILL AS A CDL driver...

what you "loved" was the fact you HAD a job.....nothing else. driving all day under NO restrictions from the DOT or even YOUR customers was NOT any good experience that you can easily transfer over to truck driving. and by the way, "sell your soul" you will when you make the WRONG decisions regarding trucking.

and how do you "UNDERSTAND this"...??? do you KNOW the pitfalls of signing a contract..?? did you READ any of the threads on this website of the horror stories about such training and the LONG waiting times for a trainer, or a truck..??? can you survive those times when they send you home, and maybe not call you back for say a month..???? do you realistically think that EVERYONE is accepted in all those programs..?? did you know that many are kicked out when they fail any test and are STILL LIABLE for the payments..??

you can apply any place that offers such training, but will you be accepted is yet another question....if you think the ads are "sketchy" now, what do you realistically think they will say when you get your CDL..?? do you think they will be any "clearer"...???

i just do not understand for the life of me why so many people (as you said) unemployed, think that trucking is going to save them and that it's all glory, when the reality of it is, its a JOB.....one in which you will work LONG hours and NOT GET PAID FOR.....you will be under so much government regulations, both local and federal, you will be EXPECTED to do the job, or be prepared to be unemployed again for "service failure" or any little fender bender you might have, especially as a newbie....again, go back to this site and read ALL the posts of horror stories from newbies.....

it think that somehow too much television or talking with those "not in the know" gave you the wrong ideas about the "glamorous, freedom, truck stop life you heard about"....

 

Some non truck driving people make it sound like the big truck, is a Motorhome.

 

OP gets advice from:

Jackie Gleason, and John Lennon !!







The Great One

and

A talented Hippy...........



poor noob !!!!

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QkZXAB-RdbI

 

your post came off as you thought trucking was going to be your savior all because you are 25 and unemployed for what now.,..1 year..??

so let me ask you this, "why did you WAIT 1 year" to make this decision to be a trucker..?? i would (have thought) that if i were out of work, i'd be looking right away to get me into the job market SOONER.....

taking a whole year of unemployment doesn't really say much about "your motivation"......

now further, you are new here, how are we supposed to know if you are sarcastic or "for real"...??

did YOU THINK to use this (sic) or (sarcasm) in-between your sentences or at the beginning or at the end..??

your presentation of your thread is what it is/was....i make NO apologies for YOU NOT letting US KNOW your sarcasm.

my response still stands....whether anyone likes it or not.....i responded to what was given.....

a whole year of unemployment, and you are deciding NOW that you wanna be a truck driver...???...this will not say much when an employer looks over your applications.........it looks like, "well this guy doesn't really want to work, since he took so long to DECIDE what he wanted to do with his life"...

 

Swift, Werner, TMC, Watkins/Shepard, to name some companies..who in particular is "nearer" to you, i would not know for sure...

good luck....

 

I didn't read the OP's post as being sarcastic or even enough to get blasted by a experienced driver. It does give a good leason though that you will run into people that have all the answer or they think they do. I'm sure you can not explain your entire situation buy you have expressed that you do like to drive. Whatever that means because it changes.

Where the older drivers should step in is now. There should be guidance from where you start until you're employed. Look for schools that have the PTDI certification so then you know you at least have the minimum. Ask former students what they though about the school and then cheek the type of equipment they are running.

Just don't go for the free ride. You'll need to do some leg work and if you don't then if you are extremely lucky you'll get the job nobody wants. When I say the experienced drivers should step in I mean it's you time to seek out their responses throughout the board. Go by their experiences, when you find a few saying the same thing well you can bet it's true.

Driving a truck is not just sitting up there going down the road. It's far from it. But most of all if you go OTR then it's a life changer. Learn all you can at school. Maybe you'll be lucky when one of those old time safe drivers get a hold of you and takes a great intrest in you.

When finding a job be aggressive. If you locked yourself into a company that pays for your school then there's not much you can do. But if you want a better company them you have to get out and find it. Find a way to pay for your own school so you are not obligated to work when they say you can or better yet when they have you on a leash driving the equipment noone else wants. Make a goal, ask questions, copy down good advice, and so. But above all get out and see for yourself.