Recruiters, Companies, and Schools – Choosing The Right Path Into Your Trucking Career

Its funny how much getting started in trucking is so similar to getting started in the military. It takes much thought and soul searching for both, it takes constant nights worrying about if you’re making the right choice, and the most common theme they both share is that you have to wade through the BS that the recruiters try and sell you. I know, I know, I shouldn’t generalize, I am sure there are plenty of honest, shoot from the hip recruiters from both professions. I haven’t met or talked to any, but I don’t mean to imply they aren’t out there.

I remember sitting in my recruiters office the month before I went to basic training. I had already chosen my MOS and was just waiting on the day I left for Ft Benning.  I knew I would be heading to Iraq, I knew I would be gone for long periods of time. I wasnt naive in any way. But it still makes me smile every time I think of my recruiter telling me the places I would see. He made Iraq sound almost romantic. Let me tell you, Army recruiters are the best salesmen of all time. Ha, Iraq. I loved my time there, but I will tell you, it was no picnic, and I didn’t get to see any of the historical sites. I spent most of my time patroling a dirty little city on the Iranian border, getting shot at almost daily, and our vehicles getting blown up. It wasnt exactly a vacation. But man did I have fun. Anyway, sorry, I get off subject. So yeah, somehow I get this same feeling while I am talking to the various recruiters from trucking companies. I have heard the spiel from every single one of them, ‘We are thee premier trucking company, we offer the most miles, the most time home, the best school, and we care about you!‘

Ok, I will tell you as I have read it on here, there is no one perfect trucking company. Its all about what works best for you. To me, I won’t have to be home much, I dont care how often they can get me home. Let me setup somewhere out of state for a day off, and I will be perfectly happy. We all want money, so we all want miles. For me, that means I want to run till the wheels fall off no matter where I end up. But maybe you wont want to, or can’t stay out week after week after week. So can you make money and get miles in the company you’re interested in? Do they have local and regional jobs available? All the companies I have researched so far are only considering OTR drivers right now. That’s not to say you can’t find it out there, and I haven’t really searched for it because I want an over the road job. But looking at countless websites, I havent seen any.

How To Pay For The Schooling?

The next thing I am considering is how to pay for the schooling. I am not going to use my montgomery GI bill, because frankly, I dont want to.  My thinking on it is, why spend my GI bill when I can have a company sponser me? Sure, I will pay for the schooling through payroll deductions for the first year or so, and I will be locked into a contract, but I think overall it’s a small price for learning a trade. And plus, I want the security of knowing I have work as soon as I finish school, as opposed to paying for school and having a hard time finding a job. But either way you go, do not accept the first offer thrown at you!! You’ll have many many options, and to only apply at one company without knowing much about the industry is foolish. continue to page 2 –>