Comments By Charles S.

Congratulations!!!! Keep us updated on the progress and let us know how it works out. Will be going down the same road once I get my permit also. Need to wait until after I go to the doctor, which earliest appt I could get was a about a week away. Study up on the High Road test prep here, its a lot of info but i am sure it will help tons with getting your permit along with your endorsements as well as making you an overall safer/better driver.

Send me an email when your down here in the valley for training and we'll get lunch, im about 30-45 minutes from Phoenix.

Andy, I sent an application to Knight as well, they got back to me pretty fast and wanted me to get started as soon as I have my permit. Need to get a few minor medical issues taken care of before I can get the physical done for the permit.

Haven't seen many Knight trucks pulling flatbeds, mostly dry vans and reefer but who knows. I know they can run you regional (seen plenty of local ads) in the western states, and they have a couple of different options for home time. Along with that and the paid training is what makes it very appealing to me, so we'll see what happens. Good luck and keep us posted!

Make an appointment with your doctor that prescribed the Adderall, tell them of the situation and ask for a list of potential alternatives. Take that list to the company and see if any of them fit their criteria. If you find one that will be accepted you would have to find out if the drug would be a good fit for you. You would have to wean off the Adderall and start on the new meds and give them time to determine any side effects if any that could also pose a problem with driving a truck (causing drowsiness, etc.) Would definitely take some time for the trial and error period to see if the change in meds would work if there is a substitute that would be acceptable.

Yea Knight just started a new pet policy, $300 deposit with $250 being refundable as long as fido doesn't tear up the inside of the cab.

Thank you both for your comments. I'm looking forward to the experience with a lot of mixed feelings due to the huge lifestyle change for myself and my family. The school isn't close to home but they do pay while on the road, it is minimal but still more than what I'm making now.

Well I understand the uncertainty of getting into a job that is totally going to change your lifestyle. I have a wife and a daughter and I too have thought about how the time away is going to affect things, but what I keep thinking about most is needing a stable career with decent pay to support my family. Getting your CDL will open up a variety of driving jobs that will cost a lot less than most training schools. So as I see it, becoming a driver is just an investment for the future, being tired of jobs that don't deliver what they promise is getting rather old and I am ready for the next chapter.

Its good to hear that CR England will pay you while on the road, not much to be made during training but your working towards a bigger goal. I think you'll do fine as long as you use the study materials on here and prepare yourself. That will put you ahead of most of the class. Also keep a good list of friends in trucking, new drivers and experienced as well. These drivers will be your support when you 1000 miles from home and wondering why you got into this job, chances are whatever problem your having they are currently dealing with it also or have been through it.

Good luck and hope to hear about your time in school, I am anxiously awaiting mine.

If I had a lease I'd be so ****ed off right now. But thank God I don't.

Exactly!!!

If I had a lease I'd be so ****ed off right now. But thank God I don't.

Exactly!!!

Not an experienced driver here, but have done a lot of looking into the various trucking schools and company sponsored training programs and here is what I have found.

The company sponsored programs like CR England have no incentive what so ever to provide crappy training to a new driver. They have all of the incentive to give you quality training so that you may pass your CDL, become a driver, safely and efficiently handle their freight, and stay within the DOT rules. CR England nor any other company would want to give a new driver poor training since the company has all of the risk, your driving their truck, trailer, and hauling their customers freight. They have a lot more skin in the game than the driver does.

Probably the biggest factor of the training will be the pay, not sure if CR England pays you while your training on the road or not, if they do it will be minimal. However if they are close to your home that will be benificial since you won't have to travel out of state and stay in a motel for several weeks and pay for meals. I would think that if you have the chance, being able to stay at home and eat your own food would probably outweigh the minimal training pay.

One thing CR England and a lot of training companies will try and get you to do is lease a truck, DONT DO IT. Just be a driver, no need to take on more responsibilty than you need. You will have your hands plenty full of just being a safe and responsible driver, you don't need to deal with all of the other issues that a lease brings.

In final, I don't think there would be anything wrong with training with CR England. Train with them, get your CDL, stay there at least a year longer if possible and then if you want to find a different company then go for it.

I'm strongly considering starting a channel of my own once I get out on the road to pay it forward and help the next group of new guys and gals.

If you setup your own youtube channel let us know, I'd like to subscribe. I also currently subscribe to a few other driver's channels. Like seeing what they are doing on a regular basis, reality TV for truckers :)

The trucking industry already has a shortage of drivers, put age restrictions and other health restrictions on the drivers and the economy will drop faster than a lead filled balloon. A good number of truckers may be older, over weight, or have various health issues (some all 3) but they are still able to hold a CDL, and they keep the freight moving and the store shelves stocked.

As with rumors, they are usually just started to cause some noise. I still remember the rumor that the government was going to impose a fee for each email sent since it was cutting into the postal service's revenue. LOL, hasn't happened yet and still sending free emails.