Comments By Joshua

I have to repeat what a lot of others have said on here that the High Road Training Program is all you really need. I just took my CDL permit test last week and passed it on the first try with no problem (even shocked the DMV lady how fast I got through it ha) and all I studied was the high road. True I "skimmed" the Mississippi state manual just for good measure but thats about it. The high road helped me pass my test with no problem. I even passed the doubles/triples test while I was there (another thanks to the high road for that too!).

Hi All,

The recruiter is now telling us that we have to have our physical done ahead of time. I have read/seen videos etc of guys/gals going to school saying they were told to get their physical ahead of time only to have the school ignore it. Which way is right/normal?

Thanks!

I think this varies by company. When I spoke to a recruiter about it, they said I would do a physical for them (the company) but would also need another one to get my medical card (basically a physical for the DMV). I think its best to get one ahead of time anyways due to some companies require you to have your permit before attending school which in most states would require you to get a physical/medical card so that you can get your permit.

Well last week I went and got my physical and the next day went to the DMV and passed the test for my class A permit. I wanted to go ahead and get these things out of the way as the company I have been looking at requires me to have my permit before I start class. Anyway, now that I have all of that out of the way, I feel I am ready to apply with a company but am not sure of the precise time to do so. For personal reasons, I would rather not leave for CDL school until mid June (after the 16th) but I'm itching with excitement and ready to get started. I just want to get the ball rolling but I'm afraid that if I apply too soon, I will end up having to leave sooner than I want. Does anyone know about how long it takes before you leave for school after you apply or do they usually let you select a date best for your situation? By the way, the company I am looking at is Knight Transportation.

Ya you get your medical card right when you pass the physical. If the DMV says you need the medical card first than its probably your states rule, I'm from Oregon and there may be some differences.

Gotcha. Thanks!

Also this might be a stupid question but do you get your medical card the day you do your physical? If so, is it reasonable to think you can get a medical card and permit in one day?

It's good to get your permit first, the physical you do there.

Thanks. That's originally what I planned to do but my DMV said I gotta have my medical card before I can test and receive my class a permit

I know a lot of companies such as knight require you to have your permit before you start school. Is it best to get your physical and permit before you apply or wait until after you have applied and been accepted? Not sure if companies have a preference or protocol regarding this kind of stuff.

Have any of you guys seen the recent video of that truck that should have tipped over but the driver saved it... I bet he had to change his shorts

I seen it. Anyone that missed it can see the video/story from a local news station here in Mississippi by clicking here or the YouTube video by clicking here

Any thoughts about this anyone? Also I would like to vote yes to your idea of adding a video section to the site Brett!

I'm very interested in hearing responses on this as I'm actually in the same boat. I currently have a pretty good office job as far as pay and benefits go, however, I hate my job with a passion and after doing tons of job searching, there just isn't any other good local jobs where I live as about 75% of the job opening here are trucking jobs which is what is making me look to trucking as a new career.

Theron,

Although I am not yet a truck driver, I have experienced this exact dedicated run. My dad has been a driver for 20 years and used to drive for M.S. Carriers (before Swift bought them) hauling to Dollar Tree stores and I would go with him every summer for about 4 or 5 years. This is a very tough dedicated run but does come with great home time as you are home every weekend. You would most likely pull from the Dollar Tree yard in Olive Branch, MS. Usually loads would take us to Miami, FL or San Antonio, TX so the miles are certainly there but unloading in Florida or Texas heat in the summer was horrible. Doing it in the winter months will be better. You of course deliver mostly to malls so you MUST work on backing skills as that is sometimes the hardest part as for some reason, mall builders did not think about trucks delivering to the mall when building it! The trailers are unloaded by hand using rollers you make into a ramp using boxes as you go and usually have to make about 4 to 5 stops to various Dollar Tree stores in the area on the same day. The most a box weighs is about 50 pounds. After that, you are headed back to get another load. I personally have considered Swift for this very same dedicated run as I always enjoyed it. You get to meet a lot of great people at those stores and they do a pretty good job of keeping up with your unloading pace. My advice would be that if you like the idea of delivering to a certain company (not necessarily the same stores) and don't mind a really good workout twice a week then this would be a good place to go, however, as others have mentioned, unless they can guarantee you would get this dedicated account, I would not base my decision to go with Swift solely on it as they usually will make you run OTR for at least a year before you get something like this and then more experienced drivers would have dibs before a rookie.