Comments By Larry B.

Apparently CFI and Prime CDL training programs are now testing their students out on automatic transmission trucks since they are going all auto so the new drivers that go through their training will have that restriction on there license.

Would you experienced drivers consider this a deal breaker if you were just now coming into the industry. I know a lot of companies are going all Auto. I was considering CFI because of there school in Springfield,MO but now I don't know.

What are your thoughts on this?

Hey Jeremy I reread your post and realized you are looking for companies that offer CDL schools. The companies I mentioned require you to attend a school on your own but they will reimburse you for a year commitment. There are several schools in our area if you could swing it. State fair community college in Sedalia has A 160 hour CDL school for about $3500. That's the best price I've found so far.

Curious if anyone knows of any companies that offer a dry van Midwest regional. Home every weekend or every other weekend for at least a 34 hour reset.

I will need CDL training. I do have my Missouri permit and medical.

I live in Pleasant Hill Missouri, about 30 miles South of Kansas City.

I greatly appreciate it! You all stay safe out there.

Hey Jeremy I'm not far from you in warrensburg. There are several companies that hire new drivers for Midwest regional.

My top two choices so far are Schneider National, and Transland down in Springfield. Westside transport in Iowa also hired new drivers for Midwest regional I think. If you're interested in flatbed, Maverick and TMC are the way to go in our area. There are at least two TMC drivers here in warrensburg that I see parked every weekend.

No need to go OTR any more if you don't want to.

I'm about 9 months out until I retire and can finally start my next career as a truck driver. I started the high road training a couple days ago. Is that too soon do you think? Can it be reset so I can do it again when it gets closer to the time I take my permit test? I'm just anxious to get started.

Larry, I'm not sure if that was just a quick response or a rude one. OS is a wealth of knowledge on here and is merely trying to ask some simple questions to make sure the OP doesn't potentially set himself up for failure. Now, if we want to get down to technical answers, I could write a book for this guy but there are plenty of factors involved.

1. What's your budget 2. What do you plan to haul 3. Where do you plan to haul 4. How long do you plan on keeping it 5. What creature comforts do you need/want 6. Does fuel economy matter 7. Does style matter 8. How new does it need to be 9. What level of mechanical knowledge do you have

I can go on but you see my point. This is one area where I have a bit of knowledge since I used to build and work on the big boys for a living and still turn wrenches when I have to. Preference is all based on opinion.

Sounds like you are very qualified to answer his question, so why not ask him those questions and help him in his research?

His question was specifically what is the best equipment to invest in.

Now if his question was "do you think I can make money as an Owner operator?" Then OS opinions would have been right on.

Seems a lot of people come here for specific answers to their questions and all they get is lectures.

A big question would be, what's your budget?

Robert has a good question, budget may dictate the whole thing, but I have a little different angle on the question.

Let's just say you had a budget of 100,000 dollars, or maybe even half that. Is that your ability to borrow, or is that extra cash you just have laying around with no good purpose?

Now, what is your purpose for going owner operator? If your reason is "to make more money," then what evidence can you produce to support your belief that you will indeed make more money as an owner operator? We recently had one of our long time members in here who after a brief time as a company driver decided he wanted to make more money, so he became an owner operator. He was in here telling us how great it was going (and for the record, I personally think this guy has a great head on his shoulders, and he seems to be doing okay with it for now, but all honey moons are good if you know what I mean) He made the outrageous claim that he was making five or six times the amount he was as a company driver! Parrothead66, I've owned a good amount of trucks, I was in business for thirty years before I retired and started driving a truck as a company driver, and when it comes to business and making money, you can't blow smoke up my backside - I've experienced all the highs and lows of being an entrepreneur. I cried B.S. - as much as I didn't want to embarrass the gentleman, I knew there was no way he could be making that kind of killing. You want to know what the real disturbing thing about the whole discussion was? He really thought he was making that kind of money, but after asking him all the right questions, he had to admit that he was paying himself around five or six hundred a week - Do you know that a new driver in training at Prime makes more money than that?

If your motivation is simply to make more money, then use that good head God put on your shoulders and ask yourself a few questions. One of which should be "Why is it that all these trucking companies are advertising that they are seeking to hire owner operators?" Do you seriously believe they are just wanting to find some people that they can pay a whole lot more money to for moving their freight? Here's another one for you. I think about this one everyday when I am in the truck stops. "Why is it that about twenty nine out of thirty owner operators I see out here in the trenches are in an old wore out truck (usually twenty plus years old) when they are supposedly making so much money that they need a wheel barrow to take the money to the bank each week?

Now let's get back to Robert's very astute question. If you've got cash in the bank that you are just wanting to spend, then just keep doing whatever it was that enabled you to put that cash away like that. Trucking's risks are very high, and you are a beginner in the truest sense of the word. Why would you want to take those kind of risks at losing what some folks work a lifetime to put away for retirement?

Do you know how to forecast business risks, losses, or profits? I do, and I can tell you that for owner operators, it all seems like roses at the beginning, but hold on to your steering wheel, because about three to five years into this game and your dream may become a nightmare of epic proportions.

Okay, I've given my dire warning, and I'm sure some are laughing and ignoring it. I've gotten accustomed to the fact that everybody thinks I'm so wise until I start opening my mouth about the problems of truck ownership.

Final word: it is my opinion that the risks associated with truck ownership far outweigh the possible rewards. There are, and have been a few, who have done well at it, but there are interstates paved with the tears of the many who tried it and suffered the uniquely predictable consequences.

So to answer the original question....why don't you just say "I have no idea"

What fleet or fleets has primarily or all automatic transmissions? Just finished driving school and have no desire to drive a stick.

So to answer the question, so far we have:

Trans Am

US Express

National Carriers

Maverick Transportation

Car Com family

Raiders Express

Averitt Express

Anyone else have knowledge of companies with Auto transmissions?

Were you planning on doing local, otr, or MWR with them? I'll be MWR.

What does MWR stand for?

Those are DOT driving jobs. The OP was asking about failed drug test (ie, Walmart) prior to CDL in which no database exists.

There is no such thing as a "failed drug test data base"