Profile For Old School

Congratulations Big Scott!

You've had quite a journey. Once you worked in a factory making body parts for Big Rigs, and now you're driving them and helping newbies get the hang of this career while training them. Those are some big steps you've taken. Great work!

You should explain what happened just like you did here. Trust me... the trucking companies will find your expunged records. I was an employer for many years. If I was willing to pay for it, I could uncover just about anything I needed. They are willing to pay for thorough background checks. The cost is minimal compared to a jury's judgement, should you cause them to get sued.

Not everyone will take you, but that's not career ending. Some of them will be glad to have you. Apply everywhere, but first try the Paid CDL Training Programs.

You can Apply For Paid CDL Training at that link and have your application sent to as many of them as you like.

CFI, is not in that list, but you should try them also. They hired Big Scott, and he's a bad dude!

David, you may find this article helpful.

Busting The Free Agent Myth

Hey Eric, it's great to hear from you again!

I'm gonna be real blunt with ya. You really know how to make a mess of things! Let's count the ways...

You started a career that requires considerable Commitment, then you quit.

You agreed to a contractual agreement, then you never even bothered to take care of your part of the agreement.

You made a promise to pay Prime a considerable amount of money if you quit early. Now that you've quit, you say, "I don't know anyone that has $5k handy to just a pay a bill."

Now you want to complicate your situation even further with higher aspirations for trouble. You're wanting to lease a truck! Eric, are you sure you can pass a drug test? Because, I've got to tell ya, it seems like your smoking some bad stuff!

I don't understand why someone who was already doing so poorly at something that they ended up quitting, would want to jump right back in and make it even harder on themselves. Now you may say, "I wasn't doing poorly." You need to go over that list we just made before you come back with that response.

Why in the world would you consider leasing a truck at this point? You are adding more commitments on top of the ones you haven't been able to keep yet. Does that sound like good solid thinking for a guy who wants to start his own company?

Eric, sometimes I get frustrated in here, and you just pushed all the right buttons to frustrate me. We try so hard to teach you guys the ins and outs of this career, and then you do everything counter to our advice, fall flat on your faces, and then come back wanting advice on doing something more stupid on top of the stuff you've already screwed up! I'm banging my head against the walls of my sleeper right now!

Here's my advice: if you want to get back into this, call a recruiter at Prime and humbly beg forgiveness while explaining how you want to come back as a company driver. Finish your commitment to them. Expect them to require additional training and a further commitment from you that is more than your original commitment. Take whatever they offer, if they will. Then do your part. For God's sake, stick it out and prove to yourself that you have the integrity and the resolve to finish what you start.

Don't Lease A Truck! Eric, we never advise that approach. Are you just thinking you'll make more money? If you want to make good money in trucking, you've got to get past that mentality that says you have to be the owner. I don't know how that school of thought ever got established. I'm a long time business owner and I have had employees who made great money during years that I Iost money.

In trucking, your performance says it all. You don't need your name on the doors of the truck to be making a great income. In fact, you're statistically more likely to earn more money as a good solid company driver. That's what you need to focus on. So far, you've made a huge mess of things. Take a look at this article about trucking...

Show Me The Money!

A good company driver can learn to control his own destiny. You can measure out your own salary. Eric, I'm part of a small dedicated group of Top Tier Drivers on a dedicated account at Knight. Three of our top drivers decided to lease trucks last year. One, out of the four of us, is making considerably more money than the others. Yep, it's that fool who stayed a company driver!

Problem is they only pay 36 cents a mile

Man, what a problem to have!

So just what do you think you're going to be worth as a total greenhorn rookie with absolutely no knowledge of how to run a truck successfully? Have you any idea of how many people bomb out of this career thinking they'll be an instant success merely because they know how to drive a car? They get that CDL in their wallet and they are somehow elevated to superstar status, thinking every trucking company out there will be rolling out red carpets and offering them thousands in sign on bonuses.

Just for the record, I started at 27 cents per mile. That wasn't all that long ago either. I learned how to maximize my efforts and efficiently got things done while honing my practices and improving my performance records. Your CPM rate is a very minuscule part of the formula that leads to higher paychecks out here. You will need to focus on the things that will help you become a True Competitor Out Here.

You seem to be splitting hairs unnecessarily. I wouldn't have given it a second thought. If I needed 8 hours on line 2 (sleeper berth), I would have gone in, pee'd in their cup, and went right back to what I was doing before they disturbed me.

Have you never taken care of any of your job responsibilities while in the sleeper? You know, things like trip planning or filling out some information on a trip sheet? Nobody's gonna give you a log violation for something like that. You sound just slightly paranoid that your company may be looking for a way to get rid of you. Is there anything else we need to know about so that we can help you?

If you are doing a great job, turning big miles, and are easy to work with, then you have nothing to be concerned about.

Wow, this conversation has been more entertaining than enlightening, but sometimes that's how these things shake out. I'm not even sure what to say at this point. Imagine that!

One more thing here. I would much rather give up a little sleeping time, than for them to pull me in from the road and rob me of my 14 or 70 hour clocks. They treated you right - they didn't try to mess with your ability to be producing income. Chill out man! This is probably the first and last time this scenario will happen to you.

Anttjuan R, you forget one little part of this equation. They are "legally entitled," even legally bound and required by D.O.T. to drug test you at random. They have to turn in monthly reports indicating the percentage of their drivers that have been drug tested. This is sometimes a big deal if they go through a D.O.T. audit. It doesn't matter what your duty status is. Oh, it may be inconvenient, but it's certainly legal.

Also, I hope you know to never refuse a D.O.T. drug test. Refusing a drug test is the kiss of death to your trucking career.

Wow Dee Squared! That's some kind of story.

I've been around a while. I've had some close friends who've lost siblings and children in various ways. One thing has always stood out to me about the folks that suffer these difficulties. It leaves something on their psyche that most of us never have had to deal with. They become some of the finest people you could ever know. There's a strength to their character that is undeniable. They also bear a wound that is easily disturbed. Sometimes even an innocent remark made by someone will cause them pain without the person who made the comment even realizing how or why it might have such an effect on them.

Your son had an unfortunate experience at TMC, and I am sorry about that. I know you understand that a bad trainer doesn't necessarily reflect the quality of the company or the job. Bad trainers, like bad employees of any sort, eventually get flushed out of the system. In fact my roommate when I was in orientation at Western Express had come from TMC. He had been a trainer forthem, but for some reason they let him go. The folks at TMC are very patriotic and love thus country. I doubt that trainer will have a lengthy career over there.

I'm really glad to hear Joe has got some things going his way. He sounds like a great guy with a strong work ethic and a bright future.

Hey Willie, welcome to our forum!

You might want to consider working for a flat bed company. Flat bed freight can be managed very successfully in regional areas of the country, and you live in a pretty decent area for flat bed freight. Some of the flat bed companies have gotten very good at working a schedule that gets their drivers home on weekends while still making very good money. You'll have to hustle, but I'd be willing to bet you already have that kind of work ethic and mentality.

Here's three flat bed companies that run in your area and can probably get you home most weekends.

TMC

Maverick

McElroy

You can put any of those names in the search bar at the top of this page and find a bunch of information on them.

Keep in mind that getting home for the weekend as a trucker is not your typical weekend like a factory worker might experience. It's basically going to be something like 34 hours. Once you and your dispatcher get the hang of working together there will be times that you can get a little more time at home if needed. It will take about four or five months of doing this to learn the little secrets that can help you work that schedule to it's maximum potential, but it is quite possible to run flat bed loads this way and still create a nice balance between earning good money and still enjoying some quality time with your family.

A lot of Boyd drivers are jumping ship, recently, from what I have been seeing. I talked to a few former drivers who work for my company's "Big brother" company. Take this with a grain of salt, though.

I'm glad Danielsahn qualified that statement about "jumping ship" with his "grain of salt remark." You can make that statement about almost any trucking company, and it still wouldn't mean anything. Truck drivers jump ship all the time. Usually for the dumbest reasons imaginable. In fact, Danielsahn jumped ship from two different companies in less than six months, and he would still tell you that both of those companies treated him right. So, you feel confident in your employment with Boyd Brothers. They've got a long standing reputation as a great flat-bed company. I see their drivers at many of the places I go, and I've yet to meet one that wasn't willing to help his fellow drivers.

Congratulations Errol, and keep us posted. I hope it all works out really well for ya!

Kristina, you will probably want to look into refrigerated carriers if you're wanting to do coast to coast runs. Freight has continued to become more regionalized just because of efficiency, but oftentimes refrigerated freight, like produce that can only be grown in one corner of the nation, is still eaten by folks in the opposite corner of the country. It has to get their quickly so it doesn't have time to spoil. There are other things that go coast to coast, but refrigerated freight will be your best bet.

Here's some great information to help you learn about what you're getting into...

• Truck Driver's Career Guide
• Brett's Book: The Raw Truth About Trucking (free online version)

That's me... "Mister Tenacity!"

Congratulations Kim!

I thought you might enjoy reading some of the comments in this older thread about the Top Ten Things You Absolutely Need In Your Truck.

Hey Donna, solo pay is better than delay pay... I'm just saying...

I guess I need to quit giving you the nudge, you know what I think. I'd be off that truck in a heartbeat.

Successful truck drivers learn how to get things done out here. They make things happen just as if they were self-employed individuals who know they have everything to lose if they fail. Successful truck drivers will figure out how things work at their company (this includes what some people call starter or Mega carriers) and they will learn to communicate effectively with their dispatcher so that he can keep them busy. Those successful rookies learn early on how their dispatcher wants to keep their wheels turning. They figure out how that dispatcher needs constantly updated information so that he can have them pre-planned for the next load. They also realize that they have got to be 100% reliable with no excuses. They know their success stands solely on the reputation they have built with their dispatcher. They understand that this relationship with the hand that feeds them has got to not only be established, but it has got to be steadily maintained with efficiency, accuracy, and flawless execution of everything they say they will do. They know that the first little bit of doubt they put in that dispatcher's mind about their ability to "git er done" out here will come back and affect their miles in a negative way. They recognize their responsibility as paramount to success, and everything they do is based on that conviction.

I have witnessed these trucking wannabes for years now. They are all the same. They are only happy when they have a new job, and that is only because they haven't had enough time to screw it up yet. You give them six to nine months and they will already be getting antsy, looking for a scape-goat, someone or some reason that they can point their finger at. They are always on the prowl for that next great opportunity, and as soon as they find it they waste no time in repeating their same old behavior of royally squandering their umpteenth chance at proving they can handle themselves in a way that would establish them as productive professionals.

If you want to make good money at a "starter company" or a mega carrier, you absolutely can. Nobody pays me to make such remarks. Nobody has me on a chain. I have proven this fact repeatedly and done it at companies where there are a host of miserable drivers that don't have a clue about how to get themselves to a level of professionalism that will reward their bank account and their sense of self worth. I got rejected by so many trucking companies when I tried to get this career started that I had to go with the only company that would take me. It wasn't long until I was getting driver of the month awards for my levels of productivity. I was getting frequent unscheduled raises in my CPM that no one else was getting. I was getting recognition for MY accomplishments. That is what this career is all about. You prove that you can get more done than the other guys and you get all the best treatment. That is no easy task either - you had better bring your best game every day, every night, and every chance you get. Your performance out here will establish you as a winner and a success in a very competitive arena. Your lack of any credible evidence that you understand what it takes to be competitive in this arena, and your inability to keep up with the constant demand for a high level of competency and execution will put you in the constant job seekers category.

Success at trucking is very rewarding. Constantly seeking out success in trucking, yet not being able to grasp it, is a never ending frustration. It produces many newly rekindled false hopes at each new employer you start with.

CJ, I've waited patiently for six hours now to see if you would respond to my request that you clarify this statement...

You can struggle to make ends meet at a MegaCarrier, or you can be make great money and enjoy what you do at the LTL company.

I stated that I would clarify it for you if you chose not to, so here it goes:

Now, for all of you reading this, I want you to realize that CJ is your very typical driver that you will come across a thousand times during your trucking career. We are continually having to point out his erroneous remarks, yet he is still convinced that he has got all the right answers. His only problem is that he can't ever seem to find those answers for himself. You see he is continually seeking out greener pastures because he just can't seem to find any trucking job that is good enough to stay at. He makes the huge blunder that is so common among the many wannabes out here. He is convinced that there is some golden nugget of a company that will understand how to treat him just right, and keep him in the money. I've lost track of how many different companies he has worked for in the last couple of years, but it is something like three or four. Maybe he will enlighten us, because I could have missed a few. At one point he was trying to convince us that being a team driver was where the money was. He was adamant about it, but he soon gave up the pursuit because it let him down. Then he went solo for a while so that he wasn't hindered by a co-driver. Not long after that he realized he still wasn't making money, so he determined that switching companies was the cure. Then we heard all about how great his new company, Ozark Motor Lines, was treating him - once again, everything was grand! OMG, what a surprise, now he is no longer with them, but he has seen the light, and if you want to make money you have got to steer clear of the Mega Carriers. After all they are going to keep you down so that you can "barely make ends meet." You see, if you want to be making some real money, like CJ is, you've got to get into LTL. Now, that's where the money is!

I am going to make a prophetic declaration here, and predict that our friend CJ will soon discover some other secret insider's tip about how to make the most money as a truck driver before too many more months go by, and we will be hearing about the next great trucking opportunity that opened up it's doors to him. After all, how could we blame him? We all want to make the most money we can at this don't we? And surely the best way to make the most money is to take advantage of the experience we've been gaining from these greedy top heavy companies we've had to work at for such cheap wages just to get ourselves to this point. Who could argue with that approach? Well, apparently not many can or do. That is why I wanted you to realize that you will meet thousands of truck drivers like CJ if you stay in this business for even just a few short years. They are everywhere, and they are a constant source of misinformation to the many rookie drivers that we try so hard to help.

If you want to establish yourself as a Top-Tier Professional Driver you simply have got to make the Commitment to jumping in here and sticking it out until you get things figured out. This whole trucking career is very much oriented to the individual who can muster up something for himself. It is a career that provides success oriented people a platform to prove they have the drive, initiative, and ability to produce at a competitive level that sets them apart from their peers. CJ says you will barely be able to make ends meet, because that was his experience - he has struggled at this career, even though he has often tried to convince us with his calculations and glowing reports indicating how much money he will be making. For some reason each attempt has fallen short of his expectations, much like his current fascination with Linehaul will undoubtedly unravel.

Folks, it's not the type of freight you haul, and it's not the name on your truck's doors that will establish your success. Those things will have little to no bearing on your success at this career. You can spend a lifetime seeking out the latest type of freight you think will finally put you over the top. You can switch companies from now to eternity thinking it is going to make a difference in your take home pay, and you will find yourself just as frustrated with your trucking career twenty five years from now as you were with that first "starter" company that you thought treated you so badly. I'm going to tell you how you can recognize somebody, in their rookie year, who is going to be a really successful truck driver. They will be turning big miles, earning good money, and be very satisfied with their first trucking job. Poor CJ never got to have those experiences because he was focused on all the wrong things for success. He just knew that those team drivers could make more money. After all, he had done the math, and it was clearly evident! He left one factor out of his calculations though. He left out the ever present threat to success at this career, and that is the lack of understanding of how this whole career works.

Continued...

You can struggle to make ends meet at a MegaCarrier, or you can be make great money and enjoy what you do at the LTL company.

CJ Linehaul, I'm sorry but I'm not letting you slide with that remark. Do you want to clarify that for yourself? If not, I will do it for you when I have time.