Comments By Dustyn A.

Thanks for all the great replies!! I actually called Werner and they say have dedicated routes out of school in Colorado so they are a top choice besides Knight. I'm also going to look into other truck when I get closer to graduation.

Also, Knight is also high on my list and I noticed they don't want any Major violations in the last 6 months, would this be considered a major violation?

So I received today a ticket for Obedience to Turn Prohibition Signs for making a U Turn at an intersection where you cannot U turn, will this affect me getting a job in trucking when done with school? I've been looking the qualifications at most trucking sites and the ones I can find say no more than two in a two year period or similar... am I fine with only one traffic violation really ever on my record (except the next paragraph)?

My second question is I received a ticket over 3 years ago for careless driving in Minnesota, since then I obtained a license in Wisconsin and now in Colorado, when I pulled my driving record from the DMV here in Colorado it showed I had nothing on my record, first I've always thought violations moved state to state when getting a new license and second should I mention this when I apply for trucking jobs? I know most trucking companies don't care about violations over 3 years old, I was looking at Werner Trucking application and they don't give any time table for reckless driving on there application. Does anyone know Werners driving qualifications if I should mention it when I apply for driving jobs?

Thanks for the responses! I'm going to try to apply to as many places as possible.

A little more detail in what your looking for would be helpful. What do you consider to be good home time? I came out of school and started with Knight transportation because of the home time they offered. I was originally going to do the 7/3 7/4 but decided against it before I went solo. For one I didn't feel I could make enough money. For two with this type of position you will be slip seating, meaning other people drive the truck when your home. I have no problem slip seating, it is what I do now. But I drive day cabs now and sleep in hotels, I did not want to slip seat in a sleeper cab and have to share a mattress with someone that may not take a shower the entire time they are out.

I ended up on a program that was out for 10 to 14 and then home 3-4. It worked pretty well for me but I tried to stay closer to the 10. One thing you need to know is even though you start a plan like this many of the companies will push you to see if you make them stick to the plan. Yes there may be times they have trouble getting you home due to freight but some times they may intentionally test the waters to see if you complain. I held them to the plan and they got me home regularly. Two of the new drivers I knew from school did not push like I did and was usually out 3 to 5 weeks at a time.

You may also want to look into LTL companies. With the current driver shortages some companies are hiring straight out of school that would normally require at least one to two years experience. I'm talking about companies like Old Dominion, YRC, Conway, just to name a few. You will typically get home much more often and it typically pays more.

Welcome to the forum.

Woody

Thanks for the info on Knight! They are my top choice for companies that are not local when I graduate. Do they offer they they 7/3 right away for new drivers? The recruiter I talked to only told me the 10-14 and 3-4 part. I'm not really looking to make a lot of money as home time is very important to me, just enough to have a comfortable living. Also you said you drive day cabs and sleep in hotels, do they pay for the hotel for you and do they offer that for newbies as well? Do you have any other advice or knowledge on Knight, are they a good company to work for? I live in Colorado and one of the top reasons I'm considering them is because they have a center out of Denver so I'm hoping they do a lot of freight in and around Colorado.

Thanks!

I'm going to be starting out in trucking soon and I was wondering what companies in Colorado that hire new drivers out of school have the best home times? And do local companies like Pepsi and Frito Lay hire with no very little experience?

I would like to start a career in truck driving however 3 years and 2 months ago I was in a minor accident that resulted in a careless driving ticket. My driving record is clean otherwise, will this affect me finding a job?