Comments By Mariah F.

So I do understand that you don't want to turn down runs, especially just starting out, just because you don't want them or whatever reason. Take the bad loads too until you've really earned that big favor back from DM.

What I'm not sure of, is while looking for companies, do I WANT them to have forced dispatch? Will I never have any say in where I go?

Meaning, are you supposed to want forced dispatch?

Hi Katie!

I'm excited to hear you're going in March, I will be too hopefully!

I turn 21 on March 26th so I'm aiming to go as soon as possible. Prime is the company I widdled it down to, they have great pay and a pet policy, and because I don't know much about trucks the long training doesn't bother me. Not to mention how they do the tuition.

Let me give you a couple links that I found to be amazingly helpful in finding out what'll be like, in case you haven't found these jewels yet :3

TruckingTruth Prime Training Diary TruckerMikes First Solo Run

Also check out the company sponsor list, they have the specs of all the great companies including Prime, and a review of what they think about it.

When in March are you aiming to go? Maybe we'll be lucky enough to go through it together! :3 I'm heading to my local DMV here in a minute to pick up a cdl manual and ask them about obtaining a permit.

And Jopa here is right, the only crime you can commit on this site is not asking enough questions! Lol. Personally I'm not sure about some of the details about the permit but that's why I'm headed down there.

Oh and here's my forum where I asked lots of things. Maybe some of your answers will be here too! =^w^=

Advice, Questions

Good luck, and definitely keep in touch with me!!

~Dawn

Jopa,

I'm glad you think so too about the companies! :3 I spent most of yesterday looking up school specs. I will be going with company sponsored because I have no funds right now. Financially we're strapped. I read a reply Brett did on another forum, and he was talking about saving funds for school. I'm gonna show up broke, but I'm not gonna be begging for food and cigarettes and bla bla bla. Lol. No I'll have enough, I won't starve, I should have enough for cigs. It'll be hard but it'll be okay, cause once again I'm already struggling for food and smokes.

Anywho! I actually was really considering Knight and Prime. Knight has so much flexible home time that it makes up for average training and pay, as well as no pet policy. Home time is their strength. Prime has amazing pay, and really long training. They have average hometime but they also have a pet policy in place.

In my eyes it sorta comes down to home time, which means I wouldn't need a dog, but also less pay rate and miles traveled because of home time, OR, great pay, having a dog, and average home time of 7 on 1 off.

Me and Cody, (husband), talked about these options and while I thought home time would sell him on Knight, he told me he thought Prime would be better. I also like how with Prime, there's no tuition fee as long as I work for for a year, contract obligation. With Knight it would take 18 months of payroll deduction to work off tuition. Prime gives a chance to back out completely during the first week of PSD (prime student driver for anyone who doesn't know all the abbreviation's, like me lol)

As far as a company goes that literally pays for your ride, r9m, first week of food, training, hands you the keys and wants you to work for a year at least, let's you have a dog (you see what I'm leaning towards) OH and they give you pay advance, as well as 600 macaroons at least during training.

Yeah, yeah I'm definitely leaning towards Prime haha.

Alas, I will not be 21 until the end of March. It feels so far away but so close. So now I study :3

So, new questions!

1) How does home time work while you're student training and TNT?

2) Opinions on getting a walking stick for protection?

3) I can't think of a lot of questions haha.

4) What companies would you recommend and why?

Okay I'll keep everyone posted! Safe miles to all!

QwQ

Thank you thank you thank you for doing that for me!!! You didn't have to ^w^

And that's works just fine for me. I can use the time to drives myself crazy studying lol.

Thank you :3

Best miles to you.

I also have extensive family history in trucking, several aunts and uncles. :3

*bump plz*

So I know you have to be 21 to have the cdl to cross state lines. I will be 21 on March 26th. My question is:

Is there a school that will take me in and let me do the classes and get my cdl once my birthday comes?

In order to do the training with a mentor do I have to have my cdl then? I'm guessing yes.

But could I go ahead and do all the classes and graduate on my birthday?

:3 again, thank you all so much for your advice. My husband and I just had another long talk about some of the things you guys said and things we've both been thinking.

I feel that to help you guys understand me, all I need to do is tell you.

Scott, I really do understand, as best I can, how long it could be before I'm home again.

6 String, my husband and I are young but we have no children. We're a young couple not a young family. We didn't get married because I was pregnant, or because I was and lost the baby. He's not some ***hole that abuses me and I think its the only way out. My husband is an amazing guy, I'm not saying anybody said anything bad either. I don't want a lifestyle away from my loved ones per se, but I love the idea of this lifestyle.

Jopa... Lol I'm sorry but your reply just made me laugh. In a good way lol. This is what I mean by let me explain. I'm 21 but that is NOT the kind of life I have.

I live in a little town in the middle of no where. 20 miles both ways to a Walmart. I live with my husband and no one else. My grandmother is the only family I have in 800 miles. She lives in the same town but she also works full time. That family 800 miles away is my homeless dad in Norfolk. My mother lives in Florida and so do my only siblings. I grew up with my younger brother, but left when he was five. And I have never more than visited my little sister. Let me do the play by play of scenario's you listed. Lol.

That phenomenon you said, is actually a pretty funny joke in my situation.

1: Situations arose in my family where I dont feel welcome at family reunions. I am the blackest sheep.

2: The younger (also half) siblings I have are states away. I barely know them anymore. I left when my brother was five, he's 15 now. My little sister was born after I left. She's 9.

3: My relationship with God is my business, but it is not a solid one. I'm not very religious no. So Church is kind of a joke too.

I don't volunteer, I haven't worked since 2013 (because my husband does) (also because I can't stand being loomed over by bosses, another reason trucking entices me. I'd rather talk to dispatchers all day) my only close family literally and emotionally is my full time working grandmother. I have no kids. Guess what I have no friends either.

Certain things happened while I was in highschool that I lost everyone I cared about. I left highschool because I had absolutely, seriously, had no one. I still don't. People I knew at school, and know of now, I don't know them anymore. I have a neighbor, one guy I went to school with, who comes over here. So in short, I have a proximity convenient relationship with one person other than my husband and grandmother. Easy for him to be a 'friend' because he lives four feet away in the next apartment.

So that phenomenon that countless other truckers have felt the sting of, actually just doesn't exist for me. Which while it is sad to you maybe, is great for me. The ONLY thing I sacrifice is my husband, and I know we can handle it. I come home and all the (2) people I left here miss me and excetra. Of course my grandma's life goes on. She's gonna keep working...and working. My husband will too, but as I'm sure some of you know, without kids, his life kinda pauses with mine too.

He and I have talked numerous times about this. It'll teach him some independence, and teach me about so much I can't list it. Confidence, emotional control, how to really work independently yet with others.

One last thing. I'm pretty much an insomniac. For no reason whatsoever, I was awake for 23 hours yesterday. I think my body can handle not having a sleep cycle. I haven't had one since I was 15 lol.

I love to drive. I want to drive. And I know the amazing people here will help me get there. Because you're right Jopa, without what you and 6 String and everyone else had said, I wouldn't feel as even more confident as I do now about this being the right choice for me. (And hubby).

:3 thank you guys so much. And keep the great advice coming!

Speaking of which, can someone explain some details about having dogs with you?

Good miles to all. Dawn.

Thank you so much Scott. I know I probably asked a lot of silly questions but your advice makes me feel better about choosing this as a career.

Thank you so much :3

So for the last couple weeks I've been thinking about truckin. Now I'm determined to do it and that I can do it. I started the cdl practice tests on here, and I'm doing really good on them, although I know its not hard to read material and answer questions correctly. Also, while I'm determined, there is a lot I just don't know about trucks and driving, which I'm not ashamed to admit.

This might turn out to be a long post, if it is I'm sorry.

How much about trucks themselves do I have to actually know? Will the school(s) teach me everything? In the practice tests when it comes to doing daily checkups on your rig, I can remember the answer but that doesn't make me a mechanic. How am I going to be a trucker if i don't know when something might be wrong with my rig?

I'll be 21 on March 26th. Old enough to do it. Is it possible to take my classes, ect, and get my cdl once I'm old enough? For instance, I'll apply and everything, take the classes, pass hopefully, and then on my birthday get my cdl so I can start right out of the gate instead of taking until may to be training with someone. Hope that makes sense. Is it possible? Will a school take you when you will be old enough right around graduation?

Now I am a woman. Naturally, to me any who, I'm curious about how to protect myself. Would a gun be possible? If so how would all that play out? If not then what do I do? Stock up on pepper spray?

I'm also married. We do not have children. We have talked about this together of course. He can do it, be a truckers husband, even if being away from each other could last for weeks. What would your advice be on home relationships?

Which brings me to a closing question, for now at least. I am having some trouble understanding the real basics of trucking. (More often than not i ace the hard stuff and struggle with understanding the simplest things) how do hours work? Explain it for dummies haha. So you get 70 hours to fill your logs per week. And 10.99 hours something, 34 hour resets why? How does working for 7 days to get your 24 home hours fit in? What happens if your on the wrong side of the country when home time comes? Sorry I'm so troublesome haha.

Like I said, I'm new to this, but for the first time, I feel like I can do this. Like I want to do this, I can. I haven't been this confident in a while. I want to start as an otr. I can't afford private schools so I'll aim for company sponsored.

I know that even before I start I have to work for respect in this industry. Another reason I'm sorry this post is so long and that I know so little. Any advice, even if just on one of my rookie questions, will be tremendously appreciated.

Thank you. P.s. I've been on this site for 3 days straight. Husband says I'll go crazy pushing so hard haha. Good miles to all.