Comments By J.K.

Hey Andre-

I've been talking to Jeff. He's been real nice and helpful too. Did you get your results from the background check the next day then?

Hey guys-

Well I'm at the end of the process with Maverick Transportation right now. They've got all my employer stuff and now I'm just waiting on the "widescreen" background check. I'm not sure what all that entails besides a national criminal check and MVR. Anyway, I was just wondering if anyone knew how long those checks take. Is it like a "normal" background check that takes about a week or is it like a national one that takes a few weeks? I'm getting antsy here!!

Thanks

Hey guys! So I'll start this off with some good news. Today I passed my "written" exams and got my permit! It was a little nerve racking but with the help of the High Road Test prep and other study aids I passed and that's all that matters now.

Now to my question: Where do flatbeds deliver to mostly? Factories? Lumber yards? Warehouses? I've got a general idea but I was just wondering what type of deliveries I should plan on making.

Thanks guys!

Hey guys,

I'm going to be training on flat beds and wanted to know how much of a difference this will make when trying to transition to vans. For more clarification I mean what's the difference in backing, pulling, blindspots, etc. Thanks.

I was wondering what the difference in types of pay are. I've heard terms like "zip code" pay, actual pay, hub pay, stop pay, breakdown pay, etc. I haven't gotten a lot of details about it yet though. Can you guys elaborate on it for me and tell me what I should be asking about?

I've put in a lot of applications and talked with about ten recruiters or so and the majority of them are still using 10 speeds. West Side was the one that was the coolest with only having auto experience besides Maverick which is all automatic. I'm going to go with West Side and see if they can cross train me eventually or I can at least get some practice on 10 speeds. If that doesn't work my idea is to work for them for awhile and save up the money for a more thorough CDL school that teaches manual shifting. You guys are right about the limited options without shifting experience/knowledge. I'm going to keep watching shifting videos daily and I may even try to at least get a ride along after I've got my permit. If anyone has any suggestions about how I can get some shifting experience after I get my permit I'm open to suggestions. For right now, I don't have any way of going to another CDL school though.

Hi Mark,

I don't know exactly what you've got in your past but I've dealt with some stuff of my own these last few months of trying to find jobs. I was able to find some websites that showed company restrictions for hiring when it comes to background stuff. Jobsfortruckers.com is one. Driverrecruiting.com is another one. And another one is bestdriverjobs.com too. Like I said I don't know exactly what's in your background or anything but I know that some companies are more forgiving than the ones you mentioned that's for sure. Hope this helps! Good luck!

As some of you may know the CDL program at my community college is training us on an automatic and we'll be testing on it too. I had some concerns because Schneider made me a future hire offer and their fleet is mostly 10 speeds right now. I even called Schneider and told them the scenario and they said they wanted me to test on a manual and know how to shift from day one. So that is out for now...

I fortunately have a second offer from West Side transport which is only about an hour from my house. I told them the scenario and they said their fleet is 70/30 automatics and it won't be an issue as long as I acquaint myself with the basics of shifting/double clutching/hi lo, etc. So that's a relief that I have a job lined up out of the gate. It's regional too so I should be home most weekends.

In going through this experience both companies said they would be transitioning fully to automatics in the next five years. Now, I would love to and plan on still learning to drive a ten speed one way or another in the next six months to a year even if I have to go to a private CDL school to learn, but I wanted to get the opinions of you guys here since there's a blend of experienced and newbies like myself. What do you guys think? Will it be all autos soon?

Red Wings are a good brand (as evidenced by the price!) The only thing I don't like is steel toed. My toes get real cold and they are more restrictive in my opinion.

Yeah it will be switching over soon, probably right after I would finish my testing. I want to learn on a 10 speed and test on one but there isn't the option with this program. I'm looking into USA Truck schooling program though to see what they can offer. It just doesn't feel right, the thought of training and testing on an auto. If I was to get to a company and they had autos that's one thing but I feel that if you can drive a 10 speed you can drive anything.