Posted: 8 years, 9 months ago
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Hi All, Well, I am just about finished with my driving school (3 hour night drive and my test should happen next week) so I am at crunch time with regards to picking a company and the type of loads to haul.
I will probably start another thread asking for advise about the particular companies I am considering. But for now, let me start with asking about the type of trailers to pull. I am still uncertain about whether to jump right in and learn flatbed or tanker, or if I should stick with dry van/reefer in order to focus on learning the basics first before adding extra skills right away.
My thinking goes something like this: As long as I'm spending time learning the ropes regardless of the type of load I'm pulling, I'd rather add an extra skill or ten while I'm at it in order to become "more valuable" to a company more quickly. Also, I do desire to learn all of it over time (partly for the challenge, partly to try something new from time to time).
Regarding flatbed specifically, I am 47 years old, in fairly decent shape (still overweight but have strength), had neck surgery last August (totally recovered and doing great)...I am not very concerned about being able to do the physical work but others might be. I realize if I don't jump into flatbed within my first few years as a trucker, the opportunity to do so will probably pass me by.
Regarding tanker, I love the thought of all the opportunities that would be open to me should I learn tanker and do it safely. However, some may have concerns with rookies jumping right into driving tankers with the surge and high center of gravity. My basic thinking here is if I'm going to learn to be safe while driving a dry van, I can also learn what it takes to drive tankers safely as well. If one starts out learning to take turns even more cautiously than other drivers must with other loads and to brake in an even more cautious fashion, it seems to me that great safety habits can be formed quickly and won't be lost should such a driver later switch to other types of trailers.
Finally, what will the reality be with regards to pay with the different trailers? How different will the miles be and what non-mileage pay must truly be recognized as significant factors affecting total pay? Generally speaking, dry van pays the lowest cents per mile while flatbed seems to pay the highest. In the end, does this difference wash out due to mileage factors or load times? Does the higher pay per mile with reefer get washed out compared to dry van because dry van may have much more drop and hook (less waiting around)? Tankers probably get the lowest miles per week but does this get compensated for with tank washing pay, unloading/loading pay, etc.?
I wanted to give everyone a look inside my mind (scary, isn't it?) not to push my ideas as being correct but rather so you might know what ideas I have that need to be corrected, or at least challenged, and what I am completely missing altogether. Any thoughts, questions, concerns, or miscellaneous comments?
Posted: 8 years, 9 months ago
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TransAm made me a first seat driver! It's been a long road
Congratulations, Matt. I am glad things are on the upswing for you! Best of luck with TransAm. I am hopefully finishing school in the next week or two and TransAm is on my list. Don't know which way I'll go but maybe I'll see you out there.
Posted: 8 years, 9 months ago
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Schneider National OTR: Tanker or Truck
Hi Tom W, I am new to this forum but I am also looking for direction about driving Tanker for Schneider. I have about 3 years OTR Refrigerated experience in, but its been 10 years! Lol.....I am also looking on this website for anyone who knows about refresher courses and a company who will train for Tanker. Have you had any luck finding anything out yet? Thanks to anyone who can post any info about these topics :)
Welcome to the forum, Pamela. Although I don't know anything about refresher courses, I have looked into driving tanker for Schneider. Schneider and CTL Transportation, Comcar Industries' Tanker division, are the only two companies I know of for sure that will take rookies into their tanker division. Now you might have more companies to choose from being that you are no rookie but others might be able to advise you better about that point than me. Before getting to Schneider, let me say that Comcar impresses me for a few reasons but the main thing to mention is all the areas in which a rookie can get started. Tanker, flatbed, reefer, and dry van are all available possibilities. They have a couple of other divisions too but they are specialized and might not be available without experience.
Well, on to your question about Schneider and their Tanker division. I have had two phone interviews with them and received a pre-hire letter from them yesterday. Unlike any other company that has given me a pre-hire, I appreciate Schneider taking significant time talking with me, finding out if I might be what they are looking for, and giving me the opportunity to find out if they are right for me. I might be the only one who thinks this way, but that goes in the "positive" column for Schneider.
To give you some details, Schneider's Tanker division offers both OTR and Regional opportunities (at least where I live). It pays 37 cpm for OTR and 32 cpm for Regional after training is complete. They increase it to 42.5 cpm after 6 months for OTR and to 35 cpm for Regional. They say about 15% of your total pay will come from accessorial pay items such as loading ($25), unloading ($35), cleaning the tanker out ($20), etc. for OTR and about 25% for Regional (they pay a higher $ amt for some of these duties for Regional to make up for the lower miles). The average miles for OTR Tanker is around 1900 miles/wk and about 1500/wk for Regional.
About 2/3 of the loads are non-hazmat. Yes, a hazmat endorsement in needed but you do not need it before getting hired. You will also need a TWIC card but it too is not needed before hire. You will need your Tanker endorsement before you show up to orientation however.
OTR will require you to be on the road for a couple of weeks at a time but you can select your 6 days off each month. Really, though, they restrict this to going home only two times a month (one 6-day home time if you so choose). Regional Tanker will get you home every 5-6 days plus 1 or 2 other times during that week (at least in my area).
A few other details that are specific to Tanker include the clothing. You must wear long pants and long-sleeved shirts when outside the truck. I believe steel-toed boots or shoes will also be required. Drivers must be clean-shaven at all times since a breathing apparatus will sometimes be necessary. I realize this is not pertinent to you as a female but if other drivers are reading this, they might want to know.
Training for Schneider's Tanker division takes place in either Houston, TX or Coraopolis, PA just outside of Pittsburgh. I will attend the one in Coraopolis if I choose Schneider. Training (including orientation) will last 30 days. This includes approximately 2 weeks at the training facility doing paperwork, taking a physical test, drug testing, etc. and then much time training. Then it's 10 days on the road with a trainer followed by 3 more days back at the training facility. Then you go home for 3-5 days to see family and get things ready to hit the road in your own truck!
I know I've rattled off several details and hope it helps you. Please feel free to ask any questions you may have. I would be happy to try to answer them and I know others here will be too. I wish you the best.
Posted: 8 years, 9 months ago
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Schneider offers hope to a felons future
Posted: 8 years, 10 months ago
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Starting school in the morning.
Tom you can try to check with places like Wal-Mart to see if they will let you park a truck there for a couple of days. I've seen drivers make all kinds of arrangements with places that have a large enough parking area to get a truck into. Sometimes you may find a restaurant or a large convenience store, or whatever. If you live anywhere near an interstate or even a small state highway with a truck stop nearby you could park there and have someone come pick you up for your home time. Keep your eyes peeled for places around your town that might work - you have lots of options. Don't limit yourself to companies that have nearby terminals.
Thanks, Old School. I totally forgot about Walmart being a possibility. Other places might be too. Will look around and will definitely keep options open. Individual companies might even have some arrangements made since Charlotte is a fairly major intersection with both I-85 and I-77 coming through here. Will ask them too.
Posted: 8 years, 10 months ago
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Starting school in the morning.
Here's a question: One thing that has me limiting the list of companies that I can consider (at least in my head) is there are only a few companies that have terminals in Charlotte, NC and I will not be able to park my truck at my house. If I go with one of the many companies hiring in this area but they don't have a terminal here, how can I handle this? What options are there that can solve this issue?
Posted: 8 years, 10 months ago
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Starting school in the morning.
Hey Craig H. and Jake Break, Today we took some tests and did a lot of work on manual logs and the rules. We are also doing a pre-trip inspection as a group every day. So far, the instructors have done it both days but I suspect we will get to start doing them shortly.
It's funny, today our instructor got interviewed by the local Fox station and will be on the news tonight. Apparently, there is some talk in NC to limit or ban trucks from parking on exit/entrance ramps for "safety" reasons. They interviewed him for this topic and also asked him about the driver shortage.
If anyone is interested and has access to Fox 46 Charlotte, it's on the 10 o'clock news. In fact, they did take a shot of us in the classroom. If they show it, I'm the goofy looking guy in the grey t-shirt sitting in the middle of the room. This could my shot at 1.3 seconds of fame.
Posted: 8 years, 10 months ago
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Starting school in the morning.
Tom, to answer your question the best pay will normally be found in jobs that require more of a driver, like flatbed or some sort of specialized hauling. Most of the best paying jobs require at least some OTR experience, even as little as 3-6 months.
However there is one exception to that and it's linehaul or LTL trucking. Traditionally linehaul companies were union companies. Today some of them are union, some are not, but they all still pretty much pay union wages. The Teamsters are the union I'm referring to and they're in companies like Yellow-Roadway, Old Dominion, and USF-Holland.
Those linehaul jobs pay way more than most any trucking job you'll find anywhere and are well worth looking into. It's hard to get into those companies straight out of school but it has been done a few times. It's well worth the wait if they require a bit of experience.
Hey Brett, Yes, linehaul is actually an area I am looking out for as well after reading everything 6 String has written. Until he posted about his pursuit of linehaul and then actually getting the job when it was considered rare, if not virtually impossible, for someone straight out of school to get such a gig, I had never heard of the word "linehaul". His writings very much intrigued me, and the fact that you can be home much more than OTR but still accrue a good amount of miles at a very high cpm got my attention. I have a friend who did this for UPS for many years (I didn't know what it was called then) and I always thought that if I ever drove, that type of driving might be for me. Who knows?!
A major part of what will play into my decision making is that I am married and it will be hard to leave my wife alone for extended periods like the first year or two will probably demand. We both accept this but it doesn't make the thought much easier since, as with hopefully all married couples, we got married to be together. That is one of the reasons linehaul is appealing even if it's not very likely immediately (still keeping my eyes and ears open though). Other than the little detail about being married (slight understatement!) I really think the OTR lifestyle fits me pretty well. Like everyone, lots of factors to consider.
Posted: 8 years, 10 months ago
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Starting school in the morning.
Hey Tom i started a post in the diary's section. Im gonna keep everything updated there. I had a pretty good first day it was mainly going over policies and studying the cdl book so pretty boring overall.
That's good. I'm a bit embarrassed to ask though, being that I really have been on this site for some time now, but where is the diary's section? I am unfamiliar with it.
CDL Training Diaries Forum I think thats a link to it im not sure i did it right.
Thanks. Got it...finally.
Posted: 8 years, 9 months ago
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Need advice!
I should have asked for "advice", not the verb "advise". Okay, so I'm not the best speller!