Comments By Britton R.

I don't know but you should search for the DOT physical info. I don't recall the site but there is a page that has the rundown of the physical and may give you a little clarity. You could also call a doctor that does DOT physicals and ask.

Hopefully it works out for you.

It doesn't matter where you live. If a company has freight running through your area, you will likely be able to work with them. They will bus you or some even fly you to their terminal. So don't limit yourself by location.

The best company is the one that fits your needs. The type of equipment, the number of miles, the pay per mile, hometime, pet policy, etc. Its about your wants and what company provides what you want.

Like redgator said, truckng is far more than a job. Jumping in because you need to make money isn't a good enough reason to be a driver. Its not all fun and games. You have to be sure that trucking is for you. The long days, the isolation, the time away from family can take their toll, especially that first year. If your motivation is solely for dollwrs you run the risk of being chewed up and spit out by the industry. Dont rush into it. Research the life and the sacrifices drivers make.

As far as trucking being stable, almost everything we use was on a truck at some point. The only thing that will cause drivers to go away is robots or automated systems. I doubt thwt happens in the near future.

Feel free to contact me before you guys get down there. I'm starting tuesday si hopefully I'll be gone by the time you get there but I can give you info about that first week. I'm going to try and update on here but I'm only taking my phone and no laptop. Typing a lot with this phone is a pain. I'm going to try and do video updates for my youtube page so you can check those out if you have time. Its RideWithB. Good luck to you guys. Remember that week is a job interview. Don't get on the simulator playing like a video game.

Its not the actual permit, just the test scores. Once I get to prime and pass the physical I'll get the actual permit. That's where the $50 to prime comes in. Prime does their own physical so I'm not bothering to get that on my own. The dmv portion is done. So I elwont have to deal with the tests. Just the physical, which they do no matter what, is left. I guess the fees aren't charged until the physical is done and the print the actual card or paper.

I'm from Missouri and heading to Prime. I got my permit tests done as well as all endorsements. I don't have an 'official' ermit because I still need the physical which prime will do day 1. My recruiter said that's all I need. Because I took the hazmat test they gave me an extra copy of my test scores or permit paperwork (whatever you want to call it) to give to them. At prime you will alreadybe doing the finger printing and all of that for a passport and twic card so I think the hazmat stuff will be taken care of in that mix. At least its my assumption.

I talked to a few prime folks and they all advised me to get the permit stuff done prior to starting. Doing this will let you get extra time practicing other things like the simulator. You won't have to go do the testing. Also the stress will be a lot less when you dony have to worry about those tests.

My advice is to do it if you can. If not, at least keep going through the training here. I don't think they will spenduch time teaching you when you get down there. I think you're kind of on your own to learn it on top of everything else that they throw at you.

As far as paying for it, I didn't have to pay for anything. I walked in told them whar I was there for, they set up the tests, I passed them, they made me look into a thing and did a quick vision test, then they printed out some papers, put a seal on them and sent me on my way. When I get to prime they will charge $50 for the permit.

That's all the info I know now. I start next week so I can try to have more specific answers as I go.

Along with certain state laws you also have shippers and recievers that prohibit firearms and company policies. I'd go with mace or maybe a taser if you feel you need it. As long as you are aware of your surroundings and park in lit areas you will probwhly be fine. When this question has been asked in the past many drivers say they never needed anything to protect themselves.

My assumption has been that drivers are in route to their delivery. You may not have to deliver but will still be under a load. Probably sitting at a truck stop or something. It'd be nice if you had a load going near your home but I doubt that's the case most of the time.

I'm interested in what the experienced drivers have to say about it. I've been curious my self. I've worked in tv the last 6 years and missed every holiday that landed on a monday thru friday. Unfortunately tv doesn't stop. Even for a snowstorm that shut the city down they sent a truck to get me. Its alright though. Tomorrow is my last day and I'm off to the world of trucking on monday.

Guyjax is right. Big thing is keeping the heart rate up. I saw a driver that jump ropes. You can do jumping jacks as you work through a pre/post trip. Some weights to lift while sitting in the sleeper. Go for a walk. Just burn more calories han you consume.

Also cut out truck stop food and soda. Go to walmart anfd get stuff to prepare yourself. Cheaper and healthier.

You may want to look at companies that have a lot of regional routes. Then try to get on with a trainer the runs westcoast. I'm not sure how it all works. A lot of it may be out of your hands. Also look into the port driving jobs. Maybe yhere are other options as far as getting trained and getting on with them. Maybe if you go to a private school you can go directly to the job you want. If you have to go to a company program you'll probably be pretty limited in options. If you want it bad enough you may have to sacrifice ajd suck it up for a while. Once its over you can get what suits you better.

I'd plan for $30k per year. I've seen people say $25-35k so I'd plan near the middle or lower. Then maybe $40-45k year two. Remember it depends on you. How hard you run and how much home time you take can really impact the numbers. Also know that you will have good weeks and bad weeks so it won't always be a consistent check you can bank on. You may get stuck in a snowstorm or break down for a few days. That will hurt your pay that week.

Your first year can be fairly low due to the learning curve on the road. Until you get used to planning your routes and maximizing your time you won't be turnng the amount of miles you can once you have some experience. Then you're probably likely to top out around $60k after a few years.