Comments By Justin D.

Thanks for the info Gladiator 76. Please let me know how things go Sam H. I've been having difficulty getting responses out of the recruiter I was assigned to from my app submitted through their website. I visited their local operating center here in Phoenix and found the recruiter here very helpful.

I was curious if anyone had taken their minimum pay package. Basically they pay you out for 2,100 miles every week. And at the end of each 90 day cycle pay you out for any additional miles you may have driven each week. Has anyone gone with this, and did you infact get paid out for all of your additional miles at the end of each 90 days?

I like the model as it insures the company is trying to get me at least that 2,100 miles every week (or they'd be over paying me for what ever miles I did drive). And it means if I don't have a good week (dispatch doesn't get me the loads, truck breaks down, etc.) I'm still getting the minimum pay. I'm okay with waiting for the end of each 90 days to get paid up on the additional miles, so long as they do actually (fairly and accurately) pay me for the miles.

Again thanks for any info anyone has on the company,

I'm two weeks from the end of school and having my Class A in hand. I've looked at a lot of companies and am now heavily leaning towards May Trucking out of Salem, OR (all but signed on the dotted line and agreed to go through orientation). Any drivers have experience driving for them or know anything about them (the good, the bad, and ugly)? I'm looking at 48 state Reefer.

Thanks for any input,

TransAm. My husband is with me on day one. May is another one.

Thank you for pointing me in the right direction Mrs. Monster. I'm looking into both of them now.

Anyone aware of any others?

I've been looking at a few companies. We've had a couple of recruiters come to school as well. Of these, I keep hearing hearing about rider policies at companies that are available 90 days or more after finishing training and going solo. Does anyone know of any companies that allow riders in less than 90 days?

Thanks,

Remember, "whether you think you can, or think you can't: you're right." So maintain a positive state of mind.

As has been said, don't hit anything.

Good luck!

(Unrelated): Oh, and the term 'Swifty', now always brings this to mind: https://youtu.be/4ctK1aoWuqY. I know, I'm juvenile.

I thank you Sirs. It was a tough 3 days (10 and 1/2 hours, 13 with commute), the first week of school. And it certainly seems like more time than that has passed with as much as I've learned, but it was worth it. Had I the money, I feel confident I could have passed for my tanker and hazmat endorsements today as well. All in time though I suppose.

Next week begins with logs and trip planning. We've recruiters from different companies coming each of the 4 days next week as well. Four days (one week) down, twelve days (three weeks) to go and I'll have my license.

Lol. Been there before working the night shift. Woke up thinking, 'Oh sh*t, I over slept. Wayyy over slept'. Started rushing getting ready for work thinking, 'why haven't I had a bunch of Irate calls from work, wondering where the f*** I am'. Then it dawned on me: 'the sun is on the wrong side. It's in the West not the East. It's sunset, not sunrise. I've only been asleep like 40 minutes.'

I know what a relief that feels like when you figure out you were mistaken, lol. Unfortunately the adrenaline rush from thinking I was so late made it hard for me to get back to sleep after I realized my error.

I try to set all my clocks on personal devices to military time now.

I just received funding for my schooling in Arizona through a Workforce Investment and Opportunity Act grant. How the process worked for me is outlined here, on Truckingtruth. It paid for 100% of my tuition; I start school Monday.

You mentioned you were unemployed back and 2010 and was eligible to be trained in another vocation. That would of likely been the WIA (Workforce Investment Act) grant, the predecessor to the WIOA grant. Did you receive training then? If so you may not be eligible now (again) depending on your circumstances.

You still may be eligible to get your CDL funded through a community college as well through a Pell Grant if you qualify. Although this would be a longer process. And I believe you would have to take additional classes as well as I think it would have to be part of a 'qualifying degree or certificate program' to qualify for the Pell.

Alternatively, you could also go the company sponsored route to getting your CDL. Although you would have to commit to a particular company to work for a given period of time there after. You'll find a list of companies that offer sponsored schooling here on Truckingtruth.

I keep hearing about the driver shortage. Heck, it's even one of the reasons I think getting into the field now is a smart move; it's going to stay in demand, keep my tires rolling, and keep my making money (hopefully better & better money).

We can postulate back and forth why we think there's a shortage. Personally I think it's a couple things. One, regardless of reasons or rationale it is not deemed a 'respectable profession' by most of society. Two, no ones getting any younger; there's a generation of drivers retiring not many of certain age group entering the profession to replace them. We have a generation of 20 & 30 somethings that for them, being a trucker wouldn't even cross their minds as an option. Why? See reason One above, and this: They have been engrained in the idea that a college degree (in any even silly or usless major), and the accompanying debt is the answer and key to their happiness and earning a decent living wage. A career that doesn't require a degree is not a career worth having; infact, that's no career at all, just a low paying job that no one wants...

That said. I keep hearing about the driver shortage. I'm not seeing or hearing about all the empty store shelfs, or shortages of goods or materials anywhere.