Comments By Lil

That's awesome!!! If ur near Baker Bros in Dallas, go treat yourself to their amazing baked potatoe with brisket and BBQ sauce. Good luck Mon!

DK, sorry about your test. From what I've read here, it seems like many people have to take test more than once. You have a good attitude and that will help you. Good luck Wed!

Sgtw, Interesting point about ballcap. I will have to remember that. Thanks.

Congrats on finishing your first week and sticking it out!!! It's great that you're able to focus on the positives and are liking the job and people.

ChickieMonster,

You're in a new environment that you're not used to and that can be scary enough. Then you add learning how to handle the 80,000 lb beast and dealing with all new personalities, while worrying about money. That is tough situation but you can do it.

Although I'm not in school yet, I empathize with you and others who are struggling. You and others here are helping people like me. I hope you can stck with them for 3 months and gain some experience. I'm rooting for you!

Val, I'm so sorry you had to endure that. But I commend you, and Rainy D., for speaking up and writing a statement. It will help many people in the future. These stories make me very worried about my future trainer.

You backed between two trailers for the first time and you came here to vent to keep your cool, so I'd say for a new driver that's a great job! I can imagine how constantly hearing about the leasing program would be difficult. I'm not sure if leasing an O/O eventually mean the same (meaning you lease a truck that you hope to own one day). Your post helped me know the companies I want won't push it down my throat. Thanks again!

Daniel, you make a great point about them trying to take power away to make leasing more appealing. I wouldn't have thought about that. It is sad that people who don't know about this site would think becoming an O/O is the best option. All of the people who know about my upcoming schooling for CDL have told me to be an O/O. But those are people who have no knowledge of the trucking industry. Thanks to this site, I know better. Thank you also for acknowledging that these rules are not industry-wide. I know co's like Schneider and Roehl have routes planned and places they want drivers to fuel at, which I have no problem with. But I would hope they wouldn't fire me if I missed a fuel location, as TransAm does for missing a scale.

ChickieMonster, thanks for the detailed information. It sounds like you're doing a great job! Your points about the forced dispatch, the inability to bobtail without approval and the consequences for missed scale, make me wonder if that's the norm in the industry or if this company just micromanages more. But it also gives me an idea of what questions to ask in the future, so thank you.

Congratulations and good luck! That's awesome you don't have rent or those other bills anymore.

Thanks, Lynette. Great words of encouragement!!!