Comments By Whitetail

First, to Errol. I have spent a ridiculous amount of time researching companies and speaking to recruiters. I went to MATS with my dad to do research there too. MY wife accuses me (and she is completely correct) of spending too much time on research. The only reason I will not list the names is because my brain will explode if I get any more input. I am not trying to be evasive or illusive but I just want to grab and go. If I don't, I'll drive myself nuts. Also, the companies I have contacted are amazing, and any driver here in those companies could sway me and I just wanna go with my gut. Plus, I surely don't want to offend anyone if I don't choose their company. All 3 of them are wonderful.

Second, to Chris. Yeah, man, you caught me. That's where I think I need to go. Submitting my paperwork tomorrow (or the next day) and getting the ball rolling. I already have a spot reserved, and the bonus road time before the CDL test is what has me sold. I had a chance to speak to someone that was in the company for a long time. He bought his own truck and moved on but LOVED that company. You and I are gonna have a beer some day, and it's gonna be on me :)

Well, I spoke to the second company, and then a third. I'm sure you guys have heard this a million times, but this is a really tough choice. Pretty sure I'm going to go with my first choice. It has a very "family" feel. All 3 recruiters were extremely nice and well informed. But my first pick still feels like a very comfortable pair of jeans. I might as well just dive in and go for it. So...bottoms up. Thanks for your responses.

Thanks Brett :)

Oh, by the way...I am not looking at this second company because of money. There are a few things I really like about them. I am never going to let starting pay be my deciding factor. I thought I should mention that. I just reread that post, and realized that it looks like my decision is financially based. It's not. Still very happy with my first choice even though the pay is less. It's all about me making the best move now for the future.

Hello all. I am going to school in a couple months. I chose my company for a couple reasons, both involving licensing. Hopefully you guys can verify or disqualify the info I have. After a little research I have found that almost all states will limit you to an auto-only CDL if you test on an auto. So, how much does that truly matter? I know that a lot of companies are converting to autos. If it's going to be an industry-wide change, that's one thing. But if it's not, I have just pigeonholed myself by training and testing on an auto. My dad just started driving an auto. He hated it at first but is now "warming up to it". In dad terms, that means he really likes it and doesn't want to admit it lol :) The company I chose is slowly converting to all autos, but their OTR fleet is still mostly stick. They also will dispatch me as a solo driver after school which is fantastic. That'll give me behind the wheel training for 4-6 weeks with a trainer before I have to get my CDL. Nice little bonus. With them, I have a guarantee of a trainer in a stick truck. So how important is it really to not have a restricted CDL? I ask this question for a very specific reason. I have not yet committed to the company I chose, and I found another company that I really like. Their entire fleet is auto. So...If I go through them, I will definitely end up with an auto-only CDL. The second company has a very sexy pay scale for both rookies and vets. I'm tempted to switch. But again, worried about the CDL restriction. What do y'all think?

Don, I have done some research for you, and here's what I've found. I'm doing this for both of us because I have cardiac issues as well, and I have not yet gone for my DOT physical. First, lemme give you a little background info on me. I had a heart attack young, 36. 42 now. Cardiac issues are unfortunately hereditary in my dad's side of the family. I'm not gonna sit here and tell you that I'm fit as a fiddle, but....if you saw me in person your jaw would drop. 5'10", 135 pounds. Skinny by anyone's standards. I have a fairly active job, I'm a carpenter. Not sure how your cardiologist operates, but mine is very strict. I have to get an exam from him every 6 months or he will not issue meds. So personally, I am not worried about my DOT exam. Truth be told, my BP isn't perfect but I'm going to see him before my DOT exam anyhow. If he needs to tweak my meds, he will. Here is what I have discovered, and I will pass this on to you. I have a great relationship with my doc. If he felt that I needed a stress test, for anything that was setting off an alarm, he'd let me know. He works for the Cleveland Clinic, which is ranked very highly worldwide for cardiac care. Among cardiac physicians within the Cleveland Clinic, he's on of the best. I got him by chance, kind of an unlucky/lucky lottery. So, with all of that being said, let me ask you this. What else could possibly have triggered that request for a stress test? Was your BP at the time on the high end? If you are on meds to control your BP and it's still higher than it should be, that's probably a flag. If it's been a while since you've seen a cardiologist, that's a flag. In the end, your cardiologist will steer your ship forward for you. Hence the reason I am going to him before the DOT exam. I know for sure that you can get hosed based on people I know that drive trucks have had bad experiences with DOT exams because of several factors. 1) The examiner is jumping to unnecessary conclusions that cost you a ton of money and/or delay your career, and in the end they are being overzealous. 2) The examiner that just passes you through and doesn't care. Be assured, they're out there and that can hurt you too. If anyone does any digging (for whatever reason) your card can be called into question. So I'm shooting for the middle. I found a place that does the exams, won't rake you over the coals for non-trigger issues. If anything gets called into question, my cardiologist will back me up. I would recommend a non-physician for your next exam. They ask the same questions, but they won't have knee-jerk reactions.Sounds like that's what happened to you. Also, there are different levels of stress tests. Some are more involved than others, and that will affect the cost. In the end they all show the same result. Either your heart is good or it isn't. There are hospital satellite hospital facilities and urgent care facilities that offer stress tests as an a la carte outpatient service. 1 doc and a treadmill. $500 bucks. Alright man, hope all this helped. Let me know how it goes.

Yup, try another doctor. I found a chiropractor, believe it or not, that does DOT physicals. I have the same issue, had a heart attack in 2010. I am not getting the impression from that office that it's gonna be as demanding as yours. I also have well controlled high blood pressure, but my numbers are good, so I'm not sweating it. As chance would have it, I already have an appointment with my cardiologist next month. I will let them know what's going on with my upcoming DOT exam. It's a guarantee that he'd waive that stress test for me. For some reason I don't understand, it's a fairly common thing for chiropractors to do DOT physicals. Find someone like that. It'll be a guarantee that if you are on blood pressure meds, you're only gonna get a 1 year card. But it's better than the spot you're in now.

Awesome man! Hopefully we'll run into each other out there some day :)

Confirmed. You have the option to test immediately after schooling, or do it after you've been on the road with a trainer. I'll be choosing option 2. The pay is the same, irregardless. 25cpm whether you are driving, or whether your trainer is. All miles go towards your check. Per my previous post, I may have to wait a bit before there is a trainer available with a stick truck. For me, there are no repercussions, I can go back to my old job while I wait. Also....with Millis I don't need any endorsements. If I need them later, I'll get them. No TWIC, no passport. See ya soon, Millis :)

After speaking to a current student and a couple current drivers, I have discovered something unique about Millis. I could be completely wrong about my research, please correct me if I am. From what I am seeing/reading, almost all company-sponsored programs will have you test for your CDL before you hit the road with a trainer. Not the case here. You complete your schooling, and you are dispatched with a trainer as a solo driver. If this is correct, here's why that's a real big plus for choosing Millis. If you are dispatched with a trainer as a solo truck, that trainer will be sitting with you all the time. That means that your permit makes you valid in any situation, because you have a licensed driver right there next to you. Just like having your temps for a car. Here's why that's awesome. You'll get to have real life experience BEFORE you have to test for your CDL. It doesn't last long, but gaining extra experience behind the wheel is a good thing before you have to test. Again, I will confirm this tomorrow when I talk to my recruiter to make sure this information is correct. After your training is completed, you will have to obtain your CDL and then continue on as a solo driver. None of this will make sense or seem beneficial to you if you haven't dug really deep on common practices for company schools. I will update this blog later this week after speaking to my recruiter. Do your research. Seems to me that the hardest part of this job is picking the correct path FOR YOU. This one is mine, and I'm not looking back. But everyone is different, every avenue of life is subjective.