Profile For Trucker Perro

Hi and welcome. In my opinion, that is absolutley the wrong eay to go about it.

We have seen so many times over the years that drivers attend CDL schools then cannot find a job due to something in their past. The schools take your money and time but do not care about whether you get a job.

Here are some issues:

1.) You can get a CDL, then not find a job within 3 months and your CDL is now stale. Some companies will make you go through schooling or a refresher course all over again.

2.) Companies can set their own parameters when it comes to medication. Therefore, just because DOT says a condition or medication is acceptable, a company can reject you. Hence, it could make life difficult if on certain meds.

3.) Past driving records. People think that if they have a CDL, it means that speeding ticket or DUI from 2 years ago doesnt matter. Wrong!

4.) Having your CDL could cause you to make LESS money and do MORE training at a company. For example... at Prime, a CDL holder would make $800 per weel the first month, then $900 per week during the rest of training They also have to complete 40,000 team miles rather than 30,000 team.miles if you went to.their school.

5.) Companies look down on CDL schools that often use old trucks and no safety equipment. The students often share the instructors with a dozen other students. Most companies do one on one training. Any student i took teaming that already had a CDL got very little hands on experience because of this. I on the other hand did 9,000 miles of OTR driving with my permit!

Bottom line.... save yourself time and money and go to company training. You will find out immediately if anything would prevent you from getting hired. It could save you a tom of time and money.

Good luck

Appreciate the response! I know that you guys advocate for company sponsored training here (looks like that hasn't changed haha), but I've already made up my mind that that is not the route I will go. I have known many people (including a relative and a friend) who have gone to the community college I'm going to and were able to find jobs shortly thereafter, so I'm not that terribly worried about not finding a job myself. There's also the thing that the community college has started recently, so I'm gonna take full advantage.

Sure, I plan on sticking with my first company for a year. But I do not want to be tied to said company for a year. I know anything can happen out there.

I actually posted just a little bit on here many, many years ago when I first looked into trucking, but then I put the pursuit of it on the shelf and moved on to other things. Not gonna spare you the many stories and heartbreaks I've had, but here I am now gonna go after my Class A CDL, get trained up, and hopefully prosper for many years in this lifestyle. Been researching it for the longest and I think it's time I take that leap.

The plan is to go take my written test next month, then go to my local community college and go after my full CDL. I haven't really thought much about what company I wanna start with, but let me get my name on a card that says Commercial Driver License on the top of it first before I worry about that.

Yall wish me luck!

Unless things have changed, I know of one big company that doesn't have forced dispatch. Won't mention it out of respect and to stay on topic here.

Sort of unrelated, but what really is the only flaw I see with Prime is forced dispatch for company drivers. Want to choose my loads. Though I wouldn't wanna lease.

Thanks, you all. I know I have a very steep hill to climb. I'm just wondering if I should even put forth the effort to climb that steep hill. I want to prove to someone that I can stick around for the long term. I want to prove to someone that I can and will be an asset and not a liability. I set ridiculously high standards for myself, some even higher than most others, even to the point of impossibility. That's just how determined I am. Just need someone to give me a chance.

I'll just keep this one short and sweet. I still dream of being a truck driver. Though I'm having doubts if any trucking company will touch me with a 10-foot pole because of my employment history. If I'm going by three years, just this year alone I've been job hopping and am currently on my sixth and seventh jobs (working two jobs now). Will probably be making it eight. Jobs just didn't work out for one reason or another. Last year and the year before have been a bit more sustainable. A 10-year history is even worse - there was a stretch between 2008 and 2011 that work was hard to come by for me. Was giving it an effort, but no real luck other than getting terminated in 2009 and 2010 for poor job performance (but I gave it my all).

So with job hopping this year and the huge gap of unemployment in 2008-2011, companies may not give me a chance. They could ask why they should give me a chance, either with the thought that I'll be leaving shortly for greener pastures (which I won't with my first company) or if I'm going to perform poorly (which I will give it 110%). Could be a massive roadblock that I may not be able to get by.

Really that and a dropped felony charge back in 2008 that I got (was not convicted, didn't do a plea bargain, didn't go to court, nothing). But my MVR is clean, and I don't have any drugs or alcohol-related BS on my rap sheet as I don't even smoke cigarettes or don't even drink.

So should I keep truckin' on? (pun intended)

Hey, a baseball bat and a stuffed animal. If it works, it works! I'll have to give it a try and see what happens. I have both items readily available now. Thanks, man!

Hope bumping isn't frowned upon in this establishment. Though if anyone here had answers to some questions I've had, it'd be greatly appreciated. I must say that the High Road is really informative! I have a few ideas on how I can make use of it!

He/She's a beaut! What did you name him/her? And are you company or lease?

Thanks, you all! That answered the three questions I had off the top of my head, but two more I have:

1. Assuming I do Prime, when I get my CDL permit and eventually my CDL license, will it be a Missouri license? I obviously don't live in Missouri, so exactly how does everything work as far as address go and all?

2. What would you guys recommend to practice double clutching? I have watched countless YouTube videos on the subject and I've tried the gold ol' imaginary shifter/clutch stuff. Doesn't seem like my left leg and my right arm want to co-exist, so I'm kinda having to do it slowly now. It'd be nice if I had something real to hold onto. Looking for any and all tips on that.

Also, if anyone else can offer further insight on my initial three questions, it'd be greatly appreciated. Thanks, yall, and keep on truckin'!