Comments By Jason G.

Thank you. They have been great talking with on the phone. When I called Roadmaster they were pretty impersonal. Talked all about the money I'd make and how they are the Harvard of trucking schools. But then that recruiter didn't care about my questions about what companies recruit through their school. He said it didn't matter what your first company is your first year. But that's a load of crap. I'm all about loyalty and sticking it out with employers, so my first choice will ideally be my only choice, at least for a while. Not one of these guys who uses a company to get trained only to ditch them after my one year commitment. I'm hoping that I love working for them longer than a year because they care a lot about retention and I think it shows in how good they are in the initial hiring process. If you're treated like a number I think you treat them equally with the mindset that it doesn't really matter how long your commitment is. But with a smaller company like Wil-Trans they treat you really good it seems like and so you don't feel like a number to them and you don't feel like it will only be a year thing to get you where you want to be after. It would be cool to stay with them for good after the first year. Because I've looked for jobs before in other fields and it sucks going through the job search. So I really hope my job searching days are over and I'll be with these guys for a while.

Hey guys, my name is Jason. Am a husband and father to three kids. I started looking into trucking about a year ago, surprisingly at the suggestion of my wife. Not because she wants me out of the house, but I am the main bread winner out of the two of us and she mostly stays home with the kids. When I first started looking I called Roadmaster. A year ago and then in last two months, and have to say I wanted that to work because have heard it can be better to pay your way than go with company sponsored training. But that's until I discovered Wil-Trans.

First I called Jim Palmer but since they are also under same company as Wil-Trans, they are putting me with Wil-Trans because I live in East coast and Jim Palmer is west coast.

My experience has been great with these guys. Initial phone conversation they tried to deter me from getting into trucking, but after talking and seeing that I am former military and know what I'm getting into as far as being away from home is concerned, they've found me to be a good fit for their company. And I find they are a great fit for me.

The training is longer but I feel much better with the safety aspect of getting longer training because I'd hate to be put through a month or few weeks of trainer time and then get my own truck. This way there is more time to get me good at being self-sufficient when I do get to solo time. I called them beginning of December and start next Monday for orientation, so as long as they have the spaces and you're ready to go, it can be a really smooth process. All my background checks went fine. The only thing that hung us up was getting a hold of employer and past employers for employment verification.

Have been hustling this last week at my current job and doing other side work to get some money before I go. Only get 200 a week advance for the next 3 weeks they said, and then 600 minimum after I get my CDL for training time. Have been working through study materials for CDL permit but has been hard to make the time, so have to really cram it in over the next few days and then especially when I get there next week. Have been through college, and do well on tests so I'm not too concerned. But hope that's not me just being overconfident.

I will keep updates here as I go through the program. But if youre looking into company sponsored training and it's only a one year commitment, and that's how you're paying for it. They don't take anything out for schooling but forgive it after one-year with them, this is a great company so far. Initial impressions have been awesome. They are friendly, focus on the whole family involvement in your decision to do trucking. They even called my wife to get to know her a bit and to ensure she's on board with my decision. So if a company is taking those steps I think they have your interests at heart and also their own. So it's a win-win. Talk to you again next week after orientation.

This question is for drivers.

So I think before getting into trucking everyone probably feels a little nervous about the idea of driving a big truck for the first time. I'm not too nervous about driving forward once I learn how to shift gears and everything. But probably more nervous about learning how to back up the truck. So I know I'll be outside my comfort zone and thats fine. That's part of life and part of this job. But my question is, were you more nervous in your head before your training, or more nervous when you were actually sitting in the driver's seat for the first time learning how to do everything?

My other life experiences have led me to believe that it's all in my head and that when I actually get to school next week, it's gonna be cool and I'll find my comfort zone in these situations that take me out of my comfort zone. It's all mental right?

I start with Wil-Trans and recruiter told me they have simulators we get to practice in. I was excited to hear that because that's how I learned stuff in the Marines before actually going on a live fire range and doing stuff for real. Simulators are really cool for getting some muscle memory before actually getting into the real thing.

When I was a teenager in IL I started behind the wheel day after a snow storm. So now that I'm on my way to trucking and it's winter I hope I get to learn how to drive in winter weather while I'm with a trainer who can give me some help adjusting to driving a truck in winter. A car is one thing, but after watching plenty of winter pile up videos I don't want to get into trucking and be one of those truckers in a hundred car pileup. So I see that itsucks to drive in but am looking forward to learning how to do it right in a few weeks.

In the Marines it is a common saying "hurry up and wait." You get yourself where you're supposed to be early and in the Marines you have to wait a lot. It's really boring and feels like we were getting the run around a lot. But when I look back on that job, I remember a whole lot of things I loved about it.

I think when I become a trucker and am in these situations I will focus on what I love about the job and not let the waiting bother me. Plus, like the comments above, I'll watch TV or something. And trust me, waiting and having those amenities is way better than waiting in the Marines where you're sitting on a pack waiting for something and that is boring.

It looks like what everyone is saying is that as a trucker you are held to a higher standard. Sucks that this happened. You're human, and humans make mistakes. So my empathy is with you in that. But your attitude, you need to chill. And I'm not saying that as a trucker obviously because I haven't started yet, but as a former Marine, dude, chill out. The laws the laws the laws you keep saying. What, is it all about the money to you? So it's 50 dollars they take out in increments? So each time they take out 50 dollars let that be your reminder that you are held to that higher standard. Let it be the reminder to you that you are so blessed to not have it weigh on your conscience for the rest of your life that someone you hit got killed, because this time they didnt. Because what's amazing to me is that you didn't mention feeling thrilled to death that those people survived getting hit. I'll tell you a non trucker story. We are in Afghanistan and a rocket was just fired at some of our guys, and so then we see this vehicle driving from where we "think" the rocket came from. So we open up on this vehicle with our 25 millimeter guns and 2 TOW missiles. Rip the roof off this thing. Well then we drive up to the car and there's a dead kid inside. We assumed, we didn't know, but guess what, I get to be reminded of that a lot. Maybe play it off sometimes that I wasn't the only one shooting, maybe it wasn't my rounds that killed him. But hey that's war.

You on the other hand, live in a crazy civilian society where people.drive crazy. We all know that and see that on the road.what everyone has tried to tell you is that you need to be humble. Just drop the excuses, forget about fighting this thing. Move on and let those 50$ installments be your reminder each time that you are incredibly blessed to not have it on your conscience that two people died by your truck. Take it from me, I mean think about it, if they died, you'd not be on here telling us how stupid they were and how stupid your company is for punishing you. but hey they didn't die, so just chill man.

I guess another question is could you do trucking more than a year and do some of the college stuff online? But since I'm not started in trucking yet, maybe I don't have a good sense of if it's doable to drive the truck and get some schoolwork done before getting the 10 hours of rest.

I'm on the opposite side of the spectrum. Military paid for my degree (Creative Writing) so I'm looking to trucking to give me a stable income and hopefully work on writing a novel and screenplays in my downtime. And if I ever sell a screenplay for six figures or more then I'll say goodbye to trucking and live the writer life.

Then he'd have to consider the reserves in military so they could pay for college while he does one weekend a month and two weeks in the summer. If wanting to do trucking for a year he might not want to do military for three years.

Yeah, just overturning it. Although since I haven't seen a doctor in so long i am curious about my BP because when I got out of Marines the doctor was concerned about my blood pressure. Was gonna prescribe me some medication to help with it but I was also smoking a pack of cigarettes a day back then and he said medication would help or quit smoking. Day I got out of Marines I quit cold turkey because I wasn't around it so much. But since getting out and working construction I haven't smoked but started using one of those Valerie things. So will see what happens at this point but I'm in good shape. Construction has helped me stay a little fit, so I will definitely need to figure out a workout routine since I won't be as active.

So with all the research I've done to see if I think trucking is for me, I haven't put much thought towards the physical I will have to get. My situation right now is that I haven't seen a doctor in about 7 years. And that was when I was getting out of military. I got my hearing tested then also because it would've been the only thing I would have been able to claim disability for but when I took the test they said I wasn't legally deaf but that my hearing dropped since my initial hearing test when I joined military. And having not seen a doctor and not feeling anything wrong with me to feel the need to see the doctor, I'm now just a little anxious about going through that process not being sure how thorough they are and if they end up finding some reason I'm not fit for trucking. I don't feel like I have any hearing issues after getting out of military and it not being bad enough that they would compensate me. And haven't had any concerns in last 7 years, so I believe it's safe to assume I will be fine. But just wondering if this is common that guys are like me not regularly seeing a doctor and such and this physical being the first time in a couple years that I'll have been seen by a doctor. I wear glasses too and have had an eye exam in the last two years and nothing changed much there either. I've had kidney stones before and have heard that those can spring up every we run couple years after getting them before, so not sure if that is a medical concern they would be iffy about.

Maybe I'm thinking it too much. Company I am in application process with had me do a medical interview on phone but those were all general questions that I easily passed. And go start training in three weeks.