Profile For Heavy C

There's a lot of entry points into trucking. Whether you go get your CDL on your own and find a local job or just getting into a company sponsored CDL program. I know a lot of places are pretty reasonable during the interview process. When they ask about employment gaps just tell them exactly what happened.

Here's an option, although not appealing to most. Work for a Walmart store or distribution center for a year, then apply for the associate to driver program. Walmart has completely shifted its direction when it comes to hiring drivers. They're focusing on training their own drivers now and seeing great success with it.

Is it worth it? That's the age old question and honestly nobody can answer that for you. Sure we can give you our experience and advice. At the end of the day though we all value things differently. Through the years I've heard older drivers say that they would do something else of given the chance. Others say they couldn't imagine doing anything else.

Let's talk truth's about this career path. Job security is fantastic provided you keep a clean record and gain that experience. There's always a way to use your CDL. Earnings? Yes you can make a good living driving truck. Like many things though this will be determined by your cost of living and the area where you get employed. Will you miss things at home? Absolutely. No matter if your OTR, regional, or local, trucking job schedule are less than ideal. Lots of weekends and holidays. You miss birthdays and anniversaries. Your schedule doesn't match your friends and family so trying to make plans is near impossible. Even local work has some crazy schedules. This career will challenge you daily. People like to think we're just driving. How hard can that be? Well they've never had to drive an 80k lbs chuck of steel down the 95 corridor from Boston to Baltimore or run across the Rockies during the winter. What about this, put that 53' trailer in that one dock of that 100 year old building around that blind corner. No this job isn't easy. It's stressful no doubt. But it's rewarding.

Like mentioned before read through some of the diaries on this site. Keep asking questions. Write down a list of pros and cons. And really be honest with yourself. This career has absolutely been worth it to me. That doesn't mean it will be for you.

I'll give a bit of a different perspective on the family life. I'll also preface this by saying that what has been said is absolutely correct. For the most part trucking doesn't lend itself very well to a balanced home life.

That said I've been driving over a decade now. I've never once been OTR. I've managed to stay in a day cab my entire career. Now my first job have me out regionally and gone from home 1-2 nights a week. Since then though I've been able to be home every night. I now drive for Walmart and have the most flexible schedule I could ever hope for.

While my journey is an outlier and there are a lot of variables to consider. Having a good home life is definitely possible. Do what you need to now to get that valuable experience and really how to be a safe driver. Do that and the doors to a better work/life path will open for you.

It'll likely be company dependent. It's been quite a bit of time since the offense so that helps. Biggest thing is what we harp on all the time here, and that's be honest. Don't lie about it on applications or in interviews. Own it and be ready to explain what happened, what you learned from it and why it won't happen again. Just keep trying if you get turned away. There's so many trucking companies that you're likely to find one that won't be worried about it. Good luck!

So as a general rule it's not advisable to use the engine brake in wet or slick conditions. The idea is because the Jake is only slowing the tractor down and if the trailer breaks traction you could be looking at a jackknife situation.

That said, I have used it in rainy weather before but usually in the lowest settings. I won't use it in snowy weather. I would recommend just getting used to handling the truck and using the engine brake in dry roads for a while. Before trying to use it in other conditions.

First off welcome. You will find not only good advice here but it will be real and not sugar coated.

Let's start with the WE thing. Yes they have a bad reputation. And it's not entirely unwarranted. They churn out a lot of drivers in a short amount of time and many of them end up making lots of mistakes. A lot of this is because they'll take people other companies wouldn't touch. The bad safety rating could be from many things though. Whether that's just bad training or just drivers that don't put a lot of effort into staying safe. So while you will end up carrying that rep with you that doesn't mean you have to contribute to the problem.

So to help you along let's start with the basics. Don't sacrifice safety for making good time. In fact don't sacrifice safety for anything. Yes you'll want to make a good impression with your dispatcher, and that will come with time. But you can't become a great driver with a great reputation of your own of you keep hitting things. In fact everything will come with time.

Don't be afraid to question things while you're training. You'll learn more the more you question. If they ever ask you to perform a function without telling you why, ask them to explain why. It's not being condescending or rude. Now if you start questioning things they've already explained, then yeah you're trainer will probably start to dislike you.

Just remember that you're not going to know everything about being a truck driver after you're done schooling. You also won't know everything after you finish with your trainer. No becoming a truck driver takes time AND effort. Focus on your job. Be professional. Be safe. Be humble. Most drivers here will tell you that this career can humble you real quick.

I wish you the best and remember to keep checking in here with any questions.

So there's a few things I learned early on doing p&d. First is Big Truck, Big Road. Interstates, US Routes, and numbered state roads are usually always the first and best options. Second never trust a GPS. Always check them then double check the route it wants you to take. Google Earth is a great tool because you can put eyes on the road itself. It's not fool proof by any stretch but it's a good source. Third is GOAL. Just like you would get out and look before backing, also get out and look at any area you want to turn around in. Pull over, throw the hazards on and go walk around the site. Get a lay of the land and try and identify any hazard before committing to turn in. Fourth is don't be afraid of local police for help. I found myself on a road in Princeton NJ that I absolutely shouldn't have been on at a bridge that looked older than dirt. I pulled over and called the local PD. The officer came out and I explained the situation. He proceeded to escort me through town to help me avoid any other problems. Trust me they would rather you stop and ask for help before you start tearing up their town.

Just remember be the captain. If something doesn't look right or feel right, just stop. Give yourself a minute to figure out the correct course of school before you put yourself in a situation you can't get out of.

I'll say this. I wouldn't say your career as a truck driver is over necessarily. You just made everything a whole lot harder though.

You committed one of the cardinal sins in this business by not listening to your body and getting the rest you needed. Fatigue is one of the biggest issues we face as drivers. In this instance you got lucky and only went into a ditch and damaged property. Next time it could be a family.

I get it though. You have the pressure of not wanting to disappoint your new company. You want to become one of their most reliable drivers. Plus couple that with the pressures of being on the road for the first time. There's a lot thrown at you. But this is the time that it's most important that you know you are the captain of your ship. If you're tired, shut it down. The weather is terrible, **** it down. Safety has to be your number one priority at all times.

I leave you with this. Keep applying to any and all companies. Doesn't matter if it's local or OTR. Be honest about the accident on every application and at any interview you may get. Tell them not only why it happened but why you'll never let it happen again. You may or may not get another chance but don't give up on it yet.

Good luck.

Hi Emma and welcome.

I appreciate your willingness to go get it done. However you're going to be very limited on what you'll be able to do. With zero experience and not being able to drive intrastate will really set you back.

I would start with some research. Talk to the school if they have relationships with any companies that would take you on. Also go out and ask. If you see a truck going down the road with a local town name on the door call them. Try and set yourself up with options before committing the money.

If your ultimate goal is OTR I would spend the next couple years saving and researching companies that will pay for your training and get you on the road right after. Best of luck on your journey.

If we're being completely honest here DUI/OUI is one of those offenses that is really a killer for this industry. Unless it's very old (10+ years) then you're likely not to find many places willing to hire. Other offenses will likely depend of the type of crime committed. But even then most won't hire with felonies.

Really the only company I've heard of touching records like this would be Western Express. I know through people I worked with that they actually train people straight out of prison. Now mind you it's not a great gig in the beginning. Inconsistent work and a very short leash. The equipment is not very well taken care of and have a generally terrible FMCSA score, so they tend to get picked on at the weigh stations.

In the end getting a CDL is never a bad thing and there's nothing that says a local dump truck contractor or small mom and pop company wouldn't give them a shot.