Comments By Aaron F.

DOT foods? Ick. Yeah they pay well, but you'll be loading and unloading your own truck and doing some heavy city driving and very tight docks. I wouldn't lose any sleep over them or any food service carrier for that matter.

It's a no-touch position between distribution centers. They do have those local delivery jobs you described also, but I'm not interested in that. I just want to back into the door and take a nap 😁.

What age are you Aaron? That is a really physically demanding job. Food service is definitely not something we recommend for new drivers.

39. It's a regional no-touch position.

Excuse me for adding something here. Really this is advice for others who will read this later on. This is yet another prime example of why we teach you guys to take advantage of the Paid CDL Training Programs.

Had Aaron followed this method he'd not only already be working and getting paid, but he'd also have 5,500 dollars in the bank. Now he's sounding destitute, and nobody wants or needs that added stress while starting a really challenging career like trucking. There is little or no advantage that I can see from laying out your hard earned cash when starting this career.

Busting The Free Agent Myth

I've been lurking on the forums for some time, and read all of the advice to go with company sponsored training. After a lot of careful thinking and researching dozens of companies, weighing the pros and cons, I decided to pay out of pocket. (I'm also saving for a down payment on a truck, but that's a whole other discussion 😊). As far as no advantages to paying out of pocket, I have to disagree. Dot drivers average $70k in year one, with $60k guaranteed in writing. They average $80k by year 3. They have a 22% turnover rate, compared with the industry average of over 90%. Sure, signing a contract with a mega carrier costs nothing up front. But most of the better companies (including Dot) offer tuition reimbursement in monthly installments, so they're still paying for my training eventually. With hindsight being 20/20, you're right. I'd be in a better situation today if I had called up Swift and hopped on a Greyhound. But I couldn't possibly have seen this shutdown and background check problem coming. I'd do things exactly the same if I had to do it over.

The company is Dot Foods. Their hiring process is tougher and more time consuming than most. I think the holdup is likely related to Hazmat, which they require you to have within 60 days. I didn't ask many questions because I thought this shutdown thing would blow over in a few days, which doesn't seem to be the case. I'll get in touch with them tomorrow and see exactly what government agency they're waiting on. I'm glad to know it's not an industry wide problem though, I may have no choice but to go somewhere else if this drags on much longer. I hope it doesn't come to that, they're offering me the best rookie deal I've heard.

I liquidated my business, and paid $5,500 out of pocket for trucking school. I chose to go full-time and put 100% of my energy into getting licensed and employed as soon as possible. I finished the 150 hour program in 3 weeks, and got my CDL 12/26. I had a phone interview 12/27 with my top choice of companies. I had a second video conference interview 12/31. They called Jan 2nd to let me know they'd checked my references, employment history, and want me on their team. But due to the government shutdown, they can't run the necessary background checks to move forward. So here I sit, flat broke with 2 kids and no income waiting until government reopens. Is this an industry-wide problem? Anyone else in a similar situation? Is any carrier able to hire new drivers right now?