Comments By Professor_Eye_M

I guess even though I never had gotten a CDL, I'm pretty much SOL. That's a bummer. I guess I have to look for a different career choice and say goodbye to a trucking career.

Thanks for the response Old School

It's not that I want it to be privately or anything nor am I ashamed or anything, I am new on here and from all the responses that Brett had been putting on here, I'd felt that his knowledge would be beneficial but I can ask publicly.

So here's the situation. I had applied at KLLM about 2 years or so ago and I had soon started in their training program, which was going through the classroom portion of the course (training to get a CDL permit). Soon, the classroom was taken to do our DOT physical. When I had took my physical, unfortunately I had failed the drug test. I wasn't thinking at that time because I was going through a dark period moment in life. I'm not making any excuses or anything and take full responsibility for my mistake. That was 2 years or so ago and hadn't applied or even tried to get back into getting into the trucking industry.

Recently, I had revisited the idea of making another attempt to get into the trucking industry and this time, I'm doing some extensive research in what to expect in this industry, something I hadn't done in my first attempt. Thus, I created an account on TT do get more an educated insight of how to become successful.

So the question is, with the failed pre employment drug test, what are my chances of getting a company to give me a shot with their company-based CDL training? I had done some exhausting research on the web, including on TT, to find answers. So far, I'm getting some conflicting answers. Should I just hang it up and find another career or would I have a shot?

Thanks Old School!

Will do Doug C. and keep us posted with whoever company that brings you in. I would love to hear your progress.

Hey Brett Aquilla, I have a question for you that I would like to ask you personally. Is there a way I can send a message/email to you in confidence?

Thank you everyone who had responded to my question with your wisdom and knowledge. As I'm a newbie on here, I'm not familiar with how to do add "quotes" from responses onto my reply.

To PJ and Raptor, I will be looking into some of the links Big Scott had posted on here to get a better fill about schools.

To Brett Aquila, I had venture into most of those links last night. I had especially read "Brett's Book: The Raw Truth About Trucking (free online version)." Even though it was only 88 pages, it was very, very, very insightful. It had really curved and narrowed my focus. I loved how it had breakdown between OTR, Regional, and Local. Furthermore, how it had breakdown between dry van, reefer, tanker, and let's not forget Dump Trucks. I had started reading this book around 10pm last night and finished around 2am with a throbbing headache (in a good way due to soaking up every word into my rookie-sized brain). It's not that I'm a slow reader, I wanted to envision and have a great understanding with every word. I didn't want to skim through it like the average joe and at the end, feel like I'm now Mr. Know It All. When I had posted this forum, I wasn't aware of this book and my choices were oblivious. After reading the book, I had re-approached my choices, it's now a totally different viewpoint with different questions to ask myself. I kind of feel dumb now for posting this forum because I'm learning now it's not about what school/company you go to, it's all about the mindset and the willingness to know that this industry is a HYPER-COMPETITIVE industry and you have to keep those wheels turning to make money. Oh yeah, let's not forget about attitude. I had witness through YouTube videos, there are a lot of negative mindsets on the road and so many videos on how people quit the company because of A, B, and C. Not sure why? After reading that book, now I have an idea as to why. I can see trucking isn't for everyone. Not to throw out my life story out there, which I won't right now, but I think trucking is for me. Somehow when I had evaded that thought throughout my life because it sounded extremely intimidating, somehow I get re-approached with the idea, like BAM, a smack in the face. Rather it be through a conversation with someone out of nowhere or through a subliminal, lucid-based dream that I can't seem to explain (and this had happened countless of times). That internal feeling seems to follow me a lot lately. Maybe the time is now to follow that internal instinct that perhaps God and the universe are constantly throwing at me. I don't know, call me a spiritualist. I know trucking can't be that bad that to where I want to bash a company who had gave me a chance to get a CDL with no money down and a truck to make money and get the experience needed to solidify my career. I don't know. So much to learn, especially those logbooks lol.

To Doug C., I wish you nothing but the greatest of success in your trucking journey. My plans is to start in April 2019. From my research and understanding, it will be tough and bittersweet in the beginning as a rookie. At least for me as I have 0 experience on my end. Not sure if you have any experience with those big rigs. Hopefully we'll continue bumping into each other on here throughout our first year and give encouragement to one another. I'm sure we will need it.

To Old School, thank you for your response in my last forum and I had listen to both podcasts/recordings you had posted. After listening to them, I have to admit, I was discourage for a second. Not sure as to why? Maybe after reading Brett's book for about a few hours or so and suddenly listening to your recording, I think I was just overwhelmed. After with an adequate amount of sleep, I'd waken up this morning with a fresh perspective on things and I'm coming to understand that it doesn't matter if I go to a CDL school or go to a company-based CDL training. The reality is, it's all about your drive and motivation. True, going to a CDL school you're able to better hone into your skills, get more of training with adequate time, and get all the practice you need prior getting a CDL and going OTR versus going to a company-based CDL training and cramming about only a certain percentage of knowledge to you in such a short period of time (between 4-6 weeks, give or take) before going OTR. So there are pros and cons with both sides of the fence. It's all about knowing that this OTR lifestyle is right for you. And the only way I can find out is to take that leap of faith and JUST GO FOR IT! Hopefully, this all makes sense. I'm just a rookie with 0 experience whose only speaking for instincts, however, I am doing constant researching every chance I get. Rather it's reading this and that, watching YouTube videos of people praising companies or giving companies the middle finger, telling their opinions about the lifestyle on the road, or even watching videos of truck accidents. If it involves trucks, I'm absorbing as much as I can so once I'm accepted to a CDL school or company-based CDL training, I am more aware of what I'm getting myself into, than opposed to, not knowing a damn thing going into this head first, only to put my trustful heart and soul to those salespeople (The Recruiter), only to tell me what I want to hear. I surely don't want to get caught into the "Matrix."

Once again, thank you everyone for responding and I know I will have tons of more question along the way of my journey.

Hello trucking truth users,

I have ten choices for company-sponsered CDL training and would like some insight/feedback with these choices. If anyone of you had ever or is working for one of these companies, what are your views/opinions.

Thank you for your responses and knowledge in advance.

Here are my choices:

1. C.R. England 2. Knight Transportation 3. MCT Transportation, LLC 4. Millis Transfer, INC. 5. Roehl 6. Stevens Truck 7. Swift Transportation 8. XPO Logistics 9. YRC Freight 10. U.S. Express

Hey Big Scott,

Thanks for taking the time out to respond. So, these are/were my choices at the beginning: ------------------------------------ ------------------------------------

AVERITT EXPRESS CARTER EXPESS, INC CELADON CENTRAL REFRIGERATED C.R. ENGLAND CRST FFE TRANSPORTATION JIM PALMER TRUCKING KNIGHT TRANSPORTATION MAVERICK TRANSPORTATION LLC MCT TRANSPORTATION, LLC MILLIS TRANSFER, INC. PRIME TRANSPORTATION PAM TRANSPORT RAIDER EXPRESS ROEHL SCHNEIDER NATIONAL STEVENS TRUCK SWIFT TRANSPORTATION TMC USA TRUCK US EXPRESS VERIHA TRUCKING WERNER ENTERPRISE WIL TRANS XPO LOGISTICS YRC FREIGHT -------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------

I had narrowed it down to C.R. England, Swift, Stevens, and Roehl. I'm considering of putting Prime into my solid choices. I have until April to have a concrete decision so I'm still open for any suggestions. I will definitely look at CFI

Thanks for the reply Old School.

From your response, it doesn't scare me at all. It kind of sounds like any other job where they will train you the basics and afterwards, they will put you out into the "battlefield" and learn as you go. I don't let any videos via YouTube to be the determination of what to expect. I do, however, watch such videos where both people praise the industry and people spurt out their negativities. From my life experiences, it's better for me to go embrace the negativities and learn through them than to assume that everything would be all rosy with rainbow gumdrops. How can you learn anything assume everything will be perfect? I embrace challenges and from my research so far with trucking (especially OTR), is full of never-ending challenges, and a man like me loves challenges. That's what separates a soldier from a coward, per se.

I don't and wouldn't want anyone to hold my hand in this business. My philosophy is "teach me what you know so I can apply it and move on." I have goals to accomplish and I just want to be as successful as the next man/woman or better so I can teach the next person.

Once again Old School, thank you for your response and hopefully you and many other truckers on here are able to continue to intel me with much great wisdom and knowledge of the trucking game to become the next successful trucker.

Hello to all here on truckingtruth,

I have a question to all who had obtained their CDL as a company driver. I don't have a CDL and my plan is to enrolled into CDL school through a company sometime in April 2019. My options are C.R. England, Swift, Stevens Transportation, and Roehl. I'm still doing my diligence in researching. I have 0 experience in driving trucks and I'm pretty stoked in learning the art of driving semis, however, I'm very patient to research in what I'm getting myself into. And the pros outweighs the cons.

So here's my question. Once I'm accepted to a company and go through their CDL training, am I able to practice driving trucks as much as possible (i.e. practicing backing up, parallel parking, etc.). I was just curious because it's been said countless times that backing up is one of the hardest things to do when driving trucks.

Any answers will be gratefully appreciated.

Thank you for your response,

Professor_Eye_M