Comments By Nick S.

I did the paid CDL training program with Schneider a year ago. All training is done with autos, no option for manual. All trucks in the fleet are auto.

NOTE: I’m posting this post (below) for a friend who is having trouble trying to get an account setup on TT, who is interested in becoming a truck driver.

"Since there is a big demand for new truck drivers right now, I was wondering if you have been to one of the paid CDL trucking companies (in the past two years), as I was curious to learn if you learned on an automatic or manual transmission truck? Do you have an option to learn on a manual truck or do they by default teach you to drive and get licensed on an automatic truck nowadays? Prior to the pandemic and the truck driver shortage, (I had always heard) it seemed to be the norm to learn on a manual transmission truck (at these trucking companies) and most fleet trucks were manual transmission trucks. Nowadays (I am now hearing) most large/major trucking companies are replacing their fleet trucks with automatic transmission trucks."

Greetings Klutch,

Thank you very much for reply back to my friend’s questions. I will send him your response in an email. What you have shared will be a big help.

On the behalf of my friend, thank you for your help, it is greatly appreciated.

Kind Regards,

Nick S.

NOTE: I’m posting this post (below) for a friend who is having trouble trying to get an account setup on TT, who is interested in becoming a truck driver.

"Since there is a big demand for new truck drivers right now, I was wondering if you have been to one of the paid CDL trucking companies (in the past two years), as I was curious to learn if you learned on an automatic or manual transmission truck? Do you have an option to learn on a manual truck or do they by default teach you to drive and get licensed on an automatic truck nowadays? Prior to the pandemic and the truck driver shortage, (I had always heard) it seemed to be the norm to learn on a manual transmission truck (at these trucking companies) and most fleet trucks were manual transmission trucks. Nowadays (I am now hearing) most large/major trucking companies are replacing their fleet trucks with automatic transmission trucks."

Understand that you might "touch" cartons that were damaged and need to throw them out or take to food bank.

Twice I took a pallet off at Amazon. In 7 years.

Thank you, Truckin Along With Kearsey.

I appreciate your help.

Kind Regards,

Nick S.

With the major trucking companies, no-touch freight truly is that. These positions are most often refrigerated and dry van loads. With refrigerated it's a high percentage of live load/unload, at least for inexperienced drivers. Dry van is often high percentage drop and hook, but that can vary from company-to-company, based on customers for which a carrier hauls freight and the type of freight hauled. Just as an example, I don't think Hazmat loads are drop and hook loads, but I am sure there very well could be examples where they are on occasion.

Some companies have loads that have an option for driver unloading, and it's standard for this to pay extra on top of the mileage. How the carrier compensates for the unloading varies from company to company. Some pay an hourly rate, while others pay by the case or pallet.

Basically, I would say that it is rare for a company to advertise no-touch freight and it actually be something else. Oh, one thing to note is when a percentage is added, like 99% or 50%. With 99% no touch freight, very rarely will a load be a driver unload. If one is, you more than likely will have the option to refuse. With a company advertising 50% no touch freight, expect to be unloading a couple of times per week.

Greetings Ryan B. ,

Thank you very much for reply back to my friend’s questions. I will send him your response in an email. What you have shared will be a big help.

On the behalf of my friend, thank you for your help, it is greatly appreciated.

Kind Regards,

Nick S.

I've never heard a recruiter lie about no touch freight. I once had a recruiter pull a, "bait and switch" - hired me for a linehaul position, sent me to a week of paid orientation. Called me back the following Thursday and told me that a more experienced driver had applied for my job AFTER THEY HIRED ME so they gave him the linehaul position. Of course, I was welcome to stick around as a P&D driver (100% touch and about 2/3rds the pay of linehaul). I said, "No, thanks".

When you're looking for a job put together a list questions to ask recruiters. Ask every recruiter every question on your list and note their answers. ASSUME NOTHING. Is the job W-2 or 1099? Do you have cameras in your trucks? Where are they facing? Are your trucks governed? At what speed? How do you handle home time? (ie. every weekend, a 34 when you've used up your hours, a 34 after 12 days, only when the driver requests it 3 weeks in advance for a min of 4 days at a time, etc). Are your loads drop and hook or live loads? Will I need to pay lumpers? How am I paid (per hour, per mile, per day or percentage of load). How often am I paid (weekly, every other week, once a month). How do I get my money (direct deposit, paper check, CommData card, company debit card). What other pays do you offer (breakdown, detention, stop pay, etc). Are there bonuses or incentives? You should have a clear mental picture of the job and what is required of you before you fill out an application.

Greetings Pacific Pearl,

Thank you very much for two separate reply backs to my friend’s questions. I will send him your response in an email. What you have shared will be a big help.

On the behalf of my friend, thank you for your help, it is greatly appreciated.

Kind Regards,

Nick S.

Prime had flower loads that were driver unload, up until almost 9 months ago. They are multi stop, but no longer driver unload. I was exempted from those loads, due to intense allergic reactions to flowers.

Most of the mega carriers willing to hire new drivers are no touch for OTR. They may have certain dedicated accounts like dollar tree that require a driver to unload by hand but for OTR its nearly all no touch. At one time I recall hearing that flower loads for Prime Inc required driver unload but I believe that changed a couple years back and is no longer required. Most trucking jobs that require you to unload it yourself are local jobs like foodservice.

Hello NaeNaeInNC,

Thank you for your help.

Kind Regards,

Nick S.

Most of the mega carriers willing to hire new drivers are no touch for OTR. They may have certain dedicated accounts like dollar tree that require a driver to unload by hand but for OTR its nearly all no touch. At one time I recall hearing that flower loads for Prime Inc required driver unload but I believe that changed a couple years back and is no longer required. Most trucking jobs that require you to unload it yourself are local jobs like foodservice.

Greetings Rob T.,

Thank you very much for reply back to my friend’s questions. I will send him your response in an email. What you have shared will be a big help.

On the behalf of my friend, thank you for your help, it is greatly appreciated.

Kind Regards,

Nick S.

What do weekends off mean? After you've used up your 70 hours (or most of them) dispatch will route you home for your 34 hour reset. It's almost never two full days off, usually just the 34 hours. If you break down, get caught in a snowstorm or an earthquake you'll do your 34 in place and not see home until you've used up your next 70 hours.

I-5 isn't your best choice as a new driver. I-5 has worse traffic and better weather than most of the country. Instead of the usual cpm rate x miles turned math you'll be doing something more like (70 hours - hours spent parked on I-5 in stalled traffic) = Total Hours for sale = (California hours @ $29.15/hr) + (OR/WA hours @ $34.45/hr). Driving across Portland from mm 288 to mm 308 it can take 20 minutes or 4 hours depending on the time of day. You have very little say about that though. Delivery appointments are generally 8-5 m-f, which will be closer to 4 hours of traffic than 20 minutes. Seattle, Sacramento and LA are all WORSE.

Usually you will only see snow and ice between Ashland and Red Bluff. Even then you can drive YEARS without having to throw chains and most years you won't see I-5 closed unless there's a serious accident or a forest fire. Why do you care? If you decide you want to go OTR later companies will say you have no winter driving experience since you've only driven on I-5- similar to a driver with years of experience driving in Florida.

On my regular route to MD I get pulled into just TWO weigh stations - the one outside Hood River and one in WV. Going South there are SIX between Portland and Sacramento and I can get called into all of them. Depending on what they've got going on you can spend HOURS at a scale house while making $0.

Hey there Pacific Pearl,

Thank you so very much for the abundance of information that you have provided to me. What you have provided is a big help and I sincerely appreciate you taking the time to share as much as you did. The information you have provided is very, very helpful. I really do appreciate learning some the “day in the life” issues that come up and how it is handled in regards to getting home and time off (the 34 hour reset).

Most off all, it is really great to learn what I could expect being a regional driver on the west coast. This is exactly the type of information I was needing and looking for. Before I moved to the Palm Springs area, I used to live about 12 minutes from the Los Angeles Airport . . . yet from time-to-time, our local radio and TV traffic reports would talk about the shutdown of the Grapevine (on interstate 5, the stretch of road kinda in the middle of Los Angeles and Bakersfield), due to snow/icy conditions (in the fall and winter months). Yet since I’m 55+, I only want to be a truck driver for about 6 to 7 years and then fully retire. Thus I’d rather stay away from areas in our nation with regular seasonal snow, which is why I really want to stay on the westcoast and mainly avoid the many other parts of our nation where there is seasonal snow, tornados, and flooding problems. I’m not sure where I will end up, but at a late date, I might go with a company that only does deliveries between Southern California and the southern parts of Arizona, once I have got at least one or two full years of driving experience. I figure once I am settled into this new career, I can then try to find something that will keep me closer to home, as I do have a family and would like to try to be with/near them as much as possible.

Thanks a MILLION for all of your help!

Please be safe out there, and happy travels.

Kind Regards,

Nick S.

NOTE: I’m posting this post (below) for a friend who is having trouble trying to get an account setup on TT, who is interested in becoming a truck driver.

"I’m searching for a trucking company, and looking to be a truck driver. On occasion, I see ads enticing potential workers to exclusive “no-touch” freight work options. Since I'm 50+ years old, I see this as a perk, as I really do not have any interest in “loading” and “unloading” a trailer. Yet I was curious about truck drivers that exclusively work those “no-touch” freight jobs. Has that been true in your case and the trucking company you work for? If not, what happened that the job did not stay "no-touch" freight? Also, do you get paid less for doing exclusively “no-touch” freight jobs? If so, about how much less? Thank you for your help/advice."

Nick S., I think the $40k-$50k should be fairly easy to accomplish the first year. Along with what the others said, some will depend on what type of freight you haul and where you're located.

I started about eight years ago, went with Schneider Van Truckload, 48 states (but they don't usually send a solo driver to all of 'em) with 5 days of hometime per month. I think I made right about $40k that first year and about $10k more the second year. Now the hometime was interesting. Because they didn't much care how I took it. E.g. my wife needed me to be home for her surgery and they let me run a full three weeks and then take the five days off. normally I went out for two weeks, then home for three days, back out for two weeks, then home two days.

When I ran for Schneider, the big difference between "regional" and "over-the-road" was that the regional guys had to go out Monday morning. Even if they didn't get home until Saturday. If I got home Saturday, it was considered that I worked that day and then I got a full two or three days off before going back out.

The past 5+ years, I've driven for a "southeast regional" company. This company promises to get you home weekly, but that could be just for the 34hr reset. But I, fortunately, live right along one of our regular freight lanes. Thus, I often get home more than once a week and it's pretty rare that I'm home less than two days, unless I choose to keep rolling early.

Like you, I started in my 50's. Got my permit on my 53rd birthday, having only the HRTP here as my training. I believe the research you're doing now, will set you up for success. It sounds exactly like what I did. Schneider wasn't my first company consideration, but it turned out to be the best fit and it was one of the best decisions I made, in this process.

As for seeing the country, it's not quite like the movies, but I have been fortunate to go from Maine to California and Laredo, TX to Northern Michigan. Yep, as a solo driver. It's not all been fun. Driving the snow-covered roads of PA and Northern New York (in the dark!) can be a little scary. Heck, I look back now and think; WHAT THE HELL WAS I DOING? But, I tried to check weather reports, temps, consider the timing of sunrise and such. Somehow (but by the Grace of God!) I've survived...so far.

Good luck and I hope this helps.

Hello Steve L.,

Thank you very much for taking the time to read my post, and for sharing as much as you did. I greatly appreciate it, and thanks for the words of encouragement. All of the information you have shared helps.

Once I get established, it will be interesting to see what time off will be like. Yet ideally, it would be nice to be home enough to maintain a good and healthy family life. I’m not sure if I live in the best location to make it easy to get time off, however I live near Palm Springs and I can almost touch Interstate “10" from my front porch. However time will tell once I find a suitable trucking company to go with. Yet for sure, Interstate 10 is a very popular and well traveled interstate by truck drivers here.

I wish you continued success in the trucking industry. “Happy Trucking!

Kind Regards,

Nick S.

Worst case scenario for your location is that you have to drive to and from Fontana or Ontario to get to and from your truck for home time. Best case scenario is that you park your truck on your property. Each company handles this differently, so you will want to ask about where to park as part of your list of questions when first applying.

Hey there Ryan B.,

Will do, I will put this on my "To Ask" list. Thanks again for your help.

Kind Regards,

Nick S.