How Long Til You Got Paid?

Through all the research I've been doing, I've seen a lot of "possibilities". After orientation your chosen company, you MAY have to wait for your mentor due to his/her load. Some sites have even straight out said you may go back home for a few days, or longer, until your mentor is in town. Could anyone fill in a few gaps with their personal experiences? I'm leaning toward Swift as my #1 choice for now, so I'll use it below. Thanks.

1. Attend training. (Veteran Scholarship Program, so I'm not paying for it. However I'm not receiving a paycheck.)

2. Wait for orientation. (The wait time will be different if I don't attend company training. Is there a general rule of thumb for Swift? I know it starts on Mondays. I'm not receiving a paycheck.)

3. Get into the truck and get PAID. (Is it very often that drivers have to wait a few days for their mentors?)

Hello again, William! I started Swift's school a year ago in the second week of December (Yes, through the holidays and you "lose" the holidays as no school, but the course calendar continues.)

Maybe because it was an "off" period for the holidays, but we had 22 in the class. After I passed the school evals, passing the weekend, I started Monday for orientation. My mentor was waiting outside for me that Wednesday afternoon, and off we went. My first training pay was the third week of January, so I was paycheck-less for December and most of January. I was solo in my own truck by the second week of March.

Maybe I lucked out, but there were no "waiting" gaps for me. Good luck at Swift! What location are you going to?

I hope it works out that smoothly for me. I'm looking to get back to Texas, a little south of Dallas. According to Swift's website, they have a training site only about 15 miles from my house there.

I hope it works out that smoothly for me. I'm looking to get back to Texas, a little south of Dallas. According to Swift's website, they have a training site only about 15 miles from my house there.

Hint: (This is what I did) If you live close enough, commute to school. Skipping the hotel drops your tuition by $500. And if course, you're home every night - enjoy that while it lasts!

I like the Lancaster terminal. Lots of room, easy truck access, nearly all are pull-throughs.

The training won't be an issue because I'll still be getting my full active duty Navy paycheck for a month while on terminal leave (still in the Navy, but moving on). The "rookie" trucking pay isn't that big of a deal since my retirement paycheck will be supplementing it.

A few random questions.

#1. I've read, or seen videos, about some drivers parking their trucks at their homes during their home time. I have less than zero space for a truck in my driveway. Can I leave it at a terminal like Lancaster, or do I need to figure something else out?

#2. Pay. CPM , detention, layover, load cancellation, breakdown, etc. Is there somewhere I can find the handbook for Swift's payscale to check it out?

On a sidenote, I absolutely love this website. I've been thinking about trucking for a few months as a second career. The fast feedback from people in the industry makes me feel like I'm getting quality information. Thanks for everything.

I got to Prime orientation Sept 21st. they start classes every Monday. I took my road test for the first time Oct 23rd. Long story, but because my trainer quit the company, I did not actually pass the test until Oct 30. Once you get the CDL with them, you get put on the payroll immediately-- My first pay was one week later. During that time on the road, I was advanced $200 per week for meals/necessities which was then taken from my check in $25 per week increments. So basically i was in class for 1 week, on the road with my permit for a week, then got my CDL and started getting paid. The faster you learn, the more practice you get with the backing and the faster you pass the road exam, the sooner you get paid.

My answers to William's questions:

#1: Home time parking: Generally you can stash your truck where it's OK to leave it. Terminals, obviously. Truck stops are good, but you might want to check with the stop manager. Places like Walmart or shopping centers are a bit more dicey. Private lots depend on the owner and may be very isolated (security issues). But the worst that can happen when you ask is "No."