Reality Check

So, with the limited information I have- I have preconceptions about my goals. Of course right now I am focusing on studying before class starts, which is no easy task but I am pushing myself. Anyway about my goals. I plan to work for a large Corporation OTR Full Steam - Do or Die. From what I read it can be grueling and that I am wanting to commit to year of it. I think that if I get a job with a big corp I'll get a good truck and decent pay/benefits ect.......... and that after that first year I'll have the best understanding of what it means to be an OTR Trucker. If and when I make it through the year I can hope to be at a good vantage point to choose which direction to go next. Am I being Realistic? All suggestions welcome. Thanks.

So, with the limited information I have- I have preconceptions about my goals. Of course right now I am focusing on studying before class starts, which is no easy task but I am pushing myself. Anyway about my goals. I plan to work for a large Corporation OTR Full Steam - Do or Die. From what I read it can be grueling and that I am wanting to commit to year of it. I think that if I get a job with a big corp I'll get a good truck and decent pay/benefits ect.......... and that after that first year I'll have the best understanding of what it means to be an OTR Trucker. If and when I make it through the year I can hope to be at a good vantage point to choose which direction to go next. Am I being Realistic? All suggestions welcome. Thanks.

Totally realistic. Nothing special to suggest, stay the course.

That's right, Alex. You're drinking the kool aide we serve here. With a larger carrier your equipment to be in good condition. You'll have lots of miles available.

You also have the chance to move to different jobs just by talking to the right people. At Swift in my first year I drove OTR , shuttle, a week of Walmart reefer similar to G-town, and now I'm on a dedicated account. Can't beat the breadth of experience, just at one company.

I think you've got it. Your plan is identical to mine. I'm just almost a year ahead of you is all.

Go through The Complete Guide To A Career In Trucking if you haven't already. It has information covering all different aspects of getting your career underway.

I second Errol on that. Errol and I both work for Swift, and we both love it, but it works about the same at any major carrier. The equipment is new (not really anything more than three years old--the truck they put me in was less than a year old) and there are tons of options--otr, regional , dedicated, and local; you can run as a solo driver or team with someone, but that limits you to non-local driving obviously; then you also have the option of pulling reefer , dry van , or intermodal. Some companies (Schneider, for example) also have a tanker division. And like Errol pointed out, "dedicated" comes in all different shapes and sizes. You could do a shuttle run, where you're home every day and always run the same route, a regional dedicated account like what Errol does, or a national dedicated account. If you go with a large company, put a little time in and drive well for them, you will pretty much have your pick of whatever you want to do with them. These large companies have many so many options it's crazy.

The reason I'm putting all this up here is that I don't think that first year has to be "grueling." Yeah, it's tough to get out there on your own and learn the ropes. But sticking with your first company for a year doesn't necessarily mean doing solo otr for a straight year. If otr isn't your cup of tea, put in a little time and you'll have a bunch of options available to you without even having to switch companies and hurt your wallet or your resumé.

Paul wrote:

I second Errol on that. Errol and I both work for Swift, and we both love it, but it works about the same at any major carrier. The equipment is new (not really anything more than three years old--the truck they put me in was less than a year old) and there are tons of options--otr, regional , dedicated, and local; you can run as a solo driver or team with someone, but that limits you to non-local driving obviously; then you also have the option of pulling reefer , dry van , or intermodal. Some companies (Schneider, for example) also have a tanker division. And like Errol pointed out, "dedicated" comes in all different shapes and sizes. You could do a shuttle run, where you're home every day and always run the same route, a regional dedicated account like what Errol does, or a national dedicated account. If you go with a large company, put a little time in and drive well for them, you will pretty much have your pick of whatever you want to do with them. These large companies have many so many options it's crazy.

The reason I'm putting all this up here is that I don't think that first year has to be "grueling." Yeah, it's tough to get out there on your own and learn the ropes. But sticking with your first company for a year doesn't necessarily mean doing solo otr for a straight year. If otr isn't your cup of tea, put in a little time and you'll have a bunch of options available to you without even having to switch companies and hurt your wallet or your resumé.

Very good reply Paul. Totally agree, I am living proof of the last sentence.