I Am So Disappointed That None Of The Good Trucking Companies Hire CDL Trainees In WV.

Did you need that hand holding? I know I would. Were you ready to do it alone after those hours?

Thanks guys for some thoughtful replies. After thinking about it on the flip side from a new perspective. I never put my life in another persons hands which is what I feel I would be doing if I slept in a truck while a stranger was driving. How can they pay you enough to put your lives on he line to train new guys? Seems like that would form a serious bond and I can't imagine how this would work out. I guess I have trust issues.

Dan E like it or not, your life as a trucker is in other people's hands all day long,...other drivers.

How would you suggest they train you? At least at Swift there is 50 hours of supervised hand-holding, after that, the next 150 hours of driving is team running.

Yes and yes. I am not debating you Dan...this is how it is.

Dan stands his ground:

I never put my life in another persons hands which is what I feel I would be doing if I slept in a truck while a stranger was driving.

A "stranger"? Been a passenger on a plane? Who's at the controls? Do you know that person or is she a stranger to you?

Your instructor is not just somebody who can drive a truck. Your instructor probably has more miles driving a big rig just for your company than you have driven in your lifetime.

Your instructor has been OK'd by your company to pass on his/ her road knowledge to a (not even) rookie, in hopes that you might get to the point that you can safely drive, maneuver and operate $200,000 worth of equipment carrying an equally valuable load across the country, rain, snow or shine.

Relax. Your road training is valuable one-on-one training with an expert.

Get through the training with your trainer and learn as much as you can. Then when you get your own truck you can work on the things you feel you are weak at on your own time. That's how i did it. Everything is up to you in this industry.

Sorry Dan, but I dont see it your way. My codriver has trained for years at a couple of companies. He's had everything from.. Hey youre a pretty good driver to OMG get this trainee out of my truck and off the road before they kill someone. Yes, training is risky and no, it doesnt pay near enough.

Last night he gave me quite the compliment. He told me that I would make a good trainer. My response? Oh h3ll no! From trainees who may have contraband on the truck without my knowledge, those who flat out cant drive and are a danger, to those not cutout for trucking and attempt to blame the trainer and try to throw them under the truck... IMO it just isnt worth it but thank God there are experienced drivers willing to train to help newbies like me get a solid start.

Dan, I'm confused about what you're wanting. You say the companies you're interested in won't do company sponsored training for you, but you see their trucks going through your town all the time. That might mean there's freight moving through there, but making that freight available for your training means a whole other set of issues that must work in order for them to provide you the company-sponsored training.

As someone else said, you can go to a private school (or community college) and most good companies will reimburse your tuition. That's how I did it and I'm glad I did.

If the companies you're interested in will hire you, just not do your CDL training/testing, consider another route to get your CDL.

You WILL have to trust other drivers. Trust they're not going to run into you as they pass within three feet of you at 60mph, trust that they're gonna stop at that red light, trust they won't slam on their brakes when you're bumper to bumper in Atlanta in the pouring rain with major traffic jams ('cause that's the way it always seems in Atlanta when it rains) AND THEY ARE TRUSTING YOU.

Good luck!