Pa. Newbie, - Permit (got It), DOT Physical ( No Problems), CDL Training Program (begin May 1),,,,,,,,,,,,Best Company To Sign With ???? Help!
Topic 19203 | Page 1
Don't let their pay scale for 19 days make your decision. Think long-term. If a company pays 70 cpm , but doesn't have the miles you will spend a lot of time parked at truck stops thinking about the 70 cpm that you're not earning. The cpm rate isn't as important as the average driver salary. I quit a company that paid me 50 cpm to go to a company that pays me 52 cpm but I earn twice as much at the new company.
It sounds like you're set on skateboarding. Roehl and Schneider are both excellent companies. Listing company names is o.k. here - just don't commit libel. TMC is also a great option, just stay off the grass! They're also Top 10 for average driver salary. Note: I use the figures from truckdriversalary.com; Brett gets his figures from another source. Either way it's easier to make $70k/yr at a company where drivers average $70k than it is at a company where drivers average $36k/yr.
Don't depend on others to tarp your loads for you! Driving flatbed is much more physical than driving dry van or tanker. Carefully consider whether you can handle the physical demands before setting out on a flatbed career.
Dry Van:
A trailer or truck that that requires no special attention, such as refrigeration, that hauls regular palletted, boxed, or floor-loaded freight. The most common type of trailer in trucking.CPM:
Cents Per Mile
Drivers are often paid by the mile and it's given in cents per mile, or cpm.
TWIC:
Transportation Worker Identification Credential
Truck drivers who regularly pick up from or deliver to the shipping ports will often be required to carry a TWIC card.
Your TWIC is a tamper-resistant biometric card which acts as both your identification in secure areas, as well as an indicator of you having passed the necessary security clearance. TWIC cards are valid for five years. The issuance of TWIC cards is overseen by the Transportation Security Administration and the Department of Homeland Security.
Cold War Surplus, Thank you for the reply.....and the advice.
The C. W. S. has some advice:
Don't depend on others to tarp your loads for you!
There's also a current topic about blaming a GPS unit when the driver hit a low bridge. What I want to say goes for both your navigation and your flatbed securement:
In 99% of all incidents and inspections, there's only one question in finding blame:
Were you driving at the time?
Nothing else really matters.
Have you tried here?
- Trucker's Career Guide: Choosing Your First Truck Driving Job
- Article Category: Finding The Right Truck Driving Job
- Forum Topics Tagged "Choosing A Trucking Company"
OOS:
When a violation by either a driver or company is confirmed, an out-of-service order removes either the driver or the vehicle from the roadway until the violation is corrected.
No Big Scott, but I will now....Thanks
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Can anyone suggest the best company to go with to get that, oh soo important first year. I'm 56 f, ran pilot car for years so I know about being on the road. For the last couple years was driving Straight truck, (loading and unloading-multiple stops). I figured its time to go big or go home, LOL. Anyway, I would love to get some feedback on companies that take you with the CDL-A, without exp. for "their training". Who has the best pay schedule starting out and treats their drivers well. I know better than to believe everything the recruiters tell me.....I would love to do flatbed, but I may be past that, I was told that most of the time, where you pick up a load, there are always guys around that you can pay to tarp your load, but...... always,,,? probably not.... always. Anyway, I would welcome any and all feedback on "training programs.".....I',m very interested in R***L ,,,(straight forward about their program),, and the closest to me is Sch***d*r but they are not clear about the pay during their finishing program, the first part, they are up front about. However, the 19 days in the middle they don't wanna talk about pay straight up.....Anybody know what the pay really is during there program for new drivers? I like the sound of their Dedicated Flex Schedule.( I wasn't sure if I could use the company names.) Not a hard puzzle though.I have heard some training horror stories over the CB, I would like to try and avoid some of that drama.......,,, Just looking to eech out a living................................ Thanks in advance for your help,
Chica
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles: