Guidance Needed For Recent CDL License Holder

As always, sound wisdom. (See: Jeremiah Johnson/Robert Redford)

Thanks Brett, appreciate your input. As for Army's question, I just passed my CDL test last Saturday (Dec 1, 2018). Not interested in local, only OTR. I want to see some country, baby! Went to DMV today and got my license certificate. Actual license comes in 7 to 10 days.

About the governed MPH, I read on the company reviews that Schneider trucks don't go over 60 mph. Is that accurate? Wouldn't that be a disadvantage if the driver was getting CPM????

Think about it. The difference between 60 and 65 is 5 miles per hour. 5 miles at .40 is $2.00 per hour. But if you can save 5 minutes per hour by taking less/shorter bathroom breaks, fuel breaks, meal breaks, etc., there is really no difference.

The more time you can spend with a trainer, the better. It is painful in multiple ways, but pays off soon.

If you remain adamant on this point, ROEHL is one good company that has a short road training phase. I would only recommend that if you enter their get-your-CDL program.

However, they won't send a new driver coast to coast.

A great company that will send a newbie coast to coast is Pride Transport based in SLC. But road training is six to eight weeks or more, as is should be.

I've sought advice here and have always received great input. Now I need to get more specific. I have my CDL and am looking for a starting job in the industry. I've been going through company reviews on Trucking Truth. I consider it a process of elimination. Here are my considerations: 1) Would like to get good training. Willing to drive with a trainer for 4 weeks, but not 6 to 12 weeks. (4 weeks is all I can go on training pay). 2) Willing to stay at least 1 year with my first company, preferably much longer. 3) Willing to listen, learn and work my butt off. 4) I have a 14 year old grandson, so I need a company with a ride along policy. 5) Would like tuition reimbursement. 6) Sign on bonus???????? 7) Would like governed speed to be no less that 65 mph 8) Ability to take my truck home with me. 9) OTR routes including western states. I can be out for 4 weeks at a time. Are these reasonable considerations for an entry level CDL holder? What companies would I be compatible with? Some companies I have already eliminated because of factors listed above. I'm interested to hear the advice of the experienced drivers and also those who are in the process of choosing what companies to apply for. Thanks in advance!

1) They all have good training, but it would pain me to see you choose a company to start your career with based on something as short sighted as the length of their training. That is barely a blip on the radar screen. Training is over in no time. That being said, Prime is really the only company I know of with a super long training schedule, but their training pay is actually about the best in the industry, and so is their regular pay, and I believe they also meet all of the other criteria you mentioned.

Coming to Prime WITH your CDL has its disadvantages. Because you didnt take their course, you need to do 40,000 team truck miles (not 30,000 had you schooled at prime). about 2.5 months....and the pay is less for the first 6 to 7 weeks. Then you increase to $700 gross per week. You would have to ask, but last i checked it was $600 per week gross, not the $700 offered to Prime grads. then after the 6 or 7 weeks it goes to $700. They do offer tuitiion reimbursement.

This winter they are offering $1000 per week gross to any trainees eligible to upgrade who stay on the trainers truck through winter.

(Total Teanspirtation) Governed speed is 68mph..

Unless something has changed, Total wants a minimum of 3 months of experience, which implies they do not road train. Brian needs that.

I went to Total Transportation directly from school, and after 6 months school was paid off, back in 2017, spent 4months in hospital and recently rehired about 3 weeks ago...I was not required to have 3 months experience to join total..

(Total Teanspirtation) Governed speed is 68mph..

Unless something has changed, Total wants a minimum of 3 months of experience, which implies they do not road train. Brian needs that.

I went to Total Transportation directly from school, and after 6 months school was paid off, back in 2017, spent 4months in hospital and recently rehired about 3 weeks ago...I was not required to have 3 months experience to join total..

I also spent 175hrs road training at a minimum behind the wheel training..with a trainer..

(Total Teanspirtation) Governed speed is 68mph..

Unless something has changed, Total wants a minimum of 3 months of experience, which implies they do not road train. Brian needs that.

I went to Total Transportation directly from school, and after 6 months school was paid off, back in 2017, spent 4months in hospital and recently rehired about 3 weeks ago...I was not required to have 3 months experience to join total..

I also spent 175hrs road training at a minimum behind the wheel training..with a trainer..

Okay, that’s a good thing then. So there website hasn’t been updated yet.

Ok, all these responses help me get a more realistic idea of what to do. I talked to Roehl today and they satisfy most of my considerations, except when I asked for the $1,000,000 signing bonus they said no. Bummer.

when I asked for the $1,000,000 signing bonus they said no

Please don't do that. It makes you look really bad. You're a student starting a new career with a new company and you're asking up front for a bonus? That's just a really bad look. If I was hiring and you did that I would almost certainly put your name in the "probably not" list. You don't even know how to make the company money and you don't have 5 minutes of real world experience and you want a bonus already? What is it going to be like dealing with you once you actually know how to do your job?

Brett, the $1,000,000 signing bonus remark was just a joke. Sorry for the lame attempt at humor On a serious note, I would never ask for a signing bonus, but some companies do offer one. It is not high on my priority list. Roehl offers tuition reimbursement and that is a big plus for me. Also, your comment and all the other comments about governed speed eased my concern about that.

Brett, the $1,000,000 signing bonus remark was just a joke

Oh ok, good. I'm glad to hear that. Trust me, if you had asked for a bonus it wouldn't even make the top 1,000 most interesting things a driver said to a recruiter today, I can assure you. People hear that truck drivers are in demand and for some it really goes to their head.