Journey With Wilson Logistics - Springfield, MO

Of course! It’s just company lingo for what phase of training you’re in.

D seat - permit holder only, no CDL , first two weeks of training, trainer up front at all times

C seat - passed your CDL exam, license holder, first 10,000 miles of team training

B seat - 10-30,000 miles of team training

A seat - successfully completed training; solo driver

Of course! It’s just company lingo for what phase of training you’re in.

D seat - permit holder only, no CDL , first two weeks of training, trainer up front at all times

C seat - passed your CDL exam, license holder, first 10,000 miles of team training

B seat - 10-30,000 miles of team training

A seat - successfully completed training; solo driver

Nice, TYSM. Figured it was 'something' like that, LoL! I saw that question got overlooked, and I was actually wondering myself, as well! :)

So, are you now a 'coveted' B Seat driver? I like how they 'class' it like that, actually. Cool.

Thanks!

~ Anne ~

Like Anne said, thank you so much. That makes it much clearer.

Hey guys, I guess I should officially introduce myself. I'm James and I’ve been reading this site (among several others) now for about several years and been a member on this site for about 3 years and I have been thinking about becoming a truck driver for close to 8 years. I met my (then future) wife in 2012 who was a truck driver at one time. She regaled me with her tales of being a driver and how much she enjoyed the experience. Needless to say I was bitten by the truck driver “bug” and have had the desire to drive ever since.

We did go out on the road for a few months in 2014 but my wife quickly realized she no longer had the desire to drive. After approximately 8 months she quit driving and hasn’t looked back since. I, however, cannot get the desire out of my head.

My hope is that, in the near future, I will be applying at Wilson Logistics. I have researched over and over and over again, and have considered pretty much all of the big training companies (Swift, CR England, CRST, Knight, etc.) but many of them have horrible reputations for mistreatment of drivers. I have only read good things about Wilson however, so they are my final choice once I do pull the trigger and go drive.

Well, that’s my story.

I have researched over and over and over again, and have considered pretty much all of the big training companies (Swift, CR England, CRST, Knight, etc.) but many of them have horrible reputations for mistreatment of drivers.

Welcome James!

Unfortunately the internet is full of nonsense concerning the trucking career. You have obviously been soaking up some of it. I am a long time employee of Knight. Another of our moderators (G-Town) is a long time driver at Swift. We had another former moderator who had spent many years at C.R. England. None of us were ever mistreated and have had sterling careers with these carriers. The internet is full of people who have tried to be truckers and failed. They came into the industry lacking the abilities to make it as professional drivers and consequently proved themselves as lacking in all the resolve and commitment to break into this challenging field. Unwilling to admit their failure they go on these rants about how they were treated. Foolish souls looking into trucking, flock to their idiotic tales of mistreatment, and limit themselves dreadfully by believing their nonsense. I wish you could see the long lists of "Million Miler" drivers who have worked for years with great success at each of those companies. They are impressive to say the least.

Please, if you are going to believe that drivel, don't try to pawn it off here. We are professionals who know it to be ridiculous and unfounded.

You will find that the trucking career is a performance based business. Those who can overcome the obstacles and the challenges will do well. Those who are blindsided by the responsibilities and commitment required will fall by the wayside. Those losers who get cast aside from the success that others enjoy in trucking, know no better than to blame the company who gave them every chance to prove themselves. Failure at trucking is a very individual thing. It has practically nothing to do with the name on the door of the truck. It almost always comes down to the person who was in the driver's seat. Do not be fooled! So far, your research has proven to be very ineffective.

Hang with us awhile and you may yet solve the mystery of success at this rewarding career. We will do what we can to help you. Ask us as many questions as you like over in the General Discussions area of our forum. You'll find we don't bite, and that we have a ton of great resources ro help you through this confusing research you are about.

James Old School is 100% correct—your success in this industry has nothing to do with the company name stenciled on the door.

That said, if you have an opportunity to start with Wilson, I would jump all over it. They are one of the most selective in the business when it comes to hiring, and with good reason, because they consistently rank in the Top 20 Fleets to Drive For, and have one of the best safety records nationwide for a fleet of their size.

I can’t emphasize enough how satisfied I am to have gone with them. If you do accept an offer to start training, let’s connect off the boards so you can list me as a referring driver and we will work something out ... ☺️

We generally frown on "referral" talk, as it would make us appear to be unduly influencing someone to a particular company for our financial benefit. Our credibility as fair and impartial advisors would be tarnished.

However, if someone were to choose a company and then decide to seek you out, that would be in a little different.

My apologies Turtle, I wasn’t aware of that but it completely makes sense.

My recommendation to go with Wilson still stands of course!

Of course, as it should.

Nothing wrong with endorsing a company you're proud of. Lord knows I praised the virtues of Prime many many times.

...and when it’s my turn to drive for 11 hours, nothing has ever presented itself I’ve been unable to handle.

Oh no. You better knock on a lot of wood to offset those prophetic words.

It's nice to read that you are learning. Keep practicing your backing. Go to a sporting goods store and buy a set of soccer cones. They're red and stand about 10" tall. When you have downtime, see if you can set up adocking cone pattern and practice. The cones nest and don't take much space.