Newbie! What Is My Next Step?

Hello Ladies, My name is Tracy. I came across this site from Facebook and wow the information is incredible! I don't feel so alone anymore LOL. I have recently taken the cdl test and passed and received my permit for combination and tank vehicles. I have a good friend who has offered to let me ride with him for a while and try and teach me all about the pre trip inspections and training me somewhat in preparation for what lies ahead. I am getting started late in life because i have been running a landscape business for 14 years but its time to make some changes in for the future. yikes!!! its scary but very exciting at the same time. I know I can do this because I can drive anything I just want to learn the proper way so that I don't harm myself or anyone else. I really don't know what the next step should be, if I should go to a training school or a company that will train me. I have filled out an application for CR England and waiting on a recruiter to contact me. Please any advice you can give me will be greatly appreciated. All of the information on this site is so encouraging but it can be a bit overwhelming as well. Thank you in advance:)

Check out ALL companies that have schools and that will train you. The companies will have you driving for them for 9-12 months after you are done with school. England is pumping out the trainees by the hundreds every month. My brother got his CDL in Feb from a school and England was the first to respond to his employment app, so he took it. The next week he received many requests from companies that want older, more mature people to drive for them.

When he went out with a trainer, he found out his trainer (57 yrs old, brother is almost 62) had only 6 months driving time and he found that to be common. They were out 5 weeks and got 15,000 miles total! My brother knew more than his trainer did and he didn't know much. He fired his trainer after a near miss incident with another truck and got another. That guy DID help my brother learn more in 3 weeks. Then for some reason, he got a lady trainer for a couple more weeks and while she was nice, she didn't know much about trucks. While we aren't supposed to be mechanics, we need to know more than nothing. After he had been driving for a couple months, he came across his original trainer who, my brother said, was being starved out.....next to nothing for miles, sitting and waiting 2-3 days for loads and getting .22 cpm. After training, my brother was immediately put in the "Recovery" fleet where he goes to recover/rescue tractors, just trailers or both, along with loads. He's doing well, but wants me to find another company that will let us team and will keep us running. We are about 7-8 yrs away from retirement and both of us need to get a nest egg built up. My brother talked to his driver manager about me driving in the recovery and they would take me but I ain't getting on any airplanes and flying :-P

At this point, it's going to cost either thru a school (like Sage) or a company. Some companies will reimburse a portion of your tuition if you go thru a school....that is what I opted for as I don't want to be committed to a company for a year after school. Some company schools are good...it just takes investigating them and companies to see what you want to do. Good Luck!

IDLaura