Career Questions and Answers
Truck Drivers please give me some advice?
Asked by Love It To Death
I'm about to enroll in a truck driving training class at the vo-tech in Fort Cobb, OK to hopefully get my CDL. It will cost $1500 and another $200 for licenses and stuff. I'm not sure how long it takes to complete it yet. Anyway, please tell me about finding a good job. What are good companys to work for, what sort of work pays the best. Righ now I live in West Oklahoma and the oilfield is right here and they hire a lot of drivers. But, I have wanted to move so I'm open to about anything. My wife wants us to move to Tahlaque, OK near Muskogee. I thought I might look for work over there too when I get my CDL. Anyway, tell me anything you think I need to know about making a living as a truck driver. Thanks!
Asked by Love It To Death
I'm about to enroll in a truck driving training class at the vo-tech in Fort Cobb, OK to hopefully get my CDL. It will cost $1500 and another $200 for licenses and stuff. I'm not sure how long it takes to complete it yet. Anyway, please tell me about finding a good job. What are good companys to work for, what sort of work pays the best. Righ now I live in West Oklahoma and the oilfield is right here and they hire a lot of drivers. But, I have wanted to move so I'm open to about anything. My wife wants us to move to Tahlaque, OK near Muskogee. I thought I might look for work over there too when I get my CDL. Anyway, tell me anything you think I need to know about making a living as a truck driver. Thanks!
A:
Best Answer:
You're in the right part of the country for a LOT of trucking jobs. Pretty much any kind of driving you want (OTR, regional, local, dry freight, refrigerated, whatever)....will be reasonably close to you, and you'll be within their hiring range. However, right out of school your options will be limited somewhat. Not all companies will hire you straight from school- it's mostly the bigger companies; Swift, Schneider, UsXpress, Werner, CR England, Crete, etc. Your school will likely have several days dedicated to recruiters coming in and giving you their "sales pitch" about their company....all of the companies recruiting at your school, will hire graduates. Ask LOTS of questions, keep notes on companies you're interested in- and don't believe too many of the "grand promises" the recruiters give you. Especially when they start throwing around yearly salaries. Your realistic, first-year salary is likely to be in the 30,000-35,000 dollar range. Recruiters like to throw out numbers in the 50,000 dollar range- it's just not going to happen, not in the first year. These companies may have regional or local dedicated routes available in your area- or you might have to be OTR for a while. If a company or recruiter "promises" you a dedicated/regional run (and this is what you want)....get it in writing BEFORE you sign on with the company. There is a company in Olathe, KS called Trans Am- they hire people right out of school and one of their best features is they have "guaranteed hometime". Almost without fail, you will be home the day you request to be home. My good friend has worked for them for 7 years and has only been "late" (by a few hours) for hometime a couple times, due to bad weather. (He lives in upstate NY). Being that you have a wife and family (?) at home, this feature might make this company well worth looking into. If you're wanting to move; I'd reccomend waiting until you've been driving for a while and you have 2-3 years of safe driving under your belt. With 2-3 years experience, you will find that your employment options AND your pay scale will go UP. Plus, you will have a much better idea about what the industry is really like, you'll have a chance to talk to a lot of other drivers, learn about other aspects of the industry, and you'll have an idea what "area" of trucking you'd like to be in, for the long term. Then, you can find out where you can move, to be near the best job for you. Almost 100% of all drivers change companies more than once, during their first 2 years- it's just a fact of the industry. If OTR isn't for you after a couple years, you could get a job with a linehaul company like Fed Ex, Estes, or Saia- the pay scale is excellent (70,000 dollar yearly salary range) and you can be home every night, or spend just 1-2 nights away from home. But, like most of the "better" jobs in trucking, they require the experience. Car hauling is also quite lucrative- local or OTR pays quite well, in the $60,000-80,000 yearly range. It's a lot of hard work and requires a STELLAR safety record. You can also get on with OTR companies like Upstage, Broadway Express or one of the fleets that haul for concert tours. The pay is great, you get to see concerts for free, you get a rather nice daily allowance for the days you "sit" in one town with a tour, and it's a lot of FUN, interesting work. They require 3-5 years of safe driving experience....but if you can hang in there and pay your dues, it's one of the "primo" trucking jobs to have. Basically- if you and your family can be patient and consider your first 2-3 years as a trucker to be more or less time to "pay your dues"....you can, in fact, make this career very worthwhile and lucrative. Keep your financial obligations low, be flexible and understanding because things will NOT always go your way. Sometimes, it will seem like more things go wrong, than go right. Big companies will treat you like a "number" and you'll feel like you're disposable. But from my experience, there is a noticeable change in the type of companies who will hire you, once you hit that 3 year mark. Suddenly, you will be a "valuable commodity" to a number of smaller, more specialized companies who will pay you fairly and know your name. Trucking is hardest on people who have families at home- you'll be gone a lot and will miss out on important dates and events. If you have your family's understanding and support, things will be 10 times easier for you. Good luck!
You're in the right part of the country for a LOT of trucking jobs. Pretty much any kind of driving you want (OTR, regional, local, dry freight, refrigerated, whatever)....will be reasonably close to you, and you'll be within their hiring range. However, right out of school your options will be limited somewhat. Not all companies will hire you straight from school- it's mostly the bigger companies; Swift, Schneider, UsXpress, Werner, CR England, Crete, etc. Your school will likely have several days dedicated to recruiters coming in and giving you their "sales pitch" about their company....all of the companies recruiting at your school, will hire graduates. Ask LOTS of questions, keep notes on companies you're interested in- and don't believe too many of the "grand promises" the recruiters give you. Especially when they start throwing around yearly salaries. Your realistic, first-year salary is likely to be in the 30,000-35,000 dollar range. Recruiters like to throw out numbers in the 50,000 dollar range- it's just not going to happen, not in the first year. These companies may have regional or local dedicated routes available in your area- or you might have to be OTR for a while. If a company or recruiter "promises" you a dedicated/regional run (and this is what you want)....get it in writing BEFORE you sign on with the company. There is a company in Olathe, KS called Trans Am- they hire people right out of school and one of their best features is they have "guaranteed hometime". Almost without fail, you will be home the day you request to be home. My good friend has worked for them for 7 years and has only been "late" (by a few hours) for hometime a couple times, due to bad weather. (He lives in upstate NY). Being that you have a wife and family (?) at home, this feature might make this company well worth looking into. If you're wanting to move; I'd reccomend waiting until you've been driving for a while and you have 2-3 years of safe driving under your belt. With 2-3 years experience, you will find that your employment options AND your pay scale will go UP. Plus, you will have a much better idea about what the industry is really like, you'll have a chance to talk to a lot of other drivers, learn about other aspects of the industry, and you'll have an idea what "area" of trucking you'd like to be in, for the long term. Then, you can find out where you can move, to be near the best job for you. Almost 100% of all drivers change companies more than once, during their first 2 years- it's just a fact of the industry. If OTR isn't for you after a couple years, you could get a job with a linehaul company like Fed Ex, Estes, or Saia- the pay scale is excellent (70,000 dollar yearly salary range) and you can be home every night, or spend just 1-2 nights away from home. But, like most of the "better" jobs in trucking, they require the experience. Car hauling is also quite lucrative- local or OTR pays quite well, in the $60,000-80,000 yearly range. It's a lot of hard work and requires a STELLAR safety record. You can also get on with OTR companies like Upstage, Broadway Express or one of the fleets that haul for concert tours. The pay is great, you get to see concerts for free, you get a rather nice daily allowance for the days you "sit" in one town with a tour, and it's a lot of FUN, interesting work. They require 3-5 years of safe driving experience....but if you can hang in there and pay your dues, it's one of the "primo" trucking jobs to have. Basically- if you and your family can be patient and consider your first 2-3 years as a trucker to be more or less time to "pay your dues"....you can, in fact, make this career very worthwhile and lucrative. Keep your financial obligations low, be flexible and understanding because things will NOT always go your way. Sometimes, it will seem like more things go wrong, than go right. Big companies will treat you like a "number" and you'll feel like you're disposable. But from my experience, there is a noticeable change in the type of companies who will hire you, once you hit that 3 year mark. Suddenly, you will be a "valuable commodity" to a number of smaller, more specialized companies who will pay you fairly and know your name. Trucking is hardest on people who have families at home- you'll be gone a lot and will miss out on important dates and events. If you have your family's understanding and support, things will be 10 times easier for you. Good luck!
A:
bubbajunk.com (for great careers)
and look at truckers forums,it will help out alot.
Answered by Bob D
Answered by Bob D
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