This is only my advice. I have had my CDL-A since 1991 and have been out there and done it. Went off the road due to family matters and then in the past couple of years have been trying to get back on for OTR. I'm in good health, Good MVR, and Good Employment HX. Went back to school and spent $4,500.00 and for the last two years I have had no offers. Nobody is hiring but they will take your money for school with no guarantees. My advice for now,as much as I like Trucking, is to save your money. Get a company to sign you on before going through school. School is just another buisness to get your money. I have to go through school again if I want to get back on the road. I'll be glad to do it if I can get a job offer. I must put in 20-30 applications every week with no offers. How much schooling can you have? It's like riding a bicycle. I have no problems passing a road test, but I'll do whatever a company wants me to do to work for them. Good Luck Out There
Been out OTR in the past and have been trying to get back on the road again. Went through school again and it didn't help. Got a good record, good health, all endorsments, etc. Don't care about the money, just don't want to drive a piece of junk. More than willing to pay for refresher course or whatever it would take. Just don't want to waste the money again untill somebody offers me a job. Lot of bad drivers getting hired to be on the road these days. I know, they about run me off the road all the time. Not concerned in being home every other week neither. Just like to truck and would like to get back out there. Have good family support with no problems being away from them. Live in Hobe Sound, FL. Maybe a good recruiter is out there somewhere. Thanks
Had Enough of starter companies just making money off of drivers just by wanting them to go through there schools over and over. Been trying to find a good company since 1995, but always come out with less money and walking funny. I've been through a number of schools and spent a lot of money and then the companies always treated the drivers like crap. They keep you starving for the first year. If you don't eat out of a cooler, it cost at least $150.00 per week to eat plus you are paying the company back for schooling and other benifits. Every time I go to take a road test, I really drive at least equal or better than drivers they let go on there own. Oh you need a refresher course or need to go through school again. I've been out there on my own and have been through every condition of weather etc. Record is spotless. I've spent about $18.000.00 of my own money for schools. What a fool I am. They herd you in like cows, 60 to 100 new drivers a week. A big turnover or just making money off the honest driver. What company needs 100 new drivers a week? They just want you to sign on the dotted line and then they got you. I also had to fight two falsifying statements that two companies had put on my DAC report. Not to mention these companies, (FFE, Comcar)I won and had them removed. Some companies that I have experienced with and should be aware of are, FFE, Werner, ComCar, CR England, and Central Refrigeration. Take a second look at these companies, They love taking your money, never getting you home, and just don't care about you. I will admit, I live in Southeast FL and this is a poor area to live and to work for a decent company. I do have two companies that I would be very happy with, but they don't hire in my area. I live right by I-95 and these companies are down here every day, but don't hire here. Now I can see why they are short good drivers out there. Good Luck New Drivers. Safe Driving Out There. Edited by Hillbilly2546 on Feb 9, 2008 at 08:44 AM
I've been through a number of schools in the last fifteen years and RoadMaster was my last one to attend. This school was a waste of my money,about $5000.00. I was told that all I needed was a refresher course to work for this one company. RoadMaster wouldn't give me a road test or a refresher course. They said I had to go through thier whole program even thou I already had my CDL-A. I wanted to get back on the road, so I signed up for thier program. Sorry to say, I didn't learn one thing from this school. Not one to brag, but I maneuvered the truck as well or better than the instructors. This school will get your CDL-A for you sooner or later. They have thier own third party testers which will pass anybody. I sure would hate to be a trainer on the other hand for a company that would have to train these Grads. They sure will have thier hands full. I know that in the Orlando school they are putting at least one hundred students on the road every two weeks at $6,000.00 a student. It's all about money, not good driving skills or safety, I know, I've been there. Anyways, save your money and attend a good school. The best training that I ever got was a trucking company that was part of a community college. When I graduated from this school I knew more than my first trainer. I also learn a lot from my first trainer. So before jumping into a school, check it out. Good luck and safe trucking.
I don't know if you have solved your delemma yet. I'm also going through the exact same situation. I have an up to date CDL-A license with Haz. and all the endorsments and nobody will hire me. If you haven't been on the road in the past five years, every company wants you to go back to school. I've been told that it is an insurance reason. To me it seems like a scam, but this is what you have to do to get back on the road. I've tried everything. I'm signed up for driving school again through RoadMaster. It's a lot of money but they can get it financed for you and most companies will have tuition reimbursement. It could take up to five years to pay back the loan since companies only pay back $100.00 to $150.00 per month. Double it up every month and pay it off sooner. I'm not pushing RoadMaster but look them up, RoadMaster.com. Good Luck
You know this site is older than dirt. It just sounds like a fifty year old guy that didn't do his homework and got a bad deal. Diary of a Swift Driver sounds like somebody that might not even be cut out to be a real truck driver. Truck driving is just a job cut out for certain people and this guy just needs to get over it. Site stinks for people just getting into the field. Do your homework.
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