1. i'm i to old to become a truck driver?
2. how hard is it to drive a truck?
3. when i finish schooling how do i decide to pick the right trucking company?
4.when i get a mentor that trans what should i exspect. and i hear that i only make 300-350 a week for traning and i'll be driving 14 hrs a day ppl say i should drive 5 hrs. should i ? 1. If you're reasonably healthy (no diabetes or high blood pressure) and you can see well (even with glasses), hear well, and generally get around well, you're definitely not too old. In fact if you take care of yourself- which can be hard on the road- you could have 30 years or more of driving left in you.
2. Driving the truck is like anything else- it gets easier with experience. After you spend enough time driving that truck, and only that truck, it becomes second nature. There are times where you'll be in bad weather or in tight situations, but you learn safety guidelines, the tricks of the trade and may even find yourself looking forward to a "challenge" (a tricky or tight docking situation, for example.)
3. First, don't let yourself be fooled by recruiters. Chances are you will have recruiters at school blowing all manner of sunshine up your bum....first rule of thumb- if a recruiter's mouth is moving, he/she is lying. LOL....Just stay objective, ask LOTS of questions, try to talk to as many actual DRIVERS as you can (the person before me had a GOOD IDEA....Definitely go to truck stops and talk to drivers!!!)
When you're fresh out of trucking school, you're pretty limited to a handful of the "big companies"....Swift, Covenant, Werner, Schnieder, etc. Overall, they're pretty much the same....pay scale, benefits, hometime, etc. Werner has "paperless logbooks". US Xpress has an "all-automatic" fleet. These things sound nice- but consider that if you change jobs (most people do change jobs, more than once) to a company with traditional logbooks or standard transmissions, you'll have a harder time getting used to it. These are the kinds of things you'll be considering.
Basically, pick a company that you're able to research well, and that seems to meet your needs. Be prepared for your first year or 2 to be a little rocky. Many large companies have pretty darn high turnover rates. You'll be one of thousands of drivers, you'll be a number, there are times where you'll feel underappreciated, disrespected, ignored and unhappy. If you can grit your teeth, stay positive, stay safe and pay your dues for 2-3 years, you will be able to go to almost any company you want, and your pay & benefit opportunities will increase as your safe driving experience increases.
4. Most companies will only put you with a trainer for 3 weeks to a little more than a month....it may not be the most fun you'll ever have, but if you have a GOOD trainer, it will be some of the most valuable time you'll spend on the road. I have heard some horror stories about companies and their so-called 'trainers'. Some companies will let just about *anyone* train new drivers- I worked for Covenant and they asked me to train when I had only 6 months experience myself!!! However, there are some very good trainers out there....it's up to you to make sure your training experience is what it should be.
You have the right to expect your trainer to be qualified, knowledgeable, respectful and safe. If you feel mistreated, unsafe, or that your trainer is not training you appropriately, you need to be pro-active in getting the situation remedied. When you're in orientation, pay close attention and make sure you know who to call if you have a problem during your training period.
No one should ever be asking you to drive 14 hours at a time, and if they do, you need to let the company know. The legal limit for one shift of driving is 11 hours, then you are required to take a 10 hour break. Many trainers will not push your limits right away.
When you're researching companies, find out how their training program works. Some companies expect you to be a "team" with your trainer right away, which can be stressful on a new driver, as you may feel "forced" to drive 10 hour shifts at all times of day, and may not be able to get good sleep while the truck is rolling. Other companies expect the student to drive and the trainer to 'train'....meaning that your loads will have plenty of time on them, so your trainer can stay awake with you and coach you as you drive, and you both get a chance to take your 10 hour breaks while the truck is sitting still. And the trainer can take up the "slack" if you get tired and can't drive.
And yes, your weekly pay while training will be pretty meager....300-350 a week sounds about right....it may even be a little less. Remember though, it only lasts a month or so. After that, you should be getting full pay and regular miles. Most trainers are pretty knowledgeable about stopping at Wal-Mart for food and stuff....Save up some money to get you through the harder times, watch what you spend, try not to eat at the restaurants, etc. Go to a local truck stop and talk to some drivers. |
