All Things Trucking - Truck Driving Schools, Truck Driver Training, and Trucking Jobs

Many of you who are new and/or interested in starting a trucking career, may be wondering what happens after you graduate from truck driving school (cdl school).

It is fair to say that once you have graduated from one of the country's truck driving schools, you have just SCRATCHED the surface of what trucking is all about. Truck driving schools are focused on helping you get your CDL. But, they aren't great at getting you ready for the truck driving jobs you will be presented with.

That is where the trucking companies step in. Now, remember, not all trucking companies hire trucking school graduates. But, the ones that do have their own truck driver training programs. They usually last between 4-6 weeks and these programs are aimed at helping the new truck driver become a good truck driver. And, it should be mentioned that some companies are better at this than others.

Here is what you can expect with a truck driver training program:

• You will be trained by a driver with at least 6 months of over the road experience.
• Many times a trainer will have more experience than this, but most trucking companies require a minimum of 6 months experience in order to become a truck driver trainer.
• Not all trainers are created equal. Some are fantastic while others are just plain lazy. Be flexible, but if you feel your trainer is a complete joke, request a new one.
• You will learn a lot.
• You will learn how to use the in cab computer system, how to deal with the paperwork, how to log in the real world, and how to deal with the day-to-day dealings of a truck driver. There will be some things that you may not have expected, just as with any job. Some you will like and some you will not like.
• One of the most important pieces of information you will learn is how to properly deal with operations. If you are able to earn the trust and confidence of the folks in the terminals, you will find yourself making a lot of money and loving your job. The people in operations will make sure the best drivers are getting taken care of. They understand that the best drivers are the people making the company profitable.
• There is a learning curve.
• Be patient with yourself and maintain a good attitude. Everything isn't going to be easy at first. But, you will learn it all eventually.
• For the first week or two, your trainer will do much of the difficult driving. He will assess your skill level and adjust accordingly. Then, once you prove yourself to be ready, he will hand the wheel over more often.

Once you are complete with your truck driver training program, you still won't know it all. There will still be a lot to learn. So, do everything you can to learn the craft of professional truck driving. If you do, you will make a ton of money and earn a ton of respect from your colleagues.

That's a good question, right?

Many drivers say that they got into trucking so they can have a job where their boss isn't hovering over their shoulder. They say that truck driving jobs will give them the freedom they want.

Is this a reality? Can trucking driving jobs provide freedom from the hassles of working in an office.

The short answer - YES>

But, that doesn't mean that you won't be managed closely. Trucking companies have a lot invested in their business, and because of how much money it costs them the run their business, it doesn't take too many mistakes to lose money on any given load. So, the driver managers and fleet managers do their best move the freight in a productive way.

While you are on the road, you won't have a boss looking over your shoulder. But, you will have a manager making sure you are going to be ontime while still being safe. At times, this may rub you the wrong way - and truth be told, some of the driver managers aren't the best.

So, while truck driving jobs offer a nice level of freedom from the mundane office life, you can expect that you will experience a certain level of management to ensure that the company is profitable.

So, make the best of it. Keep a solid attitude and do your best to learn the entire business of trucking.

We have covered which types of truck driving schools are available and the benefits of each. And, truth be told, as long as you attend a reputable trucking school, you will receive the proper education in terms of trucking school.

But, right now, it seems that the trend is leaning towards carrier sponsored truck driving schools. Trucking companies with their own schools are reporting higher enrollments than ever. You may ask why:

1. Financing - Trucking companies have the capital to help the student finance their education. In other words, most trucking companies will not charge interest, will not require a hefty down payment, and will guarantee reimbursement in return for loyalty. Simply put, company sponsored truck driving schools enable a student to get what amounts to free truck driving school. Truck companies make their money hauling freight, not training trucking students.

2. Real World Training - Trucking companies have a huge amount of interest in having well-trained, safe truck drivers. So, when filling their truck driving jobs, they do their best to train quality drivers. They aren't just trying to push you through in order to get your tuition.

3. Guaranteed Job - Carrier sponsored truck driving schools aren't going to send you through their school on their dime just for fun. They will make sure you are qualified before sending you to school (assuming the applicant is completely truthful).

There are times that company sponsored truck driving schools are not right for an applicant, but it is rare.

If you are looking for a carrier sponsored truck driving school, fill out our quick app.

It's no big secret that the trucking industry has suffered due to the high fuel prices and the soft freight market. But, what does that mean to the driver and/or potential driver?

Before analyzing the impact on truck driving jobs, let's spend a minute on an overview.

Six months ago, most trucking companies were scrambling to earn a dollar. They were dumping capacity (trucks) and trying to cut down on fuel costs. The reason they did this was -

1. With the slumping econonmy the shippers aren't producing and shipping as many goods as they did a year ago. So, rather than have the cost of a bunch of idle trucks, they sold them.
2. The out-of-control fuel prices (usually a trucking company's second largest operating expense) were draining their profits.

In the past 12 months, over 3,000 trucking companies have gone out of business. Most of them were very small trucking companies, but not all. In addition, over 147,000 trucks were taken off the road, many of them being sold to foreign countries.

What does this mean to someone looking for a truck driving school? And, what does this mean to someone interested in truck driving schools? NOT MUCH!

Huh? Yep, not much. Even with a slumping economy, trucking companies still need to hire truck drivers. The truck driver shortage has not disappeared at all. In fact, when the economy turns, the truck driver shortage will be more apparent than ever. Good, solid truck drivers will be in high demand for years to come.

The other good news is this - analysts are beginning to upgrade their perspectives on the trucking industry. Many feel that the end of this year and into next year will be strong for truck companies.

So, if you have your CDL, smart move. If you want your CDL, smart move. Remember, EVERYTHING touches a truck - it is a good industry to be in.

Based out of Chattanooga, TN, US Xpress has a good reputation with experienced truck drivers AND inexperienced truck drivers. They are well known for their automatic transmissions and they have a strong presence in the eastern half of the United States.

Pay Structure -

US Xpress truck driving jobs pay on a sliding scale. They don't really load their pay on the front end or the back end. Instead, they even it out across all experience levels. For the current pay scale, go ahead and contact us.

Career Path -

US Xpress offers a solid career path. They have solo and team OTR, regional, dedicated, O/O, and training opportunities. You will most likely find something that will meet your needs.

Home Time -

The US Xpress home time policy is based on which division you run in. Their over-the-road drivers are home every other weekend while their regional drivers are out for 10 days and home for 2 days.

Benefits -

US Xpress offers full benefits. The cost for their health benefits will depend on your family size and which plan you select (standard or premium). Weekly costs can range from $13 to $158. They also offer vision and dental at very competitive prices.

Equipment -

US Xpress runs several makes and models - Volvo, Kenworth, and Peterbuilt, to name a few. They are all equipped with double bunk condos, the Eaton Vorad collision warning system, and Cummins and Detriot engines. US Xpress also utilizes automatic transmissions. Their trucks are model year 2005 or newer.

Summary -

There is little question that US Xpress is a great place to work. Most of the drivers we speak with have great things to say about US Xpress. They offer a full variety of opportunities in the trucking industry. Their pay package is extremely competitive and their freight is 98% no touch. They have a pet policy, a rider policy, referral bonuses, and guaranteed home time for Christmas.

Give us a shout if you would like more detail about the US Xpress truck driving jobs.

 

When choosing from the many available truck driving jobs, there are several factors each truck driver will need to consider. Many factors are unique to each individual driver. But, there are general criteria that every truck driver naturally considers.

So, in order to help you begin to decide which company to drive for, we will review several of the nation's top trucking companies. We realize that there are a lot of options out there and cannot possibly review all of the trucking companies. Instead, we will select those companies that seem to draw the most attention from the trucking industry. We will NOT review trucking companies that we consider poor options for those looking for truck driving jobs. We realize that every company has strengths and weaknesses. We also realize that one driver may love a certain trucking company while another driver may have a different opinion. But, in general, each company has an overall way of operating, and we will review the companies based on their overall contribution to the trucking industry - specifically in terms of the truck driving jobs and opportunities they offer.

The different elements of truck driving jobs we will review are:

Pay structure - Trucking companies have different philosophies when it comes to their CDL pay structure. Almost all trucking companies pay by the mile. Some trucking companies choose to compete on the front end - meaning they load their pay scale for those drivers with 0 - 6 months of experience, the entry level tier. So, you can expect big raises early and often. Then the raises will taper down as your truck driving experience level increases. You will still make more as you gain more driving experience, but the pay increases won't come as often and as dramatically.

Other companies choose to attract and reward truck drivers with experience. These trucking companies will pay a fairly competitive rate to the entry level truck driver, but the strong pay increases come after 6 months to a year of experience or more.

Some truck driving jobs will pay on a sliding scale. A sliding scale means that the less mileage the load requires, the more CPM (cents-per-mile) you will make on the load. This is meant to reward drivers for hauling loads with a short length of haul. Other truck driving jobs will pay a flat rate no matter how long the length of haul is.

Career path opportunities - A solid career path is a huge factor for those who are looking to have a long and successful trucking career. After getting your CDL, you want to avoid working for a company that only offers one type of career path - over-the-road. Over - the - road is the BEST way to start your trucking career, but truck driving jobs offer so many different options and you want to be able to take advantage of those opportunities.

A good solid career path will look similar to this, in no particular order:

Over - the - road > Trainer > Regional/local opportunities > Dedicated Opportunities > Owner Operator opportunities > Office opportunities

Home time policy - Home time is without question, an important consideration when choosing from the many truck driving jobs. Choosing to be a Class A CDL driver is choosing to be away from home for 2 - 3 weeks at a time - at least for the first 6 - 8 months of your career. Then, you will find other trucking opportunities come your way. But, some companies emphasize getting their drivers home when promised while others choose to be a little more "flexible" with their policies.

Benefits - The trucking companies we will review offer good benefits with their truck driving jobs. We will summarize what you can expect to pay if you choose to take advantage of the benefits packages offered.

Equipment - Truck driving jobs require that you spend a lot of time in your truck. So, as your home away from home, you will want to have good equipment. Some companies offer assigned equipment, while others do not. Some trucking companies rotate their old trucks out of the fleet every 3 years while others choose to hold on to the trucks a little longer.

Summary - we will offer a summary of each company's truck driving opportunities. We will indicate whether the company is a good place for entry level truck drivers or better suited for the veteran.

Truck driving jobs come in all sorts of varieties. But, the most important decision each driver faces is the choice of carrier. Choosing a company that will allow you to grow and advance in your trucking career in a way that you feel comfortable with will be the single most important ingredient to your enjoyment in trucking. Everything else is in your hands - your work ethic, your professionalism, your adherence to company policies, and your interaction with operations and customers.

We hope you will find the information useful and we look forward to any feedback you may have. Also, let us know if you are curious about a certain trucking company. We will let you know if we plan to review their truck driving jobs and their opportunities.

Also, by subscribing to our community, you will get the reviews straight to your inbox as they happen.

Anyone who has been in the trucking industry for more than 2 weeks has to appreciate the truck driver. If you don't, you need to look in the mirror. Truck driving jobs can be a tough way to make a living and some people aren't cut out for it. But, there are many who are cut out for it, and sometimes they make it tougher on themselves than they have to.

Quality of life while as a truck driver can be rough. There are several different pitfalls that are easy to fall into:

1. Lack of exercise - Driving a truck is draining work, and it can be tough to motivate yourself to exercise. I mean, let's face it, most people that are home EVERYNIGHT don't exercise, so a truck driver has a great excuse to not exercise. But, on the flip side, because of the nature of truck driving jobs, it is even more important that a truck driver spend a little time each day exercising. Get that heart pumping by doing a little jog. Do a few sets of push ups and sit ups. It can make all the difference in how you feel.
2. Poor Nutrition - I know several of you don't want to hear it, but truck stop food isn't the most nutritionally charged food. Your body needs good, quality "fuel" in order to operate at its best. The better your food, the greater your energy. And, obviously, the better you feel physically, the better you will feel emotionally.
3. Brain Freeze - Before going to sleep, spend 30 minutes or so winding down with a book. And, occassionally read something that will educate your mind - a non-fiction book that is related to a topic you really like. Just because you aren't in a classroom doesn't mean you need to stop learning. In fact, truck driving jobs offer the type of lifestyle that makes it easy to self-educate. It just takes a little discipline is all.
4. Isolation - Social life, HUH? Some of you may be rolling your eyes at the idea of having a social life AND a truck driving job. But, it is important to touch basis with people you care about every day. Whether it is your wife, kids, siblings, parents, friends, whatever. I know some of you became a truck driver so you don't have to talk to anyone, but interacting with others, even if it's a short conversation, will improve your quality of life on the road (that is, unless you are constantly arguing with the other person. But, some of you may think that's fun too.).

By spending a little time each day on these 4 things, you can drastically improve your quality of life on the road.

And, for those of you who already do some or all of these things, let us know what you do. What type of exercising do you do? Which books do you read? How do you stay in touch with friends and family? What do you do to eat a healthy diet?

Let us know. We love to hear about it. Send it to us with our CONTACT US page and we will post it for everyone to see.

Also, keep your eyes peeled for our new forum. We should have it up soon.

There is little doubt that most of us spend very little time thinking about the impact the trucking industry has on our lives. The only time we think about truckers is when they are right in front of our windshields in traffic.

Well, now that fuel prices are skyrocketing on a weekly basis, the time may not be far off when we are forced to realize that importance and impact the trucking industry has on our lives.

So, assuming the trucking industry's executives were evil, here is a list of 3 things they could do to make your life miserable:

1. In order to reduce their fuel costs, they can require their drivers to never exceed 55 MPH. After all, research shows that 55 MPH is the most efficient speed for fuel economy combined with timeliness. How would you like to be barricaded behind a line of tractor trailers on the freeway EVERY SINGLE DAY? You think traffic is bad now...just wait.

2. In order to reduce their own operating expenses, they can drastically reduce the number of trucks they have in their fleets. Why would they do that? Because anytime they have trucks that aren't hauling freight, they are losing money on that truck. And, since the freight market is weak right now, it is reasonable to think that it is better to just unload the extra trucks. In fact, the industry is currently doing this. They are selling their extra trucks to Russia and other European countries. The affects of this action are two-fold.

a. Freight Pricing Increase - Simple supply and demand will dictate that shippers (Wal-Mart, Target, grocery stores, etc.) pay more to ship their goods. This will increase the price of almost EVERY SINGLE PRODUCT you buy. If the shippers have to pay more to ship the product, they will pass that cost on to you, the consumer.

b. Truck Shortage - Guess what will happen when the economy turns for the better (probably in 2009)? With a bunch of our trucks in Russia, they are gone for good. And the truck manufacturers will not be able to pump out enough trucks to keep up with the demand. So, once again, the price of your iPod, your bananas, your tofu, or whatever it is that you like, will be more. Supply and demand.

3. Although much of the trucking industry is not unionized, they could join forces and effectively go on strike. Imagine how this would impact your day-to-day living. It would cause a quasi-meltdown in our country. There would be a run on the grocery stores as people realize that the shelves will not be restocked anytime soon. It won't matter how wealthy one is, if the food isn't on the shelves to buy, you can't buy it. People from other industries will be out of work - if the truckers aren't shipping the product, there is no reason to produce it. Why would Reef continue to make flip-flops if they are just going to stack up in the warehouse? And, what about the suppliers to Reef? Why would Reef continue to purchase the materials needed to make the flip flops when they aren't even going to make them (DISCLOSURE - for all I know Reefs are made in China, but you still get my point)?

3.5. If trucking executives wanted to save a little cash, they could eliminate the shower allowance they give to their drivers. Just imagine millions of hard working truck drivers rolling across the country having not taken a shower for 2 - 4 weeks! Now that would be evil!

 

If you are currently looking into truck driving schools or just getting ready to finish truck driving school, you may have a few questions about truck driver training.

Some people have the idea that truck driving schools and truck driver training mean the same thing. But, they are completely different. Many of you already know the difference, but for those of you just getting started, here is a quick overview:

1. Truck Driving Schools - This is where you learn the basic DOT regulations for Class A CDL driving. It is also where you will learn the basics of getting the tractor and trailer to do what you want it to do. You will participate in classroom lessons, range training, and road training. The main objective of the truck driving schools is to get you to the level of competence to where you can obtain your Class A CDL from the DMV.

2. Truck Driver Training - This is where you actually begin working for a trucking company. After you finish truck driving school, you will enter the workforce as a trainee. Certain companies only hire experienced drivers, so you will need to find a company that offers a training program. It is here that you will be trained by one of the company's experience truck drivers.

Here are the basics you can expect from most truck driver training programs:

Length: Most companies set their truck driver training programs at 4 - 6 weeks.

Pay: As a trainee you will make a weekly salary rather than mileage pay. Usually, your weekly salary will be between $350 - $550 per week. Some companies increase the pay each week, while others do not. While this is not a ton of money, it is just the beginning. This is the first stage of "paying your dues" in the trucking industry.

Trainer: Most truck driving trainers choose to join the truck driver training program for the MONEY. They get paid for the mileage the truck drives, so they stand to make a ton of money. As in most businesses, there are good trainers and bad trainers. And, the good thing about most truck driver training programs is the trucking companies tend to remove the poor trainers fairly quickly. From my experience, most of the truck driving trainers are invested in their trainees and want to make it a good experience. And, if you don't get along with your trainer, just ask for a new one.

Hometime: You go home when your trainer goes home. And, this will depend on each trucking company's home time policy.

How it works: Every truck driver training program is different, but generally the trainer will do most of the difficult driving (hills, bad weather, tight roads, etc.) for the first few days. You will then gradually learn more and more and become more comfortable with the truck and the nature of the job.

You will also learn how to handle the customers, how to do the paperwork, and how to interact with operations in your home terminal. And, I suggest you learn as much as possible while in the truck driver training program.

Your truck driver trainer will have a wealth of knowledge and will know the little secrets and tricks of the trade that turn a good truck driver into a great truck driver. So, take advantage while you can. A good truck driver training program will cut your learning curve and lead to a great trucking career.

You won't find this puppy at your local truck driving schools. Too bad the big rigs don't handle like this.