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DH has decided to get out of sales, and into truck driving. He is now enrolled in a CDL course in which he is excelling. He will have a TWIC card and a Hazmat certification, and his driving record is pristine. We live very close to a port and local truck driving jobs are abundant, although long haul is more lucrative?
He is thinking of getting further training with a company in IA (TMC), and working over the road for awhile for experience. In other words he wants to be the best qualified, safest truck driver possible.
Any suggestions or pitfalls are appreciated.
To respond to some of the comments here, the DH would rather stay local, but is willing to put in a couple of years to pay his dues. He paid about $1800 for the course at a technical college, so is not beholden to anyone. Some trucking companies are recruiting pretty hard, and dangling some tempting stuff. The part that tempts him to go with one is the advanced training. Otherwise, he'd rather just haul containers out of the port all day long and be home every night. By the way, he is 61, so not beginning a career for the long term.
I was a driver for 15 years, one thing your DH has going for him is he can pass a drug screen and has a twic card. You'd be amazed at the amount of people who can't get one. I'd look at a local hazmat hauler. My brother is with one now and is home every night and they pay him very well imo.
You usually have to put your time in doing long haul before you're eligible for the cushier jobs that pay well and get you home every day (or very often). Until then, being out on the road is kind of a lifestyle you just have to get used to. Many people enjoy it, but clearly it's not going to be up everyone's alley. If I were the wife-and-kids type I'd probably explore other options.
DH has decided to get out of sales, and into truck driving. He is now enrolled in a CDL course in which he is excelling. He will have a TWIC card and a Hazmat certification, and his driving record is pristine. We live very close to a port and local truck driving jobs are abundant, although long haul is more lucrative?
He is thinking of getting further training with a company in IA (TMC), and working over the road for awhile for experience. In other words he wants to be the best qualified, safest truck driver possible.
Any suggestions or pitfalls are appreciated.
To respond to some of the comments here, the DH would rather stay local, but is willing to put in a couple of years to pay his dues. He paid about $1800 for the course at a technical college, so is not beholden to anyone. Some trucking companies are recruiting pretty hard, and dangling some tempting stuff. The part that tempts him to go with one is the advanced training. Otherwise, he'd rather just haul containers out of the port all day long and be home every night. By the way, he is 61, so not beginning a career for the long term.
Being a trucker for over 10 years, I can say this from experience...alot of the trucking companies that recruit drivers aggressively are usually the OTR companies, and they often tempt new drivers with high pay, regular hometime and loads of benefits. But trust me, once they get the new driver in its usually the complete opposite for the most part. Most major carriers that boast "Late Model Equipment Trucks" to new drivers often won't get a newish truck if they are just starting to drive. I witnessed this personally with a major carrier I once drove for; a guy was bragging to the driving school he graduated from that he was going to get a new truck and was going to show it off (little did he know how wrong he soon would be..). Soon enough when he picked up his truck, it was an old truck with a baby bunk sleeper. I couldn't tell you how his face looked that day....
With any 'so called' promise these companies throw out, ask questions--lots of questions on how everything will actually turn out. There are good companies, and there are not-so-good companies. Some companies are only looking to put a warm body behind the wheel (due to high turnover) and are only looking out for the company's interest.
Plus, having the right dispatcher can often make or break the driver's longevity with the company. If you have a dispatcher who is understanding and willing to work with the driver, then it can make things alot easier in the long term. Get a crappy dispatcher, and your job will be a nightmare. That's why so many new drivers quit so quickly within 2-3 weeks of hire.
Since your husband has the TWIC and HazMat, I feel he should try to get the local job in hauling containers if he can, that way he will be home nightly. Being OTR really is a lifestyle change and definitely isn't for everyone. And when it comes to trying to get you home, the company doesn't work that hard trying to get the person home.
Rule of thumb: Good jobs don't go begging for employees. People beg to get in.
Any company which recruits constantly isn't worth a damn to work for.
At 61 and just starting out? Stay local, unless you just want to have the long haul experience.
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