which company to start with

[rickbrk]

I will start driving at the first of the year what would be a good company to start with? any opinion on Roehl ? what is the average time a driver stays out before getting home? To get endorsment when can to take the test for them? can you get them while taking the general knowlege test to get a learners permit? I would like to get a tanker, haz-mat is there an endorsment for flatbeds? Any other input would be great, what should I expect, not expect, and such.

Thanks

[Kbenton]

try doing a search.

[rickbrk]

I've done a lot of searching on the internet at different company alot of them seem the same to me I was hopeing to hear from people that worked for a company. Kinda an inside look at companys or if people are hearing good things about some companys

[Kbenton]

You've done alot of searching and can't find any posts on any forum site from people who've worked or asked questions about Roehl?

[Kbenton]

Try doing a search at trucknet, classadrivers, everytruckjob, idodac

[truckermanitoba]

decide were you want to run what states you have some knowledge of. How long you can be gone for. What you want to haul, tanker i think you need two years experience as the surge can cause problems if do not know what you are doing. Than decide what you need to pay your bills than evaluate the componys that meet the rerquirements.Each drivers experience will be different but ifyou do some thinking before you can find one that fits in.

[bcordell]

I'll try and answer some of your questions.

A good place to search about trucking companies is truck.net there was a user there Buzzdog you can do an author search for him and read his posts about his time with Roehl.

When you start CDL training school when you go for your permit you can take all the endorsement tests if you wish or you can split them up.

There are no endorsements for flatbed, you just have Doubles-Triples, Hazmat, Tankers, air brakes, and passenger if you want to drive a bus.

What you should expect lots of reading and learning and pay close attention to your instructors. For me it was a rush learning how to drive a big truck and do it safely and you will always be learning.

Good Luck and be safe.

[Capt._Chaos]

I will start driving at the first of the year what would be a good company to start with?

First of all, where do you live?

any opinion on Roehl ?

I have never worked for them myself, but know others who have. I've heard they're OK, but pretty anal about idling the truck for comfort when parked.

what is the average time a driver stays out before getting home?

That will depend, in part, on where you live. Roehl has a designated hiring area, and tries to get their drivers home weekly if I remember right.

To get endorsment when can to take the test for them? can you get them while taking the general knowlege test to get a learners permit?

You will take the written tests for each endorsement you want, but if you want the "passenger" endorsement to drive a bus, you will need to, in addition to road testing in a tractor-trailer, take a road test in a bus.

I would like to get a tanker, haz-mat is there an endorsment for flatbeds?

Most employers want you to have as many endorsements as you can get (especially haz-mat). No endorsement needed for flatbeds, but if you pull one, you will need to be familiar with laws pertaining to load securement.

Any other input would be great, what should I expect, not expect, and such.

First of all, I would look hard to find a trucking company that has a terminal or drop yard close to where you live, so parking the tractor-trailer in a safe, legal, and secure area while you're at home is not a concern (refer to my topic about "Parking The Truck While At Home" in here). Then from there, you can gather as much information about those companies to make a wise choice, and find out which ones hire new drivers.

You asked about time off- most OTR (Over-The-Road) companies will ask you to be out around three weeeks or more before returning home. If you're single and have no family, this will normally work out. If you're married with children, then the time away may put a bit of a strain on the family.

I ran OTR for many years before I got into the food service delivery business recently, and I'll tell you that once you spend a few years building a good safety record with steady employment, then you can look for local driving jobs in your area that may pay pretty well.

Thanks

No problem! We're here to help!

[rickbrk]

I live in Floresville TX. just south of San Antonio. my goal is to work for SYGMA they have an ad in the S.A. Express news, or Walmart, HEB but I don't think there is a chance of that untill I get a lot of experience as a driver.

[Uturn2001]

Rick, if OTR is not your cup of tea look around real hard. Many times in and around larger cities there are local or regional type jobs available that will hire and train recent CDL graduates.

[White Dog]

If you are looking to be home offten try Pam Transport http://www.pamt.com where you live you will be home quite a bit----I see their trucks running to Laredo all the time.

And they apperantly hire newbies: PTSI would like you to join our driving team. We're looking for experienced drivers and inexperienced candidates.

Their web site stinks though! They say nothing about pay, benefits etc..... (at least not that I could find). :wtf:

I hate it when companies don't divuldge important information like that....makes me think they are hiding something. :ninja:

[tommy]

nvr mind

[tommy]

Try doing a search at trucknet, classadrivers, everytruckjob, idodac



are these truck site web sites????are they allowed?

[newbie2828]

P.A.M. dedicated they are better than transport if u dont mind team driving.they make runs to and from el. paso, san antonio,laredo,TX. to ohio,michigan,etc..usually out 7-10 days home 2 days after.they will pay for your schooling and stuff.$1,000 sign-on bonus.i cant give ya a number to call and stuff if your interested.they can tell ya all u need to know.private message me and i can fill ya in on some more stuff.

[dominopizzadrvr]

My advice to you is get all the endorsements even if you don't PLAN on using them, the only endorsement i did'nt get was a bus and so far in my 8 years i've used all of them(Haz-mat,doubles,tanker and Hazmat/tanker).
As far as choosing a company,that is really up to you,what kind of work you like to do,where you want to run,when you want to be home,how much physical work you want to do.