Question:
2 Questions,
1. When should you start calling Carriers to inquire about employment? When you enroll in school? halfway through? when is it a good time?
2. Vans? Refers? Flatbeds? Dry Bulk? Tanks?
I want to know the pros and cons of all.
Ike

Answer:
ike910: I'm sure the seasoned drivers will most likely have better answers for you; but, several large carriers told me to send my paperwork to them just before my 1st day of class.
http://tinyurl.com/1yqa

Answer:
Send it in as soon as possible. It takes a little bit of time to do a thorugh background check. Plus that way you already a little bit of an idea of where you want to go and who offers the best package.
As far as van,reefer,tanker, or flatbed again it's all a personal choice. Talk to drivers of companies and ask questions. How often do they fingerprint a load. Each have their pro's and con's. Myself personally I'm leaning toward van or reefer.
I spoke to a Schneider van driver who said he hasn't touched freight in almost 4 years. One problem you'll hear with reefer drivers is sometimes the wait to get loaded/unloaded is a looong time. However with reefers work is steady year round.


Answer:
Originally posted by ike910:
2 Questions,
1. When should you start calling Carriers to inquire about employment? When you enroll in school? halfway through? when is it a good time?
Whenever you want to.Don't save it for the last minute though.
2. Vans? Refers? Flatbeds? Dry Bulk? Tanks?
I like dry vans. No reefer to worry about quitting, no grocery warehouses to deliver to. I hate reefers, mostly because of the crappy places one must deliver to (grocery warehouses), and having to deal with lumpers, buying and selling pallets, and reefer freight almost always being heavy.
A lot of drivers like flatbed, I don't. Tankers are OK, though. Personal preference has alot to do with it.
Search the past posts on this board and you will find out a lot of this has been talked about already.
Answer:
Originally posted by Cessna_172_pilot:
I spoke to a Schneider van driver who said he hasn't touched freight in almost 4 years. One problem you'll hear with reefer drivers is sometimes the wait to get loaded/unloaded is a looong time. However with reefers work is steady year round.
I pull dry van, and have steady work. Reefers require plenty of driver load, and unload, or finding lumpers. In a dry van, I never touch the freight,and much of it is drop and hook. Lots of lightweight freight too, and no grocery warehouses for 2;30 am unload time. My load and unload times are during regular business hours.
Answer:
When should you start calling Carriers to inquire about employment? When you enroll in school? halfway through? when is it a good time?
I would start calling just as soon as you know driving is what you want to do. Call them and find out what you need to know. It is always good if someone has any questionable things in their background to call and make sure they qualify first.
Vans? Refers? Flatbeds? Dry Bulk? Tanks? Well that's a personal preference. Most around here seem to dislike reefer's. Not me, I like it. I'm always loaded and going some place. No waiting around for a load. I can haul temperature controlled or dry freight where as vans only haul dry. Besides lots of vans go to grocery warehouses and places that make them wait for an unload. Almost all of my freight, dry or otherwise, is no touch. Meaning the company I am hauling for will pay the unloading fee. Technically it would be "driver load and count, no touch". But I never touch the load and simply pay lumpers to do the work. Not much trouble unless the price is way out of bounds. I like my reefer.
Send it in as soon as possible. It takes a little bit of time to do a thorugh background check.
As far as the background check almost all with the exception of a very few companies will not do any back ground checks until you are in orientation. It would simply cost them to much. Lots of drivers never show up for orientation when they say they will. So the companies wait until your there to check you out. That's why some drivers get sent home during orientation. Usually because of something being wrong on their app. or a failed drug test. But it is a good idea to send your app in as early as possible along with any records you have. It will let you know who is interrested in you. Lots of companies give you a prehire, that doesn't mean much except your app shows you've met their pre-hire guidlines. You won't be hired until after your in orientation and your background checks are completed.
Here's a list of some questions you might want to ask. The site is for newbies and would be a good place to check out.
Questions to ask.
"Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of all who threaten it"

Answer:
Thanks to all for the advice. Always welcome.
(I gotta get me one of those neat sayings to tag onto my posts)
Ike

Answer:
WOW ... even I learned alot from these driver's posts!!!
And, to think that Stevens Transport almost had me talked into working for them ... now, I'll just concentrate on Dry Vans!
I'm seriously considering Shaffer and/or Crete ... pros/cons about either carrier from the drivers here?
http://tinyurl.com/1yqa

Answer:
Lets not give him the wrong impression about vans---some here have said, "I like vans as apposed to reefer, because I NEVER see a grocery warehouse".
That is simply not true in all cases.
Perhaps the company that you pull van for does'nt accept freight that goes to grocery warehouses; but there are several van companies that haul nothing but food---it will be up to you driver, to do the homework and find out if a company that you are looking at will be hauling what certain type of freight.
If you do so choose the van division.
If you want a gaurantee that you will not be sitting in staging areas waiting on that grocery warehouse reciver/shipper to find you a dock so you can wait another 4 to 6 hours on the dock before they even look in the back of your trailer---go with flatbed...of course there are waiting periods with all trailer types; but flatbed is by far the best in my opinion.
The only grocery warehouse you'll ever see with a flatbed is under construction.It's apparent this place is never going to change....then again; why should it? It gets the clientel it deserves.
Bette Midler

Answer:
I also heard a lot of flatbedders say they like it because they don't normally back uop to a dock. Im lookin at Crete, Barr-nunn, Cressler and Millis (dry van) and if I go Flatbeds, TMC or Arrow (arrow has dry vans also) not sure of the frieght lanes of these co. though. Any help here?

Answer:
Ike; if you click on the search link (top center, under the "Truck.Net Drivers Roundtable" in blue) and type in any of these companies you will find a lot of info on all of them (except maybe Cressler---never heard of them), they have all been disscused in great detail in the past.
Barr-Nunn is one of those we were talking about that goes to grocery warehouses alot.
TMC is (by reputation) far better than Arrow.
Crete is got a lot of drivers registerd here...you'll get some input on them.
You don't state where you live, so if you are looking at Millis---you need to live east of the mighty Mississippi.It's apparent this place is never going to change....then again; why should it? It gets the clientel it deserves.
Bette Midler

Answer:
Personally I like tankers.Takes practice dealing with the surge but generally not much waiting time though sometimes p[roducts that are thick take a long time to load/unload.
newbear]

Answer:
Im sorry guys and Gals,
Im in Virginia Beach, and the hardest part is trying to find a company that has frieght through here. I have been to the web sites of all the companies web sites I have mentioned and was lookin for more info. For instance (and thank you White Dog, that Barr-Nunn did a lot of grocery wherehouse deals) I understand a lot of people have not heard of Cressler, but that may be a good thing, and as far as Millis I have not heard of anything negative, Again, Im in Va. Beach, and Wabnt to find a co. that has frieght lanes through here. Thanks so much guys and Gals.
Ike

Answer:
Thank you Newbear, Im going to take that under consideration, and I have been studying about that, I appreciate your advice.
Ike

Answer:
a recruiter for Crete on another web site they are only taking drivers from one particular PTDI certified school in I believe Oklahoma. Have you given USXpress any thought? I hear they are pretty good also.
Living in Virginia gives you a lot of different options. Schneider,USXpress,and Millis are the only ones that I can remember who will train you with little out of pocket expense.
Most others will re-imburse you after you have graduated an accredited course.