I've been doing long haul trucking for 32 years and if I was your son's age and could start over I would choose a trade.

 

Thanks Allan. I wanted him to make a "plan", for something. But my ability to get my adult children to plan anything is about as successful as getting my 8 month old dog to use the toilet. He sort of just tries stuff without research. I hope im wrong, and he likes it and will make enough money to be happy. But I suspect he will not enjoy it after the year and not continue, based on reports ive seen from new guys that dont really want to be on the road. I do appreciate any feedback and i guess im posting mostly for myself. he wont see this and probably hasnt spoken to many drivers.... thanks

[email protected]

 

Some don't deal well being away from home from 1-2 weeks at a time.
as a newbe he should plan on being away from home for 4-6 weeks

They will also "charge" for the trainer
that is a new one to me

i was on creigslist just the other day and seen some smale company hireing at 21 and one offerd traing you may look in there for what around you.

yes please as stated befor crengland will suck him in to a lease or starve him to brake. stay out of the leases till he can buy one on his own, these big company are useing kids

 

Thanks for the update, most times postings just vanish. IMO when people do things and it doesn’t have ‘medical’ in the story it’s all good. It is good to hear about young people heading off toward success or failure, and not just sitting at the folks house getting the video game high score. We never know how a spur-of-the-moment job leads to an a side career that really takes off.

Looking forward to updates

 

A big +1!!! Nice post rookie!

Really glad to see an update from Dave. I'll have some comments later. [Just got home from ONE week on the road with the "co-driver from HELL!]

 

Update - I am not sure what happened. Here is what my son told me. He applied and was told He would be trained by PAM trucking. He told me he spoke with the man and did some paperwork, and he came back approved to go to training, but that he had to switch his SC license to a NC license. So he changed his address and got a NC license, and then he said the man form PAM called him back and told him he “was not qualified”.

So Josh is 22, driving 5 years now with no accidents. One ticket a few years back for speeding but was written up some other way. So either he has done something else in his spare time and didn’t tell his parents, or maybe has more tickets than he’s ever told me. But for some reason the company PAM said he is not qualified for their paid training now.

I have no idea and my son told me he asked but all the guy would say was that he’s not qualified but would give no reason.

My wife thinks that I joined a trucking forum and had something to do with that company not hiring him. She’s a weird one however.

I’m not opposed to helping him, provided he finds a job first and learns about it. Shoot, I sort of go in the stops and the local Flying J near my house and sometimes drive thru the lot where all the rigs are parked. I’m not sure they like my Silverado in there tho.

I’ve even made a facebook friend in a WV trucker and sort of like following his adventures up and down the east coast. What I would do, if it was me, would be to make a list of good companies, talk to the HR folks, and talk to a hell of a lot of truck drivers to get some perspective. One guy emailed me with a small company out west and told me to have my son contact him if hes a hard worker…

But I don’t know the real reason why Pam had him switch his license and then told him no thank you.

Will update when I learn more.

Dave Nolan, Maryland

 

hello dave, i did ck in to pams. you have to be 22yrl as your son is. you mention about a ticket for speeding but wrote another way.......? if that other way is careless or reckless that is a 3yr death in the trucking bussness.

my son is 20 now and wants to dive, i try telling him the littles scerw up will hirt him more then you thing, but some how they now tomuch to learn from us lol. best thing to do/know what is on the lic and when is the conviction date,

 

Thanks. What he told me was the ticket was for speeding, like 80 in a 65, but the trooper wrote him for “failure to obey posted sign” thus giving him a break. It was nothing like careless or reckless. He got that ticket in Sep 2009 up in NY state going to Ft Drum. Unless there is more that I do not know about.

Thanks,

Dave

 

David pam is a CRAP company. It's walmart's nonunion shop. they treat walmart drivers like gold and company drivers like crap. They make no money never get home and worst of all they learn on Automatics which excludes them from 90% of the industry.

That ticket is 3 years old it shouldnt matter. I went to the pam hq when i was in school. It's not a professional company it's a joke, like walmart.
Suggest to him to NOT go to : Pam, Swift, Covenant, CR England, Werner or Scheider (if he wants to see home ever).
The rest i think all have positives and negatives including jb (which a few years ago id have warned him against). Make sure he finds a company that guarantees 3 out or 4 weeks home.

ICC has the best reputation in the country school wise bar none. I went to Arkansas state u which was an Awesome school. ICC is the only one id' reccomend over them. They can both place him. ASU's head though, while a principled guy who runs a fantastic school, loves pam for some rreason or something though and will steer people to them (it's a local company). Bad idea.

Suggest he doesnt join the military. First of all they get a **** deal now. 4 year minimum signup is bull****. And theyre about to cut back hardcore and let a lot more troops go. They have to we cant afford it. When that happens they always spend 24/7 trying to screw soldiers. Ive seen it multiple times. UPSIDE if he's really into it.. it will change him and make him a stronger man. full stop. Where strong men quit military men keep going (bitching all the way). if he goes do NOT let him go MP or infantry have him get a Skill!

There are companies on this board and ads in your local craigslist as well as googling. It's easy to find a training company just avoid those i told you about.

And one last thing: after this you cant protect him. Becoming a trucker is a hard road. 25% wash out in school because of their record/family problems etc. 25% of those wash out in orientation. 10% wash out in training. 2/3 of the rest never make it past 6 months. It's a hard changeover. Youre gonna have to let him sing or swim once he goes. Good luck man

 

talk to some drivers that have OTR and Regional Experience.
They are best sources to get that information. I work with a company if wants to go into the industry that can get him with very reputable company.
My e-mail address
[email protected]