To all,
I have enjoyed reading your posts over the last week or so.

To Cyanide, HarleyDriver, PB... good information.

To everybody that I havent mentioned, I appreciate your postings of the industry.

I am thinking seriously of becoming a driver. Times are tough, and I was laid off and am hoping things will will turnaround. But, I am planning for everything, and anything.

Way back when, I was going thru the Schneider CDL course but left a day or two prior to getting my CDL. Something was going on with my instructor and the company at that time and I just had a newborn at home. Upon retirement from the military, I had another one. Ooops!!! But he's cool. He is 13 now... I am in my 50's now... taking it one day at a time...

A friend of mine, is working for CTL now, doing local runs... he started about 6 months ago driving tankers... I have contacted the recruiter, and they are not doing anything until after the 1st of the year. I think this is with all industries right now... so, here I am reading your posts and wondering what to cook for supper tonight...

I am in Jacksonville, FL ... if anybody lives in the area or is planning to stop by, feel free to contact me via PM... if I can pick your brain about the industry, it would be greatly appreciated.

I know the industry has changed somewhat since 9/11... hazmat, takes about 3 weeks now and to do a background check... no problem with that, just dont want to spend any unnecessary funds right now....

I went down to the DMV, my records were on file from before... and they handed me my Temporary Class A CDL... so now am wondering, should I go through RoadMasters or National Truck Driving - or - go with a company that offers the Training....

I dont think Superior Carriers is hiring in the Jacksonville area anymore... so, am thinking of other trucking companies...

Anybody with recommendations, so I can research over the next week or so would be greatly appreciated...

Thanks to all, and have a safe Holiday...
regards,
Barry

 

I went through National Training down at Green Cove Springs.....many moons ago. I can't really speak too much about them now...its been almost 16 years, but the training was good.

If you cover the cost of your own school, you might get on with someone who will "reimburse", but the advantage will be that you will not be an indentured servant. With many of the companies, they will provide the training to get the CDL, but you are bound to a contract. If you leave before that contract is satisfied, they will come after you like a pitbull on a steak for the money, and probably demand more than the training was worth. If you don't pay them back....they will go after you, and make credit reports on you.

I paid for my own, and as a result, I was beholden to no-one. Worked out better that way.

 

Here's a Holiday Cheer to all employee's of SBL. A Merry Christmas and a Happy, Prosperous New Year.

 

Merry Christmas to all from Baby Bullseye and I!

 

Hi to all you superior guys i was on the L.I.E. yesterday and i saw a superior truck # 520 mosing along in the right lane the weather was kind of sloppy so he was driving smartly but he looked like a very content over the road driver the reason why i'm posting is i tried to get a job out of the n.j. terminal but i hooked up with metro fuels out of brooklyn a local gig but still yernning for the open road its the family thing that gets me i also thought it might have been cyanide anyway im always enjoying all you superior guys post

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL .....ENJOY

 

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Definitely wasn't me! I've been on vacation since the 22nd and also, I haven't run OTR/system in well over a year. Good luck with getting on at in Jersey. I don't know anything about the staff or facilities up there, but sure that some of the other guys here can offer some advice and/or suggestions on it. Y'all be safe, I'll be back with more later...

 

Anyone know what the Carry terminal is like in Lafayette In. We run a dedicated load up to N Chicago from High Point alot. I usually stop at the Petro at the 205 exit off I-65 for my break. Just noticed we have a terminal about 30 miles south. Do they allow non food grade trucks to stop there and is it one of the nicer terminals with decent showers and driver rooms?

 

I'm not certain, but I believe we can stop at all Carry yards as long as we are not Haz-Mat.

 

Rob, I stop by that yard frequently and am always placarded. All they ask is that you park in the back corner of the yard by the flatbed. The terminal is nice for only having seven or eight drivers running out of there. They have fuel, a decent shower which is separate from the bathrooms, a small shop, and a driver room with a t.v. (unsure if the cable has ever been fixed in there though), drink machine, snack machine (exact change only!), microwave, sink, and couch. It's a very quiet facility and a good place to get a night of restful sleep. Also, about three miles away is one of the gyms I frequent on my route so if you ever want to go there it's available. The plus about the gym is that they have just enough room in their back lot to park truck and tank while you work out and shower.

The only other Carry yard I'm familiar with is the one at my other home in Jacksonville (FL). It's located off of Alta Drive, about five miles north of Southern Tank Wash there at Pulaski Road. That one DOES NOT allow placarded tanks in the facility, and has but a bathroom only in addition to Tony and Christine's offices (terminal manager and dispatcher). So if you need a shower while there you would need to use the one at the tank wash or, stay at one the crummy truck stops in the immediate area. Yuck!

 

Carlo.........I was talking with a few drivers at the J at Whiteland yesterday. 3 of them were Indian River drivers and 2 were with Opies (?)

After we were all done telling lies to one another, I began to wonder about those two carriers, Indiana River and Opies(?). How do they compare with Superior and the tanker OTR industry overall?