Army Truck Driver (88M) to Real World OTR Driver???????

[ARMYTJ]

Well this is my first post and have a few questions. Many of which have already been anwsered here as I read post. But.....

Little about me...

I'm 34 years old divorced with a 8 year old son who lives with his mother. I've spent almost 15 years in the military last 5 as an 88M Army Truck Driver. Im being seperated due to back problem which have never effected me driving or loading/unloading. I have been to Iraq and Afghanistan as a truck driver. I love to drive and love being on the road where ever I might be. I see my self as an OTR driver but not sure where to start I have my education benifits from the military so Im not worried about having to pay for Truck driving School. Im currently stationed in Colorado but have family in Oklahoma and Utah both of which I could switch my state residence to, currently a ressident of Texas. So here are my questions if you have time to read and help out.


What state should I get my CDL in, or does it even matter?

Does any of the listed states support my military experience?

Will my Hazmat certifcation from the Army carry over?

I've looked at Schneiders Military program, is it worth it, is it a good program, are they a good company to work for?

I have enough money saved to buy a used truck (2005-2007) but from what I've read its better to wait a few years before i jump into being a O/O, Yes / No?

This is something I want to do and have the drive to do but like all things in life talking to the experienced ones helps.

Thanks for your help in advanced!

 

[kickin chicken]

Hello and welcome aboard!

The military offers a transition program to help graduates to obtain additional training to help launch their careers.

Transition Assistance Program Information and Offices

This program works in conjunction with your GI Bill benefits.
Apply in the state that you chose to reside in by going to the Employment Security Commission, Career Source or Workforce Center and apply for your Veterans benefits.
Thank you for your many years of dedicated to service to our country.
Please keep us informed as to your progress.
Take care and safe travels!

 

[ARMYTJ]

Kickin: Thanks I have atteneded the TAP briefs they really are not all that helpful. Its just a slide show presintation and some one from the local work force center talking about how it was when they septerated.

 

[kickin chicken]

Kickin: Thanks I have atteneded the TAP briefs they really are not all that helpful. Its just a slide show presintation and some one from the local work force center talking about how it was when they septerated.

You have to apply through the Worforce center to get your benefit activated.
Do your homework and decide which school or company that you wish to train for/with and then get your case worker to approve it.

 

[terrylamar]

Well this is my first post and have a few questions. Many of which have already been anwsered here as I read post. But.....

Little about me...

I'm 34 years old divorced with a 8 year old son who lives with his mother. I've spent almost 15 years in the military last 5 as an 88M Army Truck Driver. Im being seperated due to back problem which have never effected me driving or loading/unloading. I have been to Iraq and Afghanistan as a truck driver. I love to drive and love being on the road where ever I might be. I see my self as an OTR driver but not sure where to start I have my education benifits from the military so Im not worried about having to pay for Truck driving School. Im currently stationed in Colorado but have family in Oklahoma and Utah both of which I could switch my state residence to, currently a ressident of Texas. So here are my questions if you have time to read and help out.


What state should I get my CDL in, or does it even matter?

It does not matter, only to you. Decide where you want to go to school and where you want to live. Also find out if they CDL School you will attend will require you to be licensed in that state.

Does any of the listed states support my military experience?

To the best of my knowledge, they do not. Even with all of your experience, you will be considered to have no experience. You have not been working under the Hours of Service rules. Insurance companies will not consider your militery experience driving as over the road experience. Nevertheless, you will be far ahead of the typical driving student. You are lacking in a few technical details and a little piece of paper.

Will my Hazmat certifcation from the Army carry over?

Interesting question. I don't have an official answer for you, just speculation. By Federal Law anytime you switch your driver's license to another state, you have to reapply for your HazMat Endorsement. Correct me if I am wrong, but your HazMat Endorsement is not tied to a particular state, but to your Military Driver's License?

Save yourself time and money, get your TWIC at the same time your HazMat, it is the same background investigation, do it once, not twice. The added benifit is that they will expire at the same time and will be easier to remember to renew.

I've looked at Schneiders Military program, is it worth it, is it a good program, are they a good company to work for?

I have not worked for Schneider. From what I have read they are a good solid company. I think you can do better. In my opinion, most of these Military Programs are scams, excuses to pay you less and let the Military Tuition make up the difference. Save your benifits in case you need to use them later. Find a company that will pay you better. Generally speaking, dry van is at the bottom as far as pay goes. I am biased, but try flatbedding or even find a job in the Oil Fields. Hard work to be sure, but you can make some money. No one shoots at you!

I have enough money saved to buy a used truck (2005-2007) but from what I've read its better to wait a few years before i jump into being a O/O, Yes / No?

I think it is better to wait, to gain some experience and save some more money. Try trucking for a year or two to see if you like it or it likes you. Then consider becoming an O/O. Can you make it if you tried now, sure, but the odds are against you. You are doing one thing that is important, reading and participating on this board. Continue to ask question, to learn, the more knowledge you have, the more informed decisions you can make.

This is something I want to do and have the drive to do but like all things in life talking to the experienced ones helps.

Thanks for your help in advanced!

You are welcome. Thank you for your service!

Semper Fi!

 

[ARMYTJ]

Terry, Thanks for the input and the anwsers to the questions, and thank you for your service.....

Kickin, Thanks Ill call the local workforce center in the AM and get some questions anwsered.

 

[RCINSOLO]

I currently work for Schneider I do not know anything about their military program. I will tell you they have the freight base, their pay is average, their equipment is ok. As a solo you will be governed at 60 mph. We have terminals in Dallas, Salt lake city. I am kinda lame when it comes to the solo side I have been a team driver my entire career with them. Don't know if that helps at all just wanted to give you some input.

 

[ARMYTJ]

I currently work for Schneider I do not know anything about their military program. I will tell you they have the freight base, their pay is average, their equipment is ok. As a solo you will be governed at 60 mph. We have terminals in Dallas, Salt lake city. I am kinda lame when it comes to the solo side I have been a team driver my entire career with them. Don't know if that helps at all just wanted to give you some input.

How do they treat you. I spoke with one of the military recruters the other day and from what they told me after I attend a CDL course and get my licence they hire me. From there I will attend a training workshop, and be placed with a trainer for about a month. After that they put me on a route. Ill be relocating to Oklahoma hour from tulsa 3 hours from dallas.

 

[BluntedElvis]

Welcome to the site... A very many thanks for putting foot to ass for our county. From what I hear TMC Trucking in De Moines, Iowa likes to hire our service peoples but they are all flatbed, heavyhaul loads.I agree with Terry give it a year before making a life long commitment to becoming an O/O. I've know lots of people to hop in the ring thinking they can box "this is a medifore" and this industry chewed them up and tossed them aside with no loads or a broken truck with no funds to fix.

 

[johnday]

Other than thanks from another vet, the only thing I can add is that Schneider treated me very well for 1 1/2 years. The trucks aren't the nicest or fastest, better money can be had elsewhere once you get some experience out here, but they did live up to their word, no lying, and if I couldn't get on with a small company, they would be the next phone call if I ever went back OTR. Good luck to ya.

 

[ABF_FREIGHTHAULER]

After reading over your initial post The only answers I can give are that I don't think it really matters what state you get your cdl in. And that the deck is stacked against the O/O's anymore. There are just too many regulations, it makes it almost impossible to succeed if your new to the industry. Also if your buying a tractor that is out of warranty it's also best that you know how to work on it too. The people I know who own their own trucks spend almost as much time maintaining and repairing the truck as they do driving it. Good Luck!!!

 

[RCINSOLO]

How do they treat you. I spoke with one of the military recruters the other day and from what they told me after I attend a CDL course and get my licence they hire me. From there I will attend a training workshop, and be placed with a trainer for about a month. After that they put me on a route. Ill be relocating to Oklahoma hour from tulsa 3 hours from dallas.

I do agree with JohnDay. I have had 1 bad dispatcher of all 5 that i have had. Once you get them to know you by name it makes things alot easier. Many of these dispatchers have 50 drivers. I have always been treated with respect and the knowledge that I know how this company works. Also with my work ethic of loads being on time unless there is a valid reason and safety they treat me well. Now when it comes to a trainer depending on how well you do on the road (which coming from your background I dont see a problem) if you just cant get a handle on everything you will be out for about a month. If you are johnny on the spot and show you know your stuff a week. The two times I had to go with a trainer the very first time and a stent where I was out of the truck for awhile. The first time was a week the second time was 2 days. If you decide to come over here be upfront with your trainer and tell him right off the bat you will give him 100% to learn what he can teach you but you respectfully request he doesnt keep you for any longer than required (some trainers will do this so they can have easy weeks get laid up in a hotel and make extra money). I have know a driver who got picked up in California his Trainer was 48 OTR by the time they got to Saint Lous the trainer kicked him out of the truck said you are good to go. The company got him a rental car and reimbursed him for all the fuel to return back to California so he could be assigned a truck.

Like Johnday said you can make good money somewhere else but for experience you will do good with Schneider. While many drivers dont look highly on Schneider, many companies do.

Good luck to you and whichever path you take give it your all.

 

[Flannel]

I don"t know if you are still following this thread, but I saw your questions and couldn't resist putting in my two cents. To your question on where to live. While it doesn't matter too much where you live if you are going to be a truck load driver, I would say Texas is your best bet. Tx is huge, lots of freight goes through it, and your chances of getting through your house are good there. Also if you get tired of life on the road, you could probably find a local run or at least a dedicated run that would give you better home time then running the road.
Your question on Schneider and buying a truck? I have been with Schneider 3 times. I left the Army ( after 8-years, last 4 at Ft. Bragg ) I was from NJ/NY, but I stayed in Fayetteville, NC. Schneider had a driver school back then in Charlotte, NC which I attended. (1999) I worked out of Laurinburg, NC for Schneider's now disbanded Glass division for a year, then left for a job with Saia Motor, as a line haul driver. Schneider was a good company back then, Don Schneider who was the son of the original founder (Al Schneider) was the head honcho in charge. I went back to Schneider when I bought my own truck with just 2 1/2 years of driving experience. Saia was good, but I didn't like running nothing but nights, and thought owning my own truck was the way to go. As ABF man said in an earlier post, owning your own truck is a headache. You have 2 options, run under your own authority, which means you have to have a tractor and a trailer, plus cargo liability, find your own loads, worry about accounts receivable etc. The other option is to by a tractor only and lease on to a company that hires owner/operators, which is what I did with Schnieder. You use their trailers, they pay for cargo insurance, they pay you and worry about collecting from customers etc. What I found, is that while you gross a lot of money as an O/O you don't end up with much at the end of the year. Fuel costs, Maintenance costs, fuel taxes, Cargo insurance, health insurance, etc. eat you up. Don't forget being self employed as an O/O means you pay both parts of the Social Security and Medicare taxes, and then pay your personnel taxes with what is left. I got rid of my truck after 4 years, and think it is better to just drive a company truck and don't see much of a difference in take home pay.
I moved back North in 2005, live in NYC (Brooklyn) and drive locally. I drove for Schneider for a couple of months in 2009, had been laid off and needed work. Don Schneider has medical issues and no longer runs the company, and its not what it use to be. If you look up their CSA 2010 ratings they are close to DOT intervention. DOT intervention comes in at 80% ( the higher the number the worse the score) on maintenance. Schneider when I left, was at 68% and climbing. It was hard to get service done on trailers you picked up in the yard that had problems, and took even longer to get road side assistance, if you had problems over the road. Schneider also cut pay across the board since the recession started. It also has a bonus program that wasn't very obtainable. Trucks would top out at 62, but you had to run under 59 to get bonus. Idle time was used for bonus also, which was OK in winter they had bunk heaters to warm cab, but no APU's to cool cab in summer months. I would not recommend Schneider. Check out the Fed. Motor Carriers Safety Admin. web sight to get current safety scores on companies. Also go to "Pumpkindriver. Com" for more info on schnider, just take comments made there with some discernment, since most people posting there "bleed orange." Good luck! Wish you luck as a new PFC ( proud F***ing civilian!)