Good companies that offer OTJ training?

Hello,

Can anyone lead me into the right direction of some companies that offer OTJ paid training? I have read about CR England does this but also have read horror stories. I would like to do OTR or at least regional and wouldn't mind going out with someone at first for a few to learn. Any info is appreciated. I am still in school and just got my permit so trying to have something lined up outside of school. They have an option or two but I am trying to explore everything. Thanks for your help
 
TMC Transportation does training and then trainer on the road time for 5 weeks. I have been with the company for 9 months. They are a no BS company. They keep me moving and I make good money. Their pay system for percentage pay is performance based. I currently make the same percentage as my trainer does. They have nice well maintained equipment, and if your a veteran they will do all the paperwork for apprenticeship. (Accept the initial application you have to do or the VA)

I would be happy to give you a referral. If you pm me I could get some info and a recruiter could contact you.
 
Skyline Transportation in Knoxville TN doe the CDL training and then OTR training with a Driver Trainer. All paid from Day 1. I just finished week 2 and everything is going great. I have had the opportunity to talk to several of the drivers and I have not heard a single one say anything negative at all. The largest majority of the ones that I have talked to have been there 10+ years and seem happy. smaller company with about 185 trucks but everything seems good to me. Let me know if your interested and I will give you the info on them.
 
That was my first company. Did my whole rookie tour with them . Still wear my knight jacket with pride , even wore it during my vacation in England LOL . Still have my Knight Ruck Sack ( army style duffle bag ) as well . Might go back to work for them for while . Wanna lease my own truck again in a year or so .
 
That was my first company. Did my whole rookie tour with them . Still wear my knight jacket with pride , even wore it during my vacation in England LOL . Still have my Knight Ruck Sack ( army style duffle bag ) as well . Might go back to work for them for while . Wanna lease my own truck again in a year or so .
Do it right: save your $$ and buy one.
 
Been trying to go that route . I have leased a truck before but I should have done it through Knight . Just I really wanted a Freight Shaker . Got one ... Worst decision of my whole career , got involved with CRST . It was an awful experience. Decided if I ever did it again it would only be through Knight , and now that they have a flatbed division and I've got over 3 and a half years of hard flatbedding under my belt ... Just maybe I will chance it but want to work as company driver for a year at least with them to say if it's gone downhill since my days with them . They were a good company and I owe most of my good habits and skills to their training. But I get your point and advice and now it's correct. Thanks
 
I can't say since I have no experience with them . Best way to find out is find Pam Drivers on say... Pam's Facebook page . Also look on sites that allow drivers to give their personal review of trucking companies. Remember though every company has good and bad stories about it so if you find more of one than the other then that's how the company probably leans . I'm sure lots of others bash Knight Transportation and Cypress Trucklines but I feel their not Horrible but at same time I will never say anything good about CRST while others might . Personally I advise anyone to just avoid CRST . Ironically I defend both companies I got fired from ... That in itself says alot about those two companies when you think about it , especially the fact that I want to go back to the first one .
 
I can't really recommend leasing a truck through Knight. Here's why.

  • $1.20 a mile thereabouts (it changes) per MILE. I did the math and going off my average miles provided to work, I would really not make much more while having way more responsibility. Definitively balanced to a pay raise barely commensurate with ability to make payments, not bankroll anything to get ahead. I make way more than that leased on where I am.
  • Knight trucks are detuned, weakly equipped, bare minimum to move freight trucks, and for what you're paying total across the lease purchase payments, you can find much better equipment on the open market, or outside-of-company leasing arrangements if your credit is less than stellar. I did.
  • "no forced dispatch"... Turn down a load and see what happens. You won't get fired, but falling out of favor for even making a competent weather decision instead of moving can find your wallet hurting.

    All said and done, yes you'd finish with a truck provided no issues, but you'd be finishing up with a truck that's 700k plus miles, low end fleet spec, low end motor (not just programming, either), and that's excluding any hiccups with the truck as you'll be leasing a truck outside of warranty, without the extra amount to actually bankroll any major repairs you may incur.
 
Guess alot has changed since I been there . I mean sure trucks were always governed but even still of all the lease operators I met only one wasn't happy . Some even leasing their second truck with driver in first and one guy was building his own fleet . Had four or five trucks through Knight . But then again they were running nice Peterbilts and even most the Volvo's had 475 Cummins in them . They did just start getting Volvo's with that crappy Volvo engine when I left though . Was no fan of those for sure .
But every company goes through changes and unfortunately once their public traded the changes aren't for the better usually. Companies tend to forget that shareholders are only half the required investor's. Without people investing labor a company cannot grow beyond anyone person's own ability... But then again what some see as a cliff others see as a launch platform. Only time can tell . Sucks if they've gone that far down hill though .
 
The engine derating is done through the ECM, so going back to factory spec is a programming task for the most part.

The big problems with leasing are the freight is controlled by the carrier, and the contracts can be terminated for practically anything with no notice. Maintenance is controlled by the carrier, and many lease deals give you little say in what is done with your maintenance escrow. If they decide to starve you out so that you dont get the truck, there is little you can do - most contracts bind you to the carrier.

Ponder this... nationally, 9 out of 10 truck leasees fail to complete their leases. Those are really bad odds.
 
Exactly what happened to me with CRST . Like I said though , at least back in the day , Knight had an extremely honest lease .
States are starting to crack down on companies with predatory leases though . Real issue is with state borders . For example laws put in place in Florida don't necessarily protect you from the lack of same laws in Iowa or vice-versa. Ironically Uber brought the practice to national attention .
One option though is you get the truck then refinance. If you have a credit union over a bank you will stand the best luck . But no lease should be taken likely.
 
That was exactly the route I was going but now gotta start all over again . All because I decided to do what other responsible adults fo and decided to have a night out on the town for first time in ages . But anyway that's a whole nother story ... Should have been responsible and just sat home like I always do and have no life LOL
 

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