Class A Truck Driving

I started truck driving school in order to move into a new career field. I had actually wanted to drive for a long time and always talked myself out of it. This time I went through with it and completed the challenge of attending the truck driving school in Indianapolis, Indiana.

The course curriculum is intense and demanding, but very thorough and rewarding. When you finally test out and go to State to take the actual CDL skills exam that will give you a CDL Class A, it all pays off.

I am looking forward to starting my career with my carrier USA Truck.

Name: Mark D Pankratz
City: Cincinnati
State: OH
Approx Class Start Date: January 9, 2012

For Driver Solutions, this type of feedback makes everything we do worthwhile.  To hear time and time again that we've allowed someone to live a better life by giving them the tools (training) they neeed to start a new career is our goal. 


Considering a Trucking Career?
Finding a stable job in today’s economy isn’t easy.  In fact, you’d be hard pressed to find an industry as stable as truck driving.  If you’re ready to bring home a steady paycheck, we invite you to get started by completing our secure online application.  Submitting your application will let you schedule a time to speak with a Driver Agent to discuss your trucking career options.

If you're just starting to explore a career in truck driving, you might be wondering where an entry-level truck driving job can take you. What if we told you that you could travel across several countries - including some across an ocean? In this series, we're introducing you to our guest video blogger Jerry Ott, also known as "Bullfrog" among his friends and peers.

Jerry has a YouTube channel and video series called Big Rig Talk where he talks about and showcases his long career on the road. In the next few posts, Jerry will be talk about his background in truck driving -- and his unique experience overseas as a truck driver in Iraq! Watch the video to get acquainted with Jerry, and check back soon for the next part of this video post series.



Jerry has been in the truck driving industry for over 25 years. He started out with driving heavy tow trucks and wreckers and eventually grew tired of those vehicles and desired to drive a tractor trailer. With a little help from his family, he went to truck driving school and got his Class A endorsement on his drivers license. As a Canadian, his drivers license holds everything relating to his truck driving privileges including the Class A, Z air brakes endorsement, and medical card. In Canada, there is no such thing as a "Commercial Driver's License", and the drivers license can be upgraded or downgraded at any time by the Ministry of Transportation.

In 1993, Jerry got the opportunity to do "cross-border" truck driving and has been doing it ever since. He's been to every province in Canada except Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland, and all the lower 48 United States, many times over. He's hauled every kind of trailer, from reefer to flatbed. He's driven over two million miles, accident-free! He believes one of the things that makes truck driving jobs so great is the travel - you're essentially a paid tourist.

Jerry currently works with flatbed trucks on a semi-dedicated lane. He's home every weekend, but his routes somewhat vary between different customers which he prefers since it mixes up his routine. While he's on a dedicated route with plenty of home time now, he started out like all other new truck drivers start out: by paying their dues and spending a couple of years out on the road. But Jerry thinks new truckers shouldn't be discouraged - there's a lot of opportunity out there, and the trucks they'll be getting placed in these days are very comfortable and well-equipped.

Jerry is a great example of how approaching an entry-level truck driving job with hard work and a positive attitude can open up a wealth of opportunities from extensive travel, great benefits, and the perfect position for you.

Check back soon to learn more about Jerry's experience driving a truck overseas in Iraq. If you have any questions for Jerry, leave a comment and he'll answer them in a future video.

Today, we have a blog post to share from the Director at C1 Truck Driver Training in Springfield, Missouri - Rich Campbell.  C1 Training is one of Driver Solutions' affiliate trucking schools and Rich is a great resource for information on becoming a truck driver.

Rich grew up in a trucking family, and started out driving at a very early age.  After 5 years on the road, he decided that he wanted to travel the world so he joined the U.S. Navy. 

Rich spent 20 years in the Navy, specializing in Naval Surface Operations, and Training.  Rich retired from the Navy, went to truck driving school, spent time back out on the road and eventually moved into a Director role at C1 Truck Driver Training.

With the 2011 coming to an end and 2012 quickly approaching, Driver Solutions asked Rich to share with us his recommended goals for inexperienced, first year drivers (these can apply to experienced drivers as well!).  Let's check out what Rich had to say...

As we’re ending 2011 and heading into 2012, we look back on the past year, think about the goods and others, and start planning the New Year.  The first year of trucking is definitely the toughest, so the best approach is to set your goals for a successful first year.  For goals to actually work for you, you have to be specific, make sure they are achievable, and they need to be measurable. 

To say that in the first year my goal is “To become a good truck driver” is not a specific goal.  You can’t measure it, and you have no real way of knowing if you’ve achieved it.  That said, you have to break down what it means to become a good truck driver and here are 3 measurable goals that will help you do just that:

1.    Earn Your Safety Bonus Each Quarter
Every carrier out there offers a safety bonus to those drivers that make it through that period with no safety violations of any sort.  The bonus varies different at each carrier, but bottom line is that you will get more money in your pocket.  We stress the Smith System of defensive driving at C1, and if you always implement this approach to your driving on the road, you’ll do very well.

2.    Finish the Year with Zero Points on Your CSA Score 
Every commercial motor vehicle driver is graded in 6 different areas by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration in a program called Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA).  This is a record of your performance out on the road, and is used to determine the likelihood of a crash occurring.  Any violation you receive will put points on your CSA score, so a perfect score is zero.  Here at C1, we teach a class on CSA, and talk about the best ways to maintain that perfect score.

3.    Get Through the Year with a Clean DAC Report
DAC stands for Drive A Check, and is comparative to a personal credit report, but it grades your performance as a professional driver with respect to on time pick-ups, on time deliveries, hitting stationary objects in a parking lot, damaging equipment, and the real big one is abandoning a vehicle.  We stress the importance of paying attention to detail, which directly translates into a clean DAC report. 

Setting the goals I have mentioned above will all add up to ultimately achieving that large goal, “To become a good truck driver”, but by breaking it down to things that are specific, achievable, and measurable you can truly see that you are accomplishing those things.  Only you can decide which goals are important to you, but it is important to set goals. 

In order to arrive at a specific destination at a specific time, every ship at sea must set a course to sail, and must maintain course to arrive at said destination.  When pushed off course, you then determine what’s called “Set and Drift” which puts you back on course.  This applies to all of us as individuals.  Set your personal course, always check that you’re on course, and compute for “Set and Drift” when pushed off course.  This will always ensure that you arrive at your personal destination, and that’s the ultimate goal.

We would love to hear some of the goals you've set for 2012, so please share in the comments section below!

Thousands of new truck drivers hit the road every year to deliver the things we want and need.  In order to help make the holidays just a little bit easier, Driver Solutions created a Free Truck Driver Holiday Survival Guide to help these truck drivers make it through the ever so busy holiday season. 

We understand that there's a lot to do to become a professional truck driver, including meeting Department of Transportation minimum requirements, getting CDL training, and earning your Class A CDL license. If that isn’t a challenge enough, once you're on the road you have to adjust to the trucker lifestyle and get used to spending time away from your family.

This survival guide was written for trucking students, new truck drivers, and even experienced drivers as a tool full of practical holiday tips to make trucking during the holidays less stressful for both drivers and their families.

The survival guide includes tips for:

• Trucker gift ideas
• Money saving tips
• Safe driving tips
• Tips for reducing stress
• Places to see
• New Year’s goals.

If you need a little extra holiday advice this season, just take a few seconds to fill out this simple form to get the FREE Truck Driver Holiday Survival Guide right away. As a bonus for filling out the form, we’ll keep you updated regularly by email with more free CDL training information and the latest info on truck driver jobs.

Truck drivers help make the holidays special by hauling the many products we give as gifts all across the country. Make sure you share this survival guide with a trucker this season to help keep their holidays bright as well.

The National Truck Driver Appreciation Week was September 11^th-17^th, and to celebrate Driver Solutions announced a special contest in partnership with eGears to show recognition for all the great truckers out there.  We reached out to our Facebook, Twitter, and blog readers so we could learn about first-class truck drivers, the sacrifices they make, and how they help make a difference.

To show the nominees how much we appreciated them, we initially offered a $200 gift card toward the Ultimate Truck Driver Convenience Package.  This Wal-Mart gift card could be used on truck tools, a GPS, comfortable clothes, or whatever a truck driver needs. Last year we received over 30 entries in the contest and were very impressed with the response.  This year, we received a record breaking amount of over 75 entries! Nominations came in from parents, siblings, spouses, and friends and we truly enjoyed reading and sharing the stories about so many extraordinary truck drivers. 

Originally, we were only going to announce one winner from this contest, but choosing from 75 entries was just too hard! After receiving so many amazing entries, we decided to extend the contest, raise the prize amount to $250, and give not just one, but THREE drivers a chance at winning the grand prize.

This year we had so many great entries that it was extremely difficult choosing the winners. We decided to pick three grand prize winners and one honorable mention. To read all of the nominations from this year, take a look at our Truck Driver Appreciation posts.

Here are the winners from our Truck Driver Appreciation Contest:

Grand Prize Winner #1 ($250 Wal-Mart Gift Card) - CJ Rimmer

CJ provided us with one of the most creative entries this year. He skillfully expressed the representation of how the job of professional truck driving can be related to how the human body works. It is clear that CJ is proud of being a truck driver and works hard to make a good name for all truckers.

The Lifeblood of America

Grand Prize Winner #2 ($250 Wal-Mart Gift Card) - Roger Simmons

Roger had the most nominations with 11 entries! His family and friends put together a great list of reasons as to why Roger deserves the Ultimate Truck Driver Package. Check out just a few of the entries that were submitted on Roger’s behalf:

• Sharing Trucker
• A Truckers Life
• On the Road Again
• Shelves Would be Bare

Grand Prize Winner #3 ($250 Wal-Mart Gift Card) - Paul Deeter

Paul was nominated by his wife. Paul has overcome homelessness, taking care of sick family members, and making many sacrifices. He went through the Driver Solutions program and has been working with PAM Transport for over a year.

Honorable Mention ($100 Wal-Mart Gift Card) - Terry Zuber

Terry also received several nominations, showing that he is truly appreciated by his family and friends. In his 50’s, Terry recently went through Driver Solutions to start a trucking career. Here are just a few of the nominations Terry received:

• Terry is my Truck Driver!
• He Never Expected to Live His Dream of Being a Trucker…
• Sacrifice One for the Team

 

Truck Driver Appreciation Week may only last one week each year, but it’s clear that truckers are valued year round!

 

I just signed up to start the truck driver classes with Driver Solutions. I live in Alabama and will be traveling to Indiana for the classes. I am a 48 yr old female and I have been unemployed for 1 1/2 years and I am taking a leap of faith here. I rode in a truck with my dad some when I was younger and I have contemplated driving a truck for many, many years but have never taken that step. I have no money to even make this start and I'm scared to death that my brain won't retain the knowledge that I need to remember for the pre-trip lol :) but again, I'm plunging in with both feet and taking this on faith. So, I could use this gift card to help me start out with what I would need for the truck. Thank you and God Bless!

Your Name: Tami Raney
Truck Driver: Tami Raney

Hi Tami,

Thank you for sharing your story with us.  We know it's a big step to take and wish you the best of luck with taking on this new career.  Please keep us updated on your truck driver training experience and let us know if there is anything we can do to help!

Also - be sure to make friends right away and form a study group.  That will help you greatly with the pre-trip inspection and other parts of training.

- The Driver Solutions Team

There are many others who perhaps are more deserving of this prize. But in these hard times any one who changes careers at 55 should receive something for their efforts. First I give my Lord, Jesus Christ, the credit for the ability to accomplish this task.

You see I had two jobs; driving a school bus and doing maintenance work for the church where my wife and I attended. The economy turned sour, people lost jobs, decreased income, as a result I need to leave the church, the major source of our income. Still left with a mortgage, credit card bills, as well as utilities; I needed to find a job that would span the gap of two incomes. Any job that I got would require me to stop driving a school bus, that is why I say one job for two. My wife and I thought about utilizing my CDL's.

Since I had a class B I thought it wouldn't be a problem to find a job, but the only thing is, it needed to bring in enough for two. In searching out the market I was told that Propane Truck Delivery Drivers earn around $17hr, so I study, get my background check done, finger printed again (already for the school bus job), take my test, and await the background check to clear. Everything comes together just right, but still I needed a job, every one told me to call around October, but this was July. My wife and I had discussed the over the road truck driving, but really didn't want to go there because I would be gone so much. Here we were facing this decision once again.

I got in contact with Driver Solutions and set things up to attend school at Littel Rock, AR, at C1 Truck Driving School. Now here we are almost three months later. I am employeed by PAM Transport, had my first three week out on my own, still working on getting everything co-ordinated. I am thankful that my wife has got a raise at the school where she works, that is helping to bridge the gap. We are going to make it with the Lord's help. We do have our house for sale for any one looking for a good deal on a 1612 sq. ft. home, built in 2006. Double car garage, brick 75%, landscaping, basically take over the payments. There are many others out there in my same shoes and I respect every one of them for their efforts.

Your Name:  Richard Curry
Truck Driver: Richard Curry

Hi Richard,

Thank you for sharing your story about becoming a truck driver.  We know it's not always easy to switch careers at age 55.  That being said, we're glad you were able to get started and we wish you the best of luck in selling your house.

- The Driver Solutions Team

Deciding to become a professional truck driver is one of the best career choices you can make today.  A career as a professional truck driver can open the door to many opportunities that can positively impact your life - including great pay and a stable environment.

You have probably found yourself asking, what exactly do you have to do to become a professional truck driver?

First, you must meet the basic requirements of the US Department of Transportation and hold a Class A CDL license. The DOT requires you to pass a physical exam to make sure you are fit enough to handle the responsibilities of truck driving. The CDL ensures that truck drivers meet the minimum requirements for the safe operation of a tractor trailer. In addition to a standard general knowledge test, truck drivers must also obtain endorsements by passing the combination vehicle and air brake knowledge tests.  Potential truck drivers need to learn not only how to operate a truck, but they must also learn the rules and regulations that truck drivers must follow.

To get started, you should contact the best truck driver training school in the country and ask for career options based on your skills, background, and goals. Finding a program that can accommodate your needs is vital. A truck driving school should not only help you learn all of the information needed to get your CDL, but should also help you find truck driving jobs after graduation.

What do I do next?

Just like any career path, a trucking career is going to have its challenges. Driver Solutions provides the tools to potential truck drivers to help them overcome some of the challenges they may face. Driver Solutions uses a proven method of training that brings out the best driver in students, then works to match students up with a company in the Driver Solutions Network.

Starting your CDL training and a trucking career with Driver Solutions can happen in just 6 simple steps:

1.       Review our trucking career opportunities

2.       Complete the online application

3.       Speak with a Driver Agent to discuss the Driver Solutions program

4.       Driver Solutions qualifies your application

5.       Attend CDL training at a Driver Solutions-approved truck driving school

6.       Begin driving for your new trucking company

Once you qualify and complete these six steps, you'll be on the road to success! Complete our online driver application today to schedule a time to speak with a Driver Agent about your career options.

As an aspiring truck driver, you should check out these FREE CDL training resources to help you become familiar with the industry:


Tips for New Truck Drivers - Get several CDL training school and OTR tips you can follow. These tips will help you prepare for your CDL exam and help you obtain your license quickly.

Looking for a Class A Truck Driver Job - There are many employment opportunities in the industry today. One of the opportunities many aspiring drivers want to get into is a company sponsored training program. Knowing how to take full advantage of these opportunities will be very helpful in your career. 

My Wonderful Experience at Truck Driving Training School. Be inspired by a story of a Driver Solutions graduate. Learn how truck driving has given him another chance for a better future not only for himself but also for his family.

Join us on Facebook and stay connected with us on Twitter to know more about our programs, promos and contests.

I graduated from truck driving training school on 09/16/2011 and this was a refresher for me. The people there (trucking school) were very nice and helpful. And pushing Safety is the #1 thing. You got to be safe out there on the road.

I really did enjoy the school. in Springfield. I want to say again Thanks Guys! They are there to help you, and believe me, they do. I seen it. I seen them go out of their way to help. You, got to give it your all also. You may get upset at times, but give it your all and they will help you with the rest.

Be safe everyone and I hope to see you out there on the road. OTR Dollie Williams
To all my class mates WE DONE IT!

Name: Dollie Elaine Williams
City: Cape Girardeau
State: Missouri
Approx Class Start Date: 08/29/2011

Hi Dollie,

We're glad you had a positive experience at trucking school and were able to get out there on the road.  Your feedback is very appreciated and something we take very seriously at Driver Solutions.  We wish you the best of luck and hope you'll continue to keep in touch via our Facebook page.

- The Driver Solutions Team

First day jitters are normal. As a rookie driver, you may experience feeling anxious a few more times after that initial driving day. To decrease your anxiety, here are some tips to help you get through your first day out on the road.

Be Safe!
Keep in mind that you're a rookie driver. No matter how good you were when you were in training, remember that you were in a controlled setting then. You are out on the road now with real traffic and real driving problems to deal with. You cannot take risks. One of the many things you will learn in a truck driver training school is to always be safe. If this means taking time to turn on a narrow road or getting out to look as you back up, then do so. There is nothing wrong with being careful, especially when lives are at stake.

Being Alone Doesn't Mean Being Lonely
Saying you can take the loneliness truck drivers face on the road is easier said than done. Getting long haul Class A truck driver jobs doesn't mean you have to accept the loneliness that goes with truck driving. To decrease the feeling of isolation and loneliness, take advantage social media tools such as Facebook and Twitter to connect with other drivers while you have breaks. 

Is truck driving for you? Driver Solutions can help you get started on this great career. Join us on Facebook and be our Twitter follower to learn more about truck driving.

I had a wonderful experience while at the Driver Solutions and the truck driver training school they sent me to in Indianapolis, IN. Everyone from the instructors to the administration people were very supportive and understanding of the stress the students are under.

Mine was a bit more stressful than most I'm sure - as I started school on Monday and at midnight on Wednesday night I received a phone call that my mother had passed away :(. Driver Solutions allowed me to take the 6 days off from school that I needed in order to be with my family during that very difficult time. When I returned the following Wednesday, I was able to catch-up on my classroom testing and get back with my original classmates for the driving instruction. Craig, my driving instructor, was an absolute blessing to have as an instructor. He got his points across concerning how to drive and control the truck without making you feel like a complete moron. As long as you listened, applied and retained what he was telling you, you learned very quickly. I had the benefit of several years of experience pulling trailers with a pick up truck which allowed me to easily comprehend backing the truck and trailer for the range exercises which took a lot of stress of me.

I also had the unfortunate experience of getting a roommate in the hotel that had no respect for another individual. This person felt it was perfectly fine to turn on the TV and lights in the room well after 10:00 & 11:00pm. After 4 days of this, I finally went to the front desk and requested they give me another room. Driver Solutions picked up the tab for this room and discussed the issue with that person, letting him know that what he was doing was not acceptable and if he wanted to continue attending the school he would have to respect others.

Another hugely frustrating issue that I had to deal with was my carrier taking forever to commit to hiring me. So here I had busted my butt to deal with all these issues and still able to pass all the C1 driver testing that you must pass in order to go take the State CDL testing but I couldn't go take the State testing until they made that commitment. Driver Solutions worked diligently with my carrier to get them to commit and ultimately I was able to take my State CDL testing and passed on my 2nd attempt.

I would highly recommend Driver Solutions to anyone wanting a career in truck driving.

Name: Steven Rosetto Sr.
City: New Castle
State: Indiana
Approx Class Start Date: 08/08/2011



Hi Steven,

Thank you for taking the time to share this review of the Driver Solutions Program.  We know you had a few setbacks along the way, but the important things is that you finished strong and didn't let that stop you from achieving your goal.  We wish you the best of luck and will continue to keep in touch with you via our Driver Solutions Facebook Page. 

I arrived at truck driving school in Fort Wayne, Indiana on July 4, 2011 unsure of what to expect. I began classes the following morning and was hit with tons of paperwork to sign, a DOT physical to take, cups to pee in (lol) all after being talked to by John Triplett, the school director, (who was awesome!). Then Ivan (classroom instructor) came in after lunch and began our classroom training. He made the days fun with his uncanny charm and demeanor!

Week 2 began with all of us "newbies" on the range huddled in our own little group not sure of what to expect.  Then the roll call began and we were told which range we would be on during training. The range/road instructors were the bomb! I had direct contact with Ryan, Andre, and Kevin on the Range and Brian and Sam on the road.  I learned so much from those guys! They have a great amount of knowledge between them, but you have the have the right attitude and listen to what they have to share with you!

I am honored to have had the opportunity to attend trucking school in Fort Wayne, In through the Driver Solutions Program and look forward to beginning my new career with USA Truck.

Name: Melissa Johnson
City: Plain City
State: Ohio
Approx Class Start Date: 07/05/2011

Hi Melissa,

Thank you for taking the time to leave a review.  We're glad you enjoyed your time at training and wish you the best of luck in your new trucking career with USA Truck.  Please keep us posted on your progress.

Best Wishes,
The Driver Solutions Team

If you are investigating the career of trucking, you are wise to do some research ahead of time.  It is not as easy as simply getting behind the wheel of a semi tractor trailer.  While you are conducting your research, you may run across the term DOT physical.  You will be required to pass the DOT physical before you get your CDL and begin a trucking career.  Here’s what to expect from your DOT physical while in truck driver training school.

CDL license holders are required to hold a valid DOT record certified by a doctor.  This is a physical exam that comes with proof in the form of a Medical Examiners Certificate.  Formally known as the Department of Transportation Medical Examination, the DOT ensures your ability to be physically sound enough to safely operate and drive a commercial vehicle. 

Sometimes you can get your DOT with certain trucking companies that offer CDL training if they have a doctor to work with.  The Drivers Solutions Training Program for example will conduct your DOT physical and drug screening in the first week of classes. 

Some of the Basic DOT requirements:

1. You must have 20/40 correctable vision in each eye. Glasses or contact lenses are permitted.
2. You cannot be a diabetic on needle-injected insulin; diabetes controlled through a diet or oral medication is permitted.
3. Your blood pressure must be under 160/100. Prescription medication to control blood pressure is permitted.
4. Your blood sugar level must be under 200.
5. Use of a Schedule 1 drug, amphetamine, narcotic or any other habit forming drug is not permitted.
6. If you have a current diagnosis of cardiac insufficiency, collapse, congestive cardiac failure or any other cardiovascular disease you will be required to provide the Medical Examiner with a stress test from within the last 12 months along with a release from your physician stating that you can drive a commercial motor vehicle without restrictions.

If you feel you meet these requirements and are ready to start your truck driver training - complete our online driver application now.

Many studies indicate that the average American changes fields or industries at least five times in the course of their working life.  But with the economy in the position it is in, not many Americans can leave work upon retirement and well, actually retire.  This is a leading reason why more retirees today are entering truck driver training school.  And for those that are seeking entry level trucking jobs, retirees are often leading candidates.  Why?

One reason is proven responsibility and work performance.  A driver that has been working at steady employment most of their adult life has demonstrated that they will be reliable to perform Class A truck driver jobs.

Retirees typically have more freedom than the average student attending trucking school. These drivers can literally be on the road for weeks and nobody in their family feels the crunch, because they’ve all left the nest already.  Some retirees are even attending trucking school with their spouses and hitting the open road in team truck driving jobs and living a very happy. fullfilled life by doing so.

If you are thinking about a second career, the tax benefits, income benefits, and freedom and flexibility in retirement are all ahead of you in trucking. 

Despite the fact that the economy has been sluggish at best in the past three years, the Bureau of Labor Stats in America is saying, “keep trucking”.  While it is true that goods are not being produced and moved as quickly as they have in previous decades, the trucking industry still stands firm as a more effective means of transporting goods than any other transportation service.  As well, trucking requires less security compliance and customs clearance than flight or sea transportation, and ultimately, costs companies less.  There simply has never been a better time to begin researching truck driver training school.

Do you need more proof that the trucking industry is one of the most stable industries?  There are few recession proof jobs out there, but truck driving jobs are one of the few that will always be around  To come back from this recession, our economy IS demanding the movement of goods and services.  This means new drivers are needed TODAY. 


Another key factor in the increased demand for Class A truck driver jobs is in the retirement rate.  Optimum health is required for this position, and so retirement in trucking does come earlier than average jobs.  Simply put, it has never been a better time for students looking for a bright career in truck driving.

Go ahead and start your trucking career by completing our online driver application.  This will allow you to schedule a time to speak with a Driver agent about your options in this booming industry. 

I had a great experience with Driver Solutions. I attended CDL training in Indianapolis, IN.  I made many friends and made lasting memories. Of course being the only female in my class, made it memorable. I was lucky to experience training with a couple different instructors.

Donna was my main instructor, a totally awesome lady and full of information!  By the second week in trucks, we were better drivers and donna was impressed with our progress, as were we.

Another instructor, Amin, was my instructor for a few days.  He offered a different perspective, and a bit more detail. He is still a driver when he isn't teaching, which is kinda cool.

I will and have recommended it to friends and family who are considering a change in career. In fact, the day I came home, a friend asked for the phone number so he could attend as well.

Overall, this was a fantastic experience! I had a blast, and the friendships I made will last for years. I can't wait to start driving with my new company(USA Truck), and I am looking forward to orientation in a couple weeks in Arkansas.

Name: Kathy Schoenfeld
City: Cincinnati
State: Ohio
Approx Class Start Date: 05/23/2011


Kathy,

Thank you for your review!  We appreciate the feedback and wish you the best of luck with your new career.  Please keep us updated from time to time on the Driver Solutions Facebook page. 

The Driver Solutions Team

So, you're looking to find a truck driving job...but you have no experience.  It's not an easy thing to do. 

Sure, everywhere you look you will find articles about the increasing demand for truck drivers  and read about plans that carriers have to hire thousands of drivers.  But still you find yourself at a dead end. 

At Driver Solutions, we talk with people every day that are in this position.  They want to enter the truck driving industry, but are having difficulty finding a job.  Others have their Class A CDL, but no recent experience.

It's for this reason that we work with all of our applicants to find a trucking job opportunity BEFORE they start training.  Trucking companies want to see recent training experience to make sure they are hiring the most qualified drivers available.  By going through a company sponsored CDL training program, the companies know they are getting a driver that has been trained properly and the driver has a job opportunity waiting after completion of training. 

If you find yourself in this position, just complete our online driver application.  This will allow you to schedule a time to speak with a Driver Agent about your trucking career options.  Just click on the "Apply Now" button to get started.

In part 2 of our interview with USA Truck driver, John Carpenter, we discuss life on the road, his training experience with Driver Solutions and advice for those just entering the trucking industry. 

Check out part 1 of our interview here and be sure to check back tomorrow for part 3!

Q: How do you balance your family time with life on the road?

A: Well, for me I have a brother in Houston, Texas and mother in Augusta, Georgia…so everything works out great.  I am able to schedule my visits and use them as home time while getting paid to travel out there.  I am a single guy, so this career gives me a lot of flexibility with friends and family.  They are always excited to see me and it’s good I am able to travel to visit all of them.

I also keep in touch with each of them by calling and using social media application.  I have WiFi in my truck along with 2 laptops, an iPad, PS3, and Smartphone…so you could say I am well connected!


Q: What was your truck driver training experience like with Driver Solutions?

A: I came through school back in July of 2010.  Overall, I think training was great. 
Keith was my first week instructor and he did a lot of the paperwork and book stuff.  His instruction helped us get our permit and everything that we needed to get started.  He was a great instructor with a lot of patience and good sense of humor.  This was important because each class has people with experience that have been in industry and others that have not been around it at all.  Keith was able to mesh everyone together through his humor while still being focused.  We were all very nervous at first and he definitely helped set the mood.  I also really like the idea of allowing graduated students to pop in and give some takeaways to students that were sitting in the same place they were a few weeks ago.

My second week instructor was Gary.  Gary was amazing.  He educated us through the process of driving out on the range.  He got his point across and he did it in a manner to where we would have takeaways to remember every day.  We were divided up into small groups during training.  Most students become good friends with their group and it helps you learn a lot.  I still talk with my group to this day.  We remember back to the things that happened back along the way and laugh a lot.    
 
One thing is for sure about trucking school - Darlene, Jamie, and Mike all run a tight ship and it’s amazing the way they work together.  There are some others, but I can only speak about those that I encountered.  I praise them…it was amazing.  My group of 4, we all graduated early - 100% on pre-trip inspection and no extra pull ups on the range.

Now, one other thing to understand about training is that they focus on the skills needed to pass the CDL test.  We covered straight backing and parallel parking mostly, but I’ve had to work on alley dock backing as it’s used in more real world situations


Q: What advice would you give to someone just entering the trucking industry?

A: Give it a fair shot.  This is very important.  Sometimes when you are in school for something it doesn’t always make sense at the time, but you will understand it over time.
It’s also very important to have a good attitude.  You need to give it time before you make a decision on if it is going to work. 

I offer suggestions and advice to my friends all the time.  I was the guy that was a cheerleader and coach.  I was the sideline guy, but I was always on the field helping others as well.  That’s just who I am.

Remember, to look at yourself first.  Are you the one to blame?  Do you always deliver late?  Do you just have a negative attitude about everything?  It’s not always going to be easy.  There are a lot of frustrations in the world, but a lot of it can be cured by looking at yourself and giving it that fair shot.

Tomorrow, John will provide his top 3 trucking tips, so be sure to check back!