Team Truck Driving

1. Career Opportunities are Available
Let's face it, there still aren't a lot of jobs available in today's economy.  If you've seen your "field dry up"  and are searching for something new, a truck driving job may be a good choice.  As one student says in the video - it's either truck driving or something in the medical field and a trucking career is much easier to get started.  


Applying with Driver Solutions
If you've thought about becoming a truck driver, get started by completing our secure online application.  This will allow you to schedule a time with a Driver Agent who will being qualifying you for a trucking job opportunity and answer any questions you might have. 

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’ve made the choice to become a truck driver, you’ll end up driving with a company trainer for a while. There are plenty of articles discussing what you can expect from the viewpoint of a trainee, but what about the trainer? I was a driver trainer for a large refrigerated carrier and would like to tell you what training is like from a trainer’s perspective. I hope this article helps shed some light on what trainers go through so that you can better understand why trainers do the things they do or say the things they say.

It’s Stressful
Chances are, you’ll be nervous about meeting your trainer. For the next 3 to 6 weeks (or longer), you’ll have to share a tiny little space with a total stranger nearly 24hrs per day and 7 days per week. Well, guess what? Trainers feel nervous about it, too!

Sure, trainers sign up for it and do it voluntarily, usually for some additional pay, but there is still a ton of stress involved when first starting out. On top of that, trainers are expected to ride around with a brand new CDL holder. Most trainees have absolutely no truck driving experience other than what their CDL school taught them. The only way trainers can control the situation is to use their voice. It’s a very helpless feeling seeing a curve coming up too quickly or noticing the trailer is about to take out a pole with zero control over the situation. To make matters worse, many trainees are either too nervous to take in everything they are told, or flat out don’t listen to advice. That only increases the anxiety levels.

Lack Of Sleep
A controversial issue within driver training is the fact that most companies operate training trucks as team dispatched trucks. Meaning, after the first week or so, the trainee drives while the trainer sleep and vice-versa. Do you know what it’s like to try and sleep while a brand new driver is cruisin’ along the expressway at 65mph? It’s terrifying! Any jerk of the wheel, curve, strange noise, or application of the brakes will jolt your trainer awake. This only adds to the stress for your trainer. It’s extremely difficult to get quality sleep in that type of environment because trainers usually aren’t ever in a deep sleep. They are one step below sleeping with one eye open!

Pressure Buildup
It’s fairly common for trainees to complain about their trainer “yelling and screaming for no reason.” I don’t condone trainers yelling and screaming unless it’s an immediate emergency. But there is a very good reason this happens. Trainers are in constant stress and fear. Their job is not only to teach you how to become a safe and efficient truck driver, but they are also responsible for keeping you safe, keeping themselves safe, and keeping the motoring public safe. Combine that with the lack of quality sleep and a possible personality clash and it’s a perfect setup for a trainer to temporarily lose his or her cool. That’s what we call a blowout. Imagine a balloon being blown up with more air every time a trainer feels stressed, but suppresses that stress. Eventually that balloon is going to pop. Whether your trainer has a blowout or not entirely depends upon your specific trainer and situations you both go through together. Chances are, he or she will not have a blowout. But if it happens, just move passed it. Don’t take it personal. Trainers build up a ton of stress and anxiety over the course of training and not all of them handle it perfectly all the time.

Inability To Communicate
The most frustrating thing for a trainer is the inability to communicate properly to a trainee. As a trainee, you’ll be forced to absorb a ton of information in a very short period of time. As a trainer, I had a very short period of time to teach things to my trainee. So it’s a double edged sword. While I didn’t expect my trainee to comprehend 100% of everything I said, after 3 or 4 times it would start to get frustrating having to repeat myself.

Taking It Personal
While I can’t speak for all trainers, I know that I took the success of my trainee very personal. I wanted nothing more than to see my trainee become a safe and happy truck driver. If my trainee were to get into an accident, quit, or get fired, I’d take personal responsibility for that. Even through the little arguments or personality conflicts that naturally comes with sharing such a tiny space, I never once wanted to see a student fail. The only thing I wanted was success and I took that very personally. Everything I did and everything I said was meant to further the success of my trainee. So remember, chances are, your trainer will be the same way. Even if you disagree on something, you and your trainer are interested in the same end result. Success.

Are you a driver trainer?  If so, share with us some of your thoughts on this post below!

More About the Author
Mike Rogers (also known as TruckerMike) is a former OTR truck driver, CDL Instructor, and driver trainer. During his trucking career, he traveled through all 48 continental states in all weather conditions maintaining a perfect service and safety record.
Read more blog posts from Mike here

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 have known Terry for 15 years now. Terry has always been one of the hardest workers I have known until an injury made it impossible for him to continue working in construction, which is the only job he had known. I watched Terry search for months trying to find another job to replace the career he has always known without any success. Terry went out of his comfort zone when applying to the truck driving school. He knew that my mother needed him to take this step and he did it to provide for my mother. My mom and Terry's life has been through a lot over the past year and it is finally looking up. They don't have a lot of money to stock his truck and this prize would really make their lives easier and more comfortable. Thank you......

YourName: Michael Pierce
TruckDriver: Terry L. Zuber

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

Some days I think to myself sending him out to be a trucker is a bad idea. I think of all the hazards involved, the long times away from home and not being here for the kids. It upsets me to know he has to work these longs hours to be able to support his family. But then again, I'm happy he is doing this. Since Jason and I got together he said he wanted to be a driver. At first I thought he was kidding but he wasn't. He knew everything about trucks and read about them. Heh, he even would watch trucking shows any chance he got. Then we had Sierra. Seemed like he didn't want to drive anymore. He stayed home and let me pursue my career as a CNA and I think, honestly where would I be without his support and pushing me to go forth with this. So I've done the same for him. I was very skeptical about it but I know this is something he loves, its his passion. It makes the nights easier knowing he is happy.

Your Name: Nicole Kutch
Truck Driver: Jason Kirk




Hi Nicole,

Thanks for sharing this story with us and nominating Jason. We're glad he is able to pursue his passion and we're even more appreciative of the support you give him! 

We wish you and Jason the best of luck!

-The Driver Solutions Team

Hi, my name is Darren Stephens and I am from Indianapolis, Indiana. I'm 27 years old and I have two kids. I'm also going through a divorce and it has taken its toll on me. I have two beautiful kids that I have to take care of, I love my kids and I gotta make it for them, they are all I got. I have been going through a lot of ups and downs over the past couple of years, and it seems like I just can't get it right. Over the past couple of months I lost my job and the engine in my car went out. I have been looking over your site and watching the videos and I am really interested in becoming a driver. I see a truck driving career as the my way out of this slump, and a opportunity to get my life back on track. I use to live in Atlanta Ga when I first got married and I have family in Mississippi and around the south. I love traveling and seeing new places, and I plan on moving back to the south soon. I just want to make something out of myself so that my kids can depend on there dad when they need me.

Your Name: Darren Stephens
Truck Driver: Darren Stephens





Hi Darren,

Thank you for your entry in our contest.  We know things can be hard at times and we wish you the best on getting everything back on track.

Best Wishes
- The Driver Solutions Team

I am starting out as a truck driver and am very excited. Things have been rough lately and I have not been able to find a good job. I have been forced to be away from my family living in a homeless shelter Greenville Rescue Mission).  Thanks to PAM Transport I have been accepted to driver school and training. I am looking forward to a great career in truck driving. This prize could be a big help to me and my family with new expenses. Thank you for this opportunity and God Bless!

Your Name: Brian Mcduffie
Truck Driver: Brian McDuffie


Hi Brian,

Thank you for taking the time to enter our contest.  We're glad we were able to help you get a new career going through our truck driver training program.  We wish you the best at training and with PAM Transport!

- The Driver Solutions Team

I believe I deserve the Truck Driver Convenience Package because of all the time I spend away from home, my loving wife and dog. I take great pride in my new profession and enjoy it immensely. I have seen alot of the country in my 9 months of driving for PAM Transport.  It is a good company to work for as a truck driver. By winning this package, it would make my life easier and even more enjoyable!

Your Name: Tim Evans
Truck Driver: Tim Evans



Hi Tim,

Thank you for taking the time to enter our contest and give us an update on your experience with PAM Transport.  It sure looks like you're keeping your truck in good shape and very clean!  On behalf of everyone at Driver Solutions, we wish you the best!

- The Driver Solutions Team

My father has been out of work for two years. Knowing full well that is true for many people out there these days it saddens me how difficult it really is. He was a contractor and when the bubble burst so did our sense of security. My family and I went from doing all right to each of us individually falling below the poverty line in a matter of months. We all have scraped and saved for one another and given whatever we had to whoever needed it most.

While I am proud of us for helping each other, I know it kills me father. He is of the mind a good father takes care of the family and it's his responsibility to support us. Obviously this has been impossible with no income.

A few weeks ago he got wind of a great opportunity and the chance to get a good paycheck in North Dakota. So at 57yrs old he is embarking on a new career as a truck driver. He has left us out here on the west coast and headed to drive all day for 6 weeks before his first break in the frozen Midwest.

We all couldn't be more excited for him but its a very bittersweet moment for my family. Knowing we won't be seeing him until likely Christmas and we won't have the first paycheck until after the first of the year.

This gift would do so much for all of us, and give my wonderful, sweet, strong father an opportunity to have some home while he's away from home.

Thank you, and best wishes to everyone!

Your Name: Kelsey Mabbott
Truck Driver: Dennis Mabbott

Hi Kelsey,

Thank you for nominating Dennis in our Truck Driver Appreciation Contest.  You bring up a great point and it's not uncommon for a someone to start a new career in truck driving later in life.  At Driver Solutions, we see people come through our truck driver training program that are well into their 50s in age.

We wish Dennis and your family the best!

- The Driver Solutions Team

At some point during truck driving school, you're going to be faced with mastering the pre-trip inspection in order to get your CDL.  This is a very important piece to training and is something that has been known to create a setback for some students.

With over 100 items to remember, it's no wonder it takes some truck driver training students awhile to become confident in their abilities to complete a pre-trip inspection properly.

So, how do you master this important part of CDL training? 

In addition to using pre-trip inspection videos and pre-trip cheat sheets, students form groups to learn this together.  Driver Solutions asked some of our Facebook fans (a group that includes past graduates and other truck drivers) to share their top tips. 

Let's check em out below (note: spelling is corrected in some entries):

• Practice for the real world. Always check that nobody pulled your 5th wheel while your sleeping and always check the trailer axles that they're locked, especially if you have auto-slide. - Adrian Hoesli
  
  
• Study it in sections. Not all at once. And you cant study it enough. Thats alot to learn in a short time. - Richie Gray
  
  
• Acronyms helped me the most - WACOFOE, PASS, SSS, ABCDEFU, and MARKS PJ GAP, the rest I broke down in sections and practiced on our pretrip truck. - Steven McGraw
  
  
• I agree. The acronyms are the best way to go but also make sure you look at the photo pages and know where the parts your talking about are located at. The state instructor failed someone for not knowing where a part was at. - Doug Shaffer
  
  
• Study with a group of 3 or 4. practice with your group every day. why?.. your group can help you if your struggling and in return you help them. My group passed pti easily because we practiced as a team. - Rodney Chalfont
  
  
• Repetition. Get a small group and start from the beginning. If you forget in the middle have someone there to coach and hint. Then, start back from the beginning. Eventually it'll be stuck in there. Took myself and two others a week to have it down. That was only two hours every evening. Grab a flashlight and let your future be your motivation. - Joe Moore
  
  
• Make a game out of it with a small group at the hotel. - Clay Williams
  

Do you have any tips for mastering the pre-trip inspection?  If so, share them in the comments section below!

The Driver Solutions team would like to thank Thomas for sharing his story below...

I haven't been driving long. But I love it it's a great feeling knowing that with every load I carry someone somewhere benefits. Whether it be my friends or family myself or even a stranger everyone benefits. I'm away from my friends and family ALOT but at the end of the day it is all some how all worth it. I would be very proud to win but either way my story gets told.

Your Name: Thomas Cummings
Truck Driver: Thomas Cummings

Driver Solutions received this great entry from Mike Tinsley about the process of moving up within a company like PAM Transport.  Check it out!

I grew up around trucks... all my family members were either company drivers or owner operators. Driving is in my blood. 7 months ago I upgraded to 1st. Seat. I was a team driver for 6 months. And now recently upgraded to be a trainer with my company. I think I could use the gift certificate not for myself but for my new co drivers coming into the industry. I'd use it for supplies to give the new driver as they upgrade to 1st seat drivers after their training.

Your Name: Mike Tinsley
Truck Driver: southern rider

My husband, Steven, deserves the trucker package because he is simply the best! Not only has he sacrificed spending time with me, but with our two children ages 6 and 8 to take care of his family through driving for USA truck. He is careful considerate driver to all on the road, and with his willingness to go anywhere and do anything he is simply the best.

Your Name: Telinda Wilson
Truck Driver: Steven Wilson

Hi Telinda,

Thank you for submitting your entry nominating, Steven.  It sounds like he's doing well at USA Truck and providing for your family.  We appreciate you sharing this story.

- The Driver Solutions Team

My husband recently became a truck driver in April 2011. He has been dreaming about this job for as long as I've known him and even before then.

When we first starting dating, he left on my birthday to go to truck driving school. Once out on his own, he only lasted about 3 months. Now that we are married, he decided to give it another shot. And he is doing much better this time around.

I am extremely proud of my husband going after and achieving his dreams. He says he couldn't do this without my support and I am happy to give it to him.

He loves to drive. Plain and simple. He can't imagine himself at another dead end job, not enjoying life. Being a truck driver is a way for him to both, make a living and see the world.

Of course there are tough times, like when your truck is out of commission for days and days, but once he gets back on the road, he knows it was worthing waiting for the repairs instead of just giving up. Being away from home for long periods of time is rough too, but as his wife, I assure him we are doing just fine and always looking forward to him coming home for a few days.

My husband deserves to win this contest because he drives with the most important thing.. His heart. It's what he loves to do and he has achieved his dream.

Your Name: Sheyanne Paige
Truck Driver: Jeremy Paige

Hi Sheyanne,

Thanks for sharing the story about Jeremy.  We're glad he was able to follow his heart and even more appreciative of the support you give to him!  

- 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

I used to live in Southwest Florida where I held a job in the pest control industry and gave kayak fishing trips for extra income. I had never taken into consideration that I would one day be without my money or fishing. When the BP oil spill happened my business went under. Oil in the Gulf scared almost everyone from going fishing, yet alone, in a kayak. I took it in stride and kept on. The next loss was the economy in SW Florida. The company I worked with for seven years started losing customers at an alarming rate which led to the layoffs. With three kids and a girlfriend, it was time to find a career choice that would provide regardless of changes in the world. I knew I needed a skill I could use anywhere in the country. I needed something that would allow me to give my family everything they needed and alot of the things they wanted. Well, truck driving was the answer I was looking for. I knew I'd be sacrificing my time with my family, time in paradise, and time fishing but there's no better reason than to give a family it's support.

Your Name: Joe moore
Truck Driver: Joe moore


Hi Joe,

First of all, thank you for sharing this story.  We're glad you were able to find a career in truck driving that will allow you to provide for your family.  Sometimes, it just takes a bit of a journey to end up where you're supposed to be.

The Driver Solutions team wishes you the best in your trucking career!

I deserve the trucker convenience package because I share my life experiences on the road with all my friends. I post status updates, check in where I am at and show my fellow facebook friends pictures of the truck I am driving or the loads I am carrying. everything from Super B Cement Bulkers to Oversize loads. I handle it all and drive anywhere that I am needed to be. I work hard and share!

Your Name: Roger Simmons
Truck Driver: Roger Simmons




Hi Roger,

Thank you for your entry in our contest.  We have no doubt you work hard in your job as a ttruck driver each and every day!  Driver Solutions would also like to thank you for taking the time to keep us updated via our Facebook page.  It's been great to connect and keep in touch.  We wish you the best! 

- The Driver Solutions Team

When applying for trucking jobs, keep in mind that you could be up against hundreds of drivers. Because the trucking industry is one of the most stable industries in our country today, many people are getting into this industry in hopes of finding better career opportunities.

Be a step ahead of your peers by enrolling in Driver Solutions Training Program. With our program, you can be confident that you will be qualified and considered for entry level trucking job opportunities.

Driver Solutions can give you the resources needed to start a trucking career, but it ultimately comes back to having a winning attitude. Getting started is not always easy in the trucking industry, but with a good attitude you can get the experience you need to open up doors with opportunities.  Believe it or not, you can successfully turn around your lack of experience into a personal strength. As an entry level driver, you’re not rigid or set on any kind of driving, allowing you to adapt practices that the companies are most in favor of. With a good attitude, you can prove that you are worthy to be part of a company's team of drivers.

To get started, just complete our online driver application.  This will allow you to schedule a time to speak with a representative to answer any questions you might have about CDL training and starting a career behind the wheel of a big rig!