r/cdldriver

Okay so I've seen these dedicated dollar store gigs, even offered one. The pay was decent. So everyone with exp is saying they are shitty? Heres my question, ive held a B for a long while, mostly running trailers with heavy machinery. I just bumped to an A, had to go to school for it... and i got my X endorsement and twic card on the way...what do i do now? It seems like everyone requires 2 years tractor trailer experience, which i dont technically have. Any tips from the pros? I live outside Chicago..Glendale Heights to be percise if that helps. The places that will hire me have training programs for lower pay like Schneider..

already hold a Class A CDL with an L air brake restriction. I only want to remove the L restriction. What I need to do the remove the restriction on my license.

Do I need to retake all the classes again?

Fresh out of CDL school with my Class A (tanker endorsement coming this week) and I've got some decisions to make. Looking for real input from drivers who've actually run for these companies, not recruiter talk. 🚛

Offers/options on my plate right now:

🔸 SCHNEIDER Dedicated Account #1 — home DAILY, night shift, out-and-back lane, ~2,500 mi/wk, around $960-1,170/wk

🔸 SCHNEIDER Dedicated Reefer Account #2 — home weekly (5.5 out, 1.5 home), regional, 90% drop and hook, ~1,800-2,300 mi/wk, around $1,050/wk

🔸 TMC — flatbed, home most weekends, ~$1,350-1,600/wk they say, percentage or mileage pay

🔸 PRIME — reefer/tanker/flatbed divisions, OTR 3-4 weeks out, first year pay looks lower

🔸 Also looking at MAVERICK and McELROY for flatbed with weekend home time

My priorities in order: home time, weekly pay, then miles. I prefer flatbed long-term but I'm not against dry van or reefer to get my first 6 months in. Trying to stay regional, not trying to run coast to coast.

For anybody who's driven for these companies: how accurate were the recruiter numbers? How's the home time REALLY? Would you start your career over at any of these?

Appreciate any honest feedback 🙏

Hey guys i really want to become a CDL driver im located in NJ and looking for a company that trains here locally in NJ I know a couple mega carriers that offer training but they outsource training to other states and im not in the position to leave NJ right now are there any carriers that train locally in NJ ? Anybody have any advice ? If not im thinking of just paying cash and getting it done I dont mind a work contract but I genuinely have not found any carriers that fit the build thanks guys

Fresh out of CDL school with my Class A (tanker endorsement coming this week) and I've got some decisions to make. Looking for real input from drivers who've actually run for these companies, not recruiter talk. 🚛

Offers/options on my plate right now:

🔸 SCHNEIDER Dedicated Account #1 — home DAILY, night shift, out-and-back lane, ~2,500 mi/wk, around $960-1,170/wk

🔸 SCHNEIDER Dedicated Reefer Account #2 — home weekly (5.5 out, 1.5 home), regional, 90% drop and hook, ~1,800-2,300 mi/wk, around $1,050/wk

🔸 TMC — flatbed, home most weekends, ~$1,350-1,600/wk they say, percentage or mileage pay

🔸 PRIME — reefer/tanker/flatbed divisions, OTR 3-4 weeks out, first year pay looks lower

🔸 Also looking at MAVERICK and McELROY for flatbed with weekend home time

My priorities in order: home time, weekly pay, then miles. I prefer flatbed long-term but I'm not against dry van or reefer to get my first 6 months in. Trying to stay regional, not trying to run coast to coast.

For anybody who's driven for these companies: how accurate were the recruiter numbers? How's the home time REALLY? Would you start your career over at any of these?

Appreciate any honest feedback 🙏

I recently just got my CDL in June,
I have orientation with Schneider on the 13th of July, but I’ve been hearing things about them, but I’ll still test my luck,
I have 3 speeding tickets in 1 year…is there any other companies that’ll accept me besides western express(swift denied me until my final ticket hits a year) that are good?

I recently obtained my permit and am considering commencing my CDL training. However, I do have a few inquiries. I am curious if pursuing a CDL is a worthwhile endeavor in the current climate. I am prepared to dedicate myself to hard work during the initial year, but I have encountered various accounts of negative experiences. I am also contemplating pursuing a dedicated route with Werner, specifically the Dollar Tree route. Do any of you have experience with that particular option?

Hi! I can’t really find a straight answer on the web so I decided to come here and ask….My boyfriend has had his cdl for about a year and i’m going to be riding along with him. We go to orientation on Tuesday, and I was wondering if companies drug test non-cdl holders like me??

My husband drives a 26-foot box truck in NYC for a regional moving company. A typical day involves picking up furniture at one house, dropping it off at another house a few hours away, and then driving back home to NYC around midnight. Sometimes he gets a cross country job but that happens only once a month. He works on a 40% flat-rate commission on all invoices. The company pays for gas-def-hotel stays on overnighters. From his 40% cut, he has to pay a helper to ride with him for the loading and unloading.
He’s been doing this for almost 7 years and clears about $120k a year after everything. He has his own NY state based LLC.

He just got offered a CDL job with a big national company driving their semi trucks solo, running regional routes along the East Coast (Maine to Florida). The starting pay is about the same, but other drivers he knows there are pulling in $150k–$200k a year depending on mileage and routes.

If you had to choose based on your experience, would you stick with the small truck/local and regional moves or go for the CDL with the big commercial semis?

I’m 31, debt free and currently in school to be a Respiratory Therapist. I’ve worked in healthcare before but honestly it was so stressful and i’m debating even finishing school. I’ve had interest in doing CDL B Hazmat work and Iw as curious if it was worth it and if I could make a good living from it.

Not interested in over the road or driving tractor trailers, but want to get a CDL so when I'm retired I can pick up jobs driving single fixed nose trucks , I live in Louisiana so what's the easiest way to get a CDL?

So I’m going thru the process of working with prime.inc and I’ve been on methadone for awhile now for abt 2 years, I went and got my permit at the dmv, I also passed my (dot physical test while making it aware that I take methadone) so after those were done I’ve started talking to A recruiter and he had said everything is good & I can head out soon, to Salt Lake City Utah. But I seen a video of a guy already at prime.inc get rejected bcuz of a medication he was on… so my question is,

Would I be able to work with prime while on methadone?

What to do if boss don’t let you take time off to do a cdl permit test at dmv? I really want to take it, and want to better my life for me and my kids. What would you guys do?

I don't like it.

The main complaint from others is the parking situation but tbh I kinda look at it as a puzzle to solve so I enjoy it. I dont mind getting out 100 times to get and out and look. Im not even being sarcastic. I've enjoyed that challenge.

Here comes the bad. The recruiter said this account people were averaging $1900 a week and some people make even more. I figured if it was at least $1500 then it would definitely be worth it. But its not looking like that at all.

The warehouse where you get the loads is perpetually behind and that affects your clock and can make you late. A lot of the stores won't take you past a certain point and they dont have enough staff to help you unload so it takes forever. You get paid $215 to unload the entire 53 foot trailer which is insulting considering how physically demanding it is. Its supposed to take 2 hours supposedly per stop but when they dont have enough people you can double or triple that.

If anybody is on this account and has any advice. Maybe it will take me a few weeks to get the hang of it but I feel pretty frustrated and I would say scammed and bamboozled by the recruiter at Warn-her!

My manager said I can make 1200-1300 but relative to the BS you put up with I think I'd rather just do OTR.

I just finished power line school and they gave us a 2 week break, this is my final week and I just got a message from the dps saying I have an appointment the second day after school starts ( I believe it’s to get the permit I could be wrong) I was just wondering what should I study and anything I should try to keep in mind and remember

It’s been challenging to land a local job, let alone a good paying one. I’m a lady CDL A driver with 2.5 years experience. All with Schneider. I’m looking for local work that pays 80K min. I have all my endorsements and no manual restriction and am willing to work hard. I’ve even applied to Mclane and made it through the interview process which seemed promising but ultimately got the “we decided to go with other candidates” email. Any advice, referrals? I’m ready to move on from Schneider. Again, I am looking for local work, 1st or 3rd shift. Thank you

Also, if this goes against the rules of the subreddit will someone give me a subreddit that will allow the post?

I own a small trucking company in California running Amazon Relay and I’m looking to add another truck. One thing I’m struggling to understand is how small fleets stay profitable while paying drivers as W-2 employees.
Most drivers I’m talking to want W-2, but once you add payroll taxes, workers’ comp, unemployment, insurance, maintenance, fuel, and truck payments, it seems like the profit gets cut down pretty quickly.
For owners running 1–10 trucks:
How are you staying profitable with W-2 drivers?
What percentage of revenue are you paying drivers?
How much are workers’ comp and payroll taxes costing you?
Do you find the higher cost is worth it compared to 1099?
I’d appreciate hearing real-world numbers and experiences from carriers that are actually doing it.