I announced the coming of my second book, How to Find a Great Truck Driving Job when I released Trucking Life: An Entertaining, Yet Informative Guide To Becoming And Being A Truck Driver back in April 2016. At the time I swore it would be out within a month or two. Well, I was kinda close. It’s only been 13 months! That’s close to two months, right? Ugh. Guess that’ll teach me to be optimistic about future releases.
But hey, enough about my procrastination. What about this new book? How to Find a Great Truck Driving Job was conceived because I felt there was a need for a book that helped truckers find good jobs.
Now I’m certainly not saying I’ve found the perfect job. If you were to listen to the podcast version, you’d hear me expound on my frustration with my current employer in the beginning of the show. And I feel extra sorry for the poor saps who have joined the Trucker Dump Slack group. I’ve been whining for the past couple of weeks like an introvert 5-year-old on his first day of kindergarten.
My point is that there have always been things I didn’t like about the companies I worked for. And every single time it was because I didn’t bother to ask about it ahead of time. So I decided what was needed was a complete list of questions.
Sad thing is, I’m only one man so there’s no way I could make a complete list. In fact, it’s my belief that there’s no such thing as a complete list of questions to ask a trucking company. Every company is different and every driver’s needs are slightly different. And since there is no possible way for me to work for every trucking company out there, there’s no way for me to ask every question.
But instead of going into great detail here, I’m just going to send you to the sales page for How to Find a Great Truck Driving Job to you. Follow the link and come back when you’re done for some follow-up.
*Whistles while waiting patiently…
Glad to see you made it back. So as you read, I really need your help to expand the book with more questions. Therefore, if you plan on buying the book or the Trucking Company Questionnaire alone, then please pass your knowledge on when you think of questions that I forgot (or didn’t know to) include in the first version. With your help, this could be an even better resource for new drivers in the future. Let me thank you in advance from all the future truckers out there.
If nearly forgot to mention that there WILL NOT be an audiobook version of How to Find a Great Truck Driving Job. I made this decision based on two things. First, the question/answer format of the book doesn’t lend itself to audio. It’s more of a reference guide where when you need more information about a question you can just click a link and jump to the topic you’re interested in.
But perhaps even more important, an audiobook was going to be a huge pain-in-the-butt. Not only in the initial recording, but also since I’m planning on updating this book periodically with reader submitted questions, I didn’t want to constantly be recording new sections and cutting them in all the time. I know me and the slightest bit of sound quality difference between clips would drive me nutso.
Yes, I realize truckers prefer audio, but there you have it. The only thing that would change my mind is about 500 emails telling me they’ll hate my guts if I don’t do an audio version. So with those stipulations, I think I’m safe.
Podcast Show Notes:
BeSpecular app for sighted people to help the blind see.
CRST exemption for permit holders.
@RiverRatWA57 pointed me to this article from CDLLife.com about the legality of using hazard flashers.
Nero pointed me to an article that he wrote called, How a Mom Overcame the Odds and Pursued a Job as a Trucker.
How to Find a Great Truck Driving Job sales page.
Download the Trucking Company Questionnaire for a measly $1.99.
Download a FREE sample version of How to Find a Great Truck Driving Job from Amazon Kindle, Apple iBooks, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, or AboutTruckDriving.com.
Trucking Life: An Entertaining, Yet Informative Guide To Becoming And Being A Truck Driver sales page
Questions about the ebook formats available? Check out the FAQ page.
Links in the feedback section:
FastDude72 left an iTunes review. Thanks dude!
Greg @RiverRatWA57 shares a beloved gadget he uses to help slide trailer tandems.
Daniel S. Bridger enjoyed TD120: Winter Driving Tips From An Alaskan Trucker and linked to it on his blog.
Renae listened to TD75: Who’s A Trucker? and has thoughts about being called a steering wheel holder, while I defend our European brothers.
Anonymous driver #1 listened to TD95: 4 Reasons That Trucker Might Be Tailgating You and shares a tip to help pass other truckers.
Anonymous driver #2 also learned a few things from TD119: Winter Truck Driving Tips From An Alaskan Trucker and he also shares my pain of pooping in a bag. See now why he wanted to be anonymous? He also has a question about his malfunctioning CB. I’m stupid about this stuff, but maybe you have a suggestion for him? Let me know at TruckerDump@gmail.com.
Show info:
You can email your comments, suggestions, questions, or insults to TruckerDump@gmail.com
You can find me on Twitter @ToddMcCann.
Join the Trucker Dump Slack group! Download the free Slack app and email me for an invite at TruckerDump@gmail.com.
Got a second to Rate and/or Review the podcast in iTunes?
Download the intro/outro songs for free! courtesy of Walking On Einstein
Mystery Feedback Song – Only a cheater would click this before listening to the podcast! You aren’t a cheater, are you?
I got my CDL through CR England. The comments about permitted drivers is incomplete. Basically, you go to the school WITH your permit. You go through the school in approximately 7 days. Pass your tests and voila! You have your CDL testing done. As far as I know, every state has a recognition of the school’s testing. The trainer then takes the student to their state to get their actual CDL.
In my state, Idaho, I got to my state the day before my permit expired and showed up at the DMV for my PAPER copy of my license. The laminated license was then mailed to my home. I got them to mail it to the company because getting home to Idaho was practically impossible. As my paper license was about to expire, I managed to get to the company for my mailed actual license.
The reason I say your information is incomplete is because they have tested and qualified, they just don’t have physical possession of their license.
I know for a fact that you can become a trainer with only 6 months experience. I did it. They also have forced teaming. They team a person with only their 4 weeks with an “experienced” trainer with someone who has been out another month of so (sometimes less if they’re pressed for placements). The more experienced driver becomes the lead driver who is in charge of trying to train the newer guy or gal.
I teamed with other newbies for the first 5 to 6 months. During this time, I was also trying to train them because they didn’t get the skills they needed from their actual trainers. I taught everything from Qualcomm to shifting to handling the paperwork and shippers and receivers. I told them if they couldn’t figure out backing, we were in trouble. That, they taught me.
I’m not saying it’s right, good, or makes any sense whatsoever. I’m just saying that a LOT of the drivers for CR England you see are both rookies in every sense of the word and the blind are leading the blind.
When I trained, I never turned down assistance from other drivers. No matter what the skill or situation. I saw a lot of trainers get their ego bruised and reject the help. Dumb. Just plain dumb.
One good aspect of CR England training is they really push the training videos and safety. I told my teammates and my students they’ll learn more from those videos and quizzes than almost any trainer there. That may have been an exaggeration, and they may be doing things differently since I left in May 21016, but it was true from my experience. They had some really good trainers, students, and staff. But they also had they other end of the spectrum. A lot of them.
I left because of pay issues. My students were driving more than me (as it should be) and somehow bringing home more on their paychecks. Solo loads when driving as a team or trainer/student don’t pay the rent. Especially when it goes on for a couple months.
The things I take away from the experience are a Class A CDL and knowledge of what I didn’t like about the big company. The training available is really good. It’s just a matter of working your butt off to teach yourself. I did my best for my students, but I knew my own knowledge and experience were lacking so I taught them where to find the resources to teach themselves.
Did I sleep in the bunk when they drove? Yes. After working double shifts with almost no sleep for 2 weeks first. I sat with them and trained until I knew they wouldn’t kill us or anyone else. Then I passed out with one ear constantly monitoring. If they stopped for almost any reason I was awake. So basically, I didn’t really sleep for months.
In the almost 5 months I trained, I lost 40 pounds and looked like a heavyweight boxer had been sparring with me for a few hours. What I found out was that I enjoy teaching. Was it worth the lack of sleep and stress? The pay wasn’t, but the guys I trained could drive and do the job without risking themselves or others. I call that worth it.