| Truck driving is looked upon as the last great hope for | | | | would I look for work? Well, we already mentioned |
| many Americans who have either lost their jobs, or | | | | that the refrigerated carriers are doing the best of any |
| are afraid they're about to. Some families have had to | | | | in the trucking industry right now, so that's where I'd |
| send the second parent to work because of cutbacks | | | | begin. But there's also the question of attending an |
| in pay, cutbacks in hours, or settling for a lesser job by | | | | independent school versus a school that's run by a |
| the first parent. Although there have been a few | | | | trucking company. Which would be best? Right now I'd |
| glimmers of hope in recent economic news, including | | | | say go with a school run by a trucking company. |
| an increase in mortgage applications, an increase in | | | | If you get your CDL training from a trucking company, |
| retail sales, some positive cash flows and even profits | | | | you are pretty much guaranteed a job upon |
| by some of the larger banks, more clarity from the | | | | completion of the training and obtaining your CDL. At |
| President about his stimulus package, and a rise in the | | | | the same time, you don't have to put more than about |
| stock market over the past week, so far nothing has | | | | $150 up front to attend the school. Once you graduate |
| turned positive for the trucking industry, and other than | | | | from their school, you can begin making payments on |
| seasonal increases coming into the spring, likely won't | | | | the schooling which will be deducted from your payroll |
| for some time. | | | | checks. So the risk financially is much less if you attend |
| I hear from students and experienced drivers alike | | | | a trucking company school in this environment. |
| who are either in school, recently graduated from | | | | Some Trucking Companies Where Students Are |
| school, or are currently looking for work, and the | | | | Finding Work |
| message has been the same across the board - | | | | I normally do not mention trucking companies |
| finding work in the trucking industry is much, much | | | | specifically by name because I'm dedicated to helping |
| tougher than it used to be. And it will remain so for | | | | people understand the trucking industry and make the |
| quite some time. But you'll notice I didn't say | | | | best decisions for themselves about where to go to |
| "impossible", I said "tougher". Although it is taking recent | | | | school and who to work for. But these are desperate |
| truck driving school graduates longer to find work, they | | | | times, so I'm going to give you some trucking |
| are finding work. And although experienced drivers are | | | | companies that fit the criteria I've mentioned previously, |
| having more trouble finding work, they too are finding it. | | | | and that have been actively hiring the past few |
| So the question is, where? And if you're considering | | | | months. These are refrigerated carriers that have their |
| becoming a truck driver right now, is this the right time, | | | | own truck driving schools: |
| and where should I start? Let's take a look at these | | | | - Central Refrigerated |
| issues. | | | | - Prime Trucking |
| Who Is Hiring Right Now In The Trucking Industry? | | | | - C.R. England Transport |
| The number one sector that remains steady in the | | | | - Stevens Transport |
| trucking industry is food transport - lead by the | | | | Those four companies are all large refrigerated |
| refrigerated carriers as you might expect. No matter | | | | carriers that run their own schools and have been |
| how tough the economy gets, people still need to eat. | | | | actively hiring the past few months. The dry van and |
| They may opt for less expensive foods and generic | | | | flatbed carriers have been cutting back quite a bit in |
| brands, but almost nobody is actually eating less food | | | | recent months and many are on hiring freezes right |
| because the economy has slowed. So the refrigerated | | | | now. |
| carriers are the ones that have been doing the most | | | | Look, I pride myself in telling it like it is, and the bottom |
| hiring in recent months. | | | | line is that it's very, very tough out there for everyone |
| Also, the larger trucking companies are the ones that | | | | right now. If you're in a good job that's stable and you |
| are the best financed and the most flexible, so their | | | | believe you'll be fine where you're at for the time being, |
| chances of survival in tough times is better than they | | | | then stay right where you're at - the trucking industry |
| would be for a smaller company. So if you're | | | | will always be here - you'll get your chance. But if |
| considering the financial strength of a company before | | | | you're in a situation where you have to do something |
| applying to them for work, larger trucking companies | | | | right now, then those four companies are the first four |
| are generally more stable than smaller ones. | | | | I would go to if I were looking for work today. |
| Where Should New Drivers Look To Begin Their | | | | Recommending specific companies is not normally |
| Career? | | | | what I do, but just like you, when times get desperate |
| Many people don't have the luxury of waiting a few | | | | we do what we have to do - and what we have to |
| months to a year for the economy to turn around | | | | do right now is help people who need it the most in |
| before starting a new career, so they have to do | | | | any way we can - and in this case it means helping |
| something now. If I were going to get into the trucking | | | | them find... |
| industry today, where would I go to school, and where | | | | |