March 8th, 2010
This is a little advice for those considering a new career in the industry. We know our program however great we believe it is, is not going to be the perfect fit for everyone’s needs. So read this so you’ll know what to ask before working for a trucking company.
Truck driving jobs are always available, but in today’s economy, the schools are more finicky than in the past so that they can get the best and safest drivers possible. In fact, the standards are much higher now than they were just 5 years ago. A truck driver candidate does not need to be perfect, but having a good work history, a clean driving record, and a minimal past criminal record will get you started.
Different personalities are needed for different jobs in trucking. For those who like to be at home in the evenings, day runs work for them. These drivers may have a personal responsibility to family or just like to sleep in there own king size bed every night. For those who love to travel, long hauls are a better fit. This is for people that love to see the country and the open road. Whatever the priority, truck drivers need to pick a job that best fits them.
Those looking for a truck driver job should read points below on which jobs to accept and which ones to steer away from.
- Income – Most people choose the job for the highest pay. If you are flexible enough, take that direction. But if you have priorities that are more important than the pay, make sure your money received is enough to pay your bills before accepting a job. If you find the perfect job, but it doesn’t pay enough to cover your bills, you have the option of refusing the job or finding ways to cut your budget to make it work.
- Policy of Home Time – For most drivers, home time is a big factor to choosing a job. A large portion of trucking companies gives more home time to those who have worked there the longest. If you choose a job that does not have every night home, you may have to pay your dues for a few years to gather more time at home. Different companies have different home time policies from each other. Regional jobs could keep you within an average of 7 states, allowing you to get home more often. Make sure you know what you are getting into.
- Freight Type – Different companies haul different freight. If you are in it for the money, you are probably interested in heavy haul. If flat bed intrigues you, there are plenty of Trucking Companies that you can drive for. There are plenty of different types of freight to haul. If you are a driver that enjoys hook up and roll, find the company that gives you that responsibility. Choose the one you would enjoy the most before accepting that job!
- Reputation of The Company You Work For – Talk to drivers who work for the company you are interested in. There will always be those drivers who will complain even if they have it good. Make sure you are comfortable with the reputation of the company you will be working for.
- Quality of Equipment – In the interview process, ask the Company how new their equipment is and their maintenance program to see if the truck will keep you moving. The newer models are usually connected to lease/purchase options. If you need to, ask other drivers in the company to get their opinion.
I like the analogy of “Asking former employees what their company was like is like asking a republican what they think of democrats.” After you laugh, think about it. Getting the scoop may include reading between the lines. Also, check out how long the company has been in business and their reputation. Search the Internet and read up on the company you are interested in working for.
Also ask questions that affect your personal situation. Do they allow pets, how many terminals do they have, locations, and other questions that you need answers too. Do your research and be willing to pay your dues. Good Luck!
Tags: Advice, Trucking Compnay
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February 19th, 2010
Yesterday there was an article in the Oakland Tribune about Veterans looking for jobs called “Veterans seek help at job expo in Daily City.” They had a job fair just for military veterans called The Veteran Opportunity Expo and there was interesting feedback from the veteran applicants.
Basically, these military heroes were looking for “normal work”. What was at the expo was mostly military like jobs with guns and the possibility of shooting and killing people. Many of the applicants were disappointed in the jobs available and one even stated that he would rather be a janitor than to go back to that kind of lifestyle.
One quote from the article was interesting:
“A lot of students from the military contact us because they finally have some money to go to school with,” said Billijo Brown, assistant director of admissions for The Art Institute of California in San Francisco. “They want to be able to use it to do something they love.”
For Veterans that are looking for a more flexible career, truck driving might be a route to go. Truck Driving Schools are a great way to start a new life in a non-military job. One school that I know of that would be a great fit for military heroes is the CR England Truck Driving School. It is the top refrigerated trucking company in the country. And, once you graduate, you have a job. If there is no funding for schooling, CR England will give you a loan that you can have slowly taken out of your check once you have graduated and are working for CR England Trucking. They have a great school and curriculum that prepares you well for the road. Check it out and see if it works for you. Get CR England Truck Driving Jobs information here.
Tags: jobs, Trucking Jobs, Veterans
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February 10th, 2010
Temporary Workers, (contracted employees, part time employees, or temporary employees), seem to be a new trend for companies to save money. The popular phrase is “New Normal”. The Toronto Star wrote this issue last fall and it is still valid today. They stated that it was a global growth in business throughout small companies as well as big corporations.
The Toronto Star believes this new development is to steer away from high expenditures including employee cuts and insurance. They also made mention that 10 years ago, non-temporary jobs were 68% of all Canadian employment. Now, it’s 63%. This shows the shift of permanent to temporary jobs.
On a positive note for people wanting to be a Truck Driver, it may be a good field in the “New Normal.” There are plenty of jobs available for those wanting to be a truck driver in this new phenomenon. Most truck driving companies are hiring.
The Toronto Star’s article, “Job insecurity: the corrosive new normal” believes that more and more permanent jobs will be outsourced to contractors and part time employee will replace the full time employee so companies can stay competitive in this global economy. They also believe that this is the new work force from this time forth.
A lot of economists out there also agree with the Toronto Star’s article. Companies can certainly save a ton of money when use temporary workers to fill truck driving jobs. Another draw back to this practice is that temporary employees may view a position as short term and not fully commit to the position they were hired for.
Again, Truck Driving Companies always need drivers. CR England is one company that is looking for truck drivers. If you are someone who is a temporary worker wanting permanent work or is unhappy in your current job, contact CR England at www.crengland.com.
The full and complete toronto star articlecan be found at: http://www.thestar.com/comment/article/706480
Tags: truck driver jobs, truck driving companies
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January 29th, 2010
In today’s job-hunting woes, those who want to go into truck driving still have an opportunity for employment. Surprisingly enough, truck driver jobs are still in high demand. The bigger truck driving companies like CR England and others hauling refrigerated freight is still hiring, even in today’s unemployment rate.
And to push the truck driving employment higher, AOL news reported back in December of 2009 that President Obama has a proposal package for new spending on highway, bridge, and infrastructure projects. More Truck Driving jobs will be created to move equipment and building materials to the work sites. This is very good news for the trucking industry.
Truck Driving jobs are a necessity for moving food and product from the warehouse to the store, making trucking a very vital part of the economic growth of the United States. In fact, 78% of all food and product is shipped by truckers across the country. With that piece of information, it gives us the realization that there will be truck driver jobs for a very long time.
The original AOL.com article can be found at: http://news.aol.com/article/president-barack-obama-to-outline-jobs/472387
Tags: truck driver jobs
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January 22nd, 2010
Truck driving technology is evolving just like all other fields. Some gadgets make truck driving jobs easier and are favorites of the drivers and some are not. We were curious which ones were most liked. We asked truck drivers what their top 4 favorites are and this is what they told us:
- GPS – is so popular, that many trucking companies have added it to their company trucks. It is much easier than maps and most drivers won’t go back to reading the old fashioned way.
- Cell Phones – have changed trucking jobs for good. No more pulling over for a pay phone to call their dispatcher for information. And truckers can have contact with their families and friends more often. Younger drivers don’t remember the days without cell phones. They have no idea what it was like. (Lucky them.)
- Laptop Computers – is a truckers line to information. 64% of those asked, felt that the laptop is one of the top 5 technologies needed for trucking jobs. We feel that as each year goes by, the percentage of cabs with laptops will keep going up. Life on the road without a laptop is hard to imagine for most people. It is a huge segment of our communication to business, family, and friends.
- Satellite Radio – has been a great lifesaver for radio listeners in “dead radio spots” along the highway. Not only do you have radio where radio was not, but a driver now gets their favorite station wherever they are in the country. It is very rare that Satellite Radio loses signal and better yet, there are stations that are specific to the trucking industry.
What wasn’t on the list surprised us. Digital Camera’s were not in the top 4. Our thoughts are that they have been in existence for so long, it is not thought as new technology, but as old technology. As a trucker, they have the rare opportunity to see the country on a continuous basis. We are sure most drivers keep one in their cab.
Below are the results by percentage from all participants. The column with the % is of the percentage of participants that chose the technology item in the front of the row. An example is that 84.38%, had 54 votes, chose the I-phone/cell phone as one of their 4 favorite technologies for truck drivers:
|
Technology
|
Votes
|
%
|
|
|
|
|
|
iPhone/cell phone
|
54
|
84.38%
|
|
laptop
|
41
|
64.06%
|
|
gps
|
32
|
50.00%
|
|
Satellite Radio
|
30
|
46.88%
|
Truck driving technology is evolving just like all other fields. Some are favorites of the drivers, some are not, and we were curious which ones they liked. We asked truck drivers what their top 4 favorites are and this is what they told us:
- GPS – is so popular, that many trucking companies have added it to their company trucks. It is much easier than maps and most drivers won’t go back to reading the old fashioned way.
- Cell Phones – have changed trucking jobs for good. No more pulling over for a pay phone to call their dispatcher for information. And truckers can have contact with their families and friends more often. Younger drivers don’t remember the days without cell phones. They have no idea what it was like. (Lucky them.)
- Laptop Computers – is a truckers line to information. 64% of those asked, felt that the laptop is one of the top 5 technologies needed for trucking. We feel that as each year goes by, the percentage of cabs with laptops will keep going up. Life on the road without a laptop is hard to imagine for most people. It is a huge segment of our communication to business, family, and friends.
- Satellite Radio – has been a great lifesaver for radio listeners in “dead radio spots” along the highway. Not only do you have radio where radio was not, but a driver now gets their favorite station wherever they are in the country. It is very rare that Satellite Radio loses signal and better yet, there are stations that are specific to the trucking industry.
What wasn’t on the list surprised us. Digital Camera’s were not in the top 4. Our thoughts are that they have been in existence for so long, it is not thought as new technology, but as old technology. As a trucker, they have the rare opportunity to see the country on a continuous basis. We are sure most drivers keep one in their cab.
Tags: GPS, laptop, Satellite radio, trucking technology
Posted in Truck Driving Jobs | No Comments »