Complaint Review: Schneider National - Nationwide

The first thing to do when considering a CDL job is to make sure you'll meet the DOT medical requirements. Research on line to see if any of your conditions would disqualify you. If not then go to a clinic and put up the money (about $50.00) to get the card in your pocket before you even think about training. Regular doctors are generally not familiar with this process. You need to call around to "occupational medicine" places and get a "DOT Physical." The other advice about trying to stay local and not getting locked into a contract is very sound. Being able to put a little money up front is helpful. Once you have the CDL and the medical card, you can literally go anywhere.

Well I certainly have gotten quite a bit of negativity here, and I deeply appreciate the advice whether it be knowlegable from the driver experienced side or from the life experience side. My prescrpition cost is about $450 a month right now and it figures heavily into the mix here as far as my ability to attempt this. How good is the prescription coverage of most company's insurance, and is it the standard 6 months waiting period for pre existing conditions? I must admit my transplant Doctor acts like he thinks I'm crazy to try this. The comment about being physically dirty weighs heavily too because how clean everything is seems like it has an effect on how hard my liver has to work to do its job. Another thing is that liver dysfunction manifests itself in skin condition quite a lot for me ( itching mainly ) and cleanliness minimalizes that. Many thanks and kudos to management for letting me do this blog to get a feel for the industry from this adept viewpoint. I see where this could be construed as being a bit off subject in respect to my being ripped off. I have a friend who Schneider fired for backing into a loading dock ( $400 damage ) and the new job paid so much more he was glad they fired him. I just feel so lucky to be in the greatest country in the world, I don't want to waste the rest of my life being disabled if there is something else I can do. I live in Arkansas and the local runs only pay about $15 per hour here and I'm not sure if I could do the physical part if I got a load of large windows or bags of concrete etc. Thanks for the tip about repalating too I wasn't aware that recievers were even able to refuse a shipment for things like packaging. My friends main complaint about recievers is the bad directions they give. If this works for me at some time in the future I saw some GPS software for laptop that I will surely invest in.

Mike, DO NOT ENTER THE OTR(OVER THE ROAD)AREA OF TRUCKING! It is a waste of time. In almost any city, you can hook up with a locale hauler and be paid by the HOUR, not the mile and or trip. By the hour compansation is the only way one can, (not only be home every nite/day)work in a SAFE AND SECURE ENVIROMENT that OTR'S CAN'T OFFER. Many companies will hire you as a driver trainee. this works like this:you go get your CDL-A learners permit and then tag along with a company driver who gives you the opppertunity to actually shift gears while you learn the basics. After a certain time frame the company sends you to test for the CDL-A licence-(not to be confused with 3rd party testing)I work for SOUTHEASTERN FREIGHT LINES and thats how they recruit-no past experince needed. Mike, there is a huge shortage of CDL-A drivers, that you can pick who you want to work for, to get your compansational goals. Remember this one fact, that I can't stress enough(ONCE YOU GET THE CDL-A LICENCE),you have what EVERY TRUCKING COMPANY IN THE COUNTRY NEEDS, BUT DOES NOT HAVE-(THE CDL-A LICENCE)TO OPERATE!!! Why would one accept their wage compansation offer, when you have what they need-CDL-A!!! You tell them what kind of compansation package you will accept for your servises! SUPPLY AND DEMAND-YOU HAVE THE SUPPLY, THEY ARE IN DEMAND! At Southeastern freight lines, I work MONDAY to FRIDAY, from 9:00 am to around 6:00 pm-(give or take a hour, due to 4wheeler actions)AT 20.10$ AN HOUR!!!! And thats after only 8 months with the company!!! Sure I could run over the road,7 days a week, running with 2 logs, sitting in the same crap encrusted, stench ridden clothes, on the same sweat absorbant retaining seat,for 16 days, sleeping(YEA RIGHT)3.7 hours(not in sequential order)a day/nite, unloading and repalitizing 44,618 pounds of assorited condiments, based on serving sized packages and color-on to 22 pallets 5 ft. 7 inches high, any higher or lower, the grocer will not accept it(REPALLITIZE AGAIN FOR THE 3RD TIME)ALL FOR .39 cents a mile!!!!!

Get the CDL study guide and get your permit. Then take that to a local company who offers training. Drive locally for 6-12 months to show a good reference and ability. Then post your resume online. there are several boards. Company recruiters will be calling you non stop! I am a Class A OTR Driver and did it this way myself, sort of. My experience/training was pre-CDL era. However I let my CDL expire and had to re-take both tests in AZ in 2002. Any truck school that is part of any major trucking company is going to bend you over bad. That's just the way it works. Nothing is free. They will lock you into a contract to cover the inflated school cost, and then pay you like .23CPM that you cannot live on. You will not even be able to afford to eat. Thats what they count on, now they have a desperate hungry driver that will do anything and put up with anything. And if you quit, they will sue you for the school tuition, and put a negative entry on your DAC. Now you are virtually unemployable at any major Co. OTR trucking sounds fun and glamorous, but the reality is that it sucks as an employee driver. It only sucks half as bad as an owner operator. I have done it both ways. You will work 80-100 hours per week and maybe take home $700-800 if your lucky. Thats about $8/hr and the high cost of living on the road. Truck stops are not cheap. Food for thought. ps. How do you know when a dispatcher is lying? >>[His lips are moving]. Same applies to recruiters! Good luck!

I will admit I know absolutely nothing about the trucking industry but some things are obvious. You say you are into exercise - I doubt you will get much exercise long haul trucking. Also you said you had a liver transplant. You will probably be taking anti-rejection drugs which lower your immune system. Are you sure trucking is the industry for you? Constantly eating in different places, public showers - all places which expose you to colds, etc. Depending on where you drive, you may be far from good medical facilities if you need it. As I said, I am not a trucker and could be wrong, but common sense dictates a person with any type of medical condition, especially transplant, should carefully consider what they are getting themselves into.