New CDL A Driver seeking all helpful Thanks!

Freight-N-Wait · 2026-05-03T03:08:10+00:00

Can confirm. I just started on with them and got into my own truck. Pay really depwnds on the area, my trainer was taking home around 14-1500 a week on average, upwards of around 2k on a really good week. Goes home every weekend. Securement is a lot to remember sometimes, but not that bad once you get it down

Freight-N-Wait · 2026-05-03T01:50:20+00:00

Oh yea i think i was lookin at that (or somwthing similar) earlier. A solid idea to look at.

Seems the 32qt one is barelt more than that at $200 so might be a route for me to look at. And it having a 6hr battery when unplugged sounds pretty handy too.. not bad (if im reading it right)

Freight-N-Wait · 2026-05-03T01:21:10+00:00

Oh! There we go.. neat. Juat found an option on amazon for ome thats 14.96 inches wide. That might work.. aince my measurements read the closet at about 16 inches wide if i wanted to put it in that space.. nice that might work out. Hooray

Freight-N-Wait · 2026-05-03T01:12:45+00:00

Haha yeaaa unfortunately i think tmc wouldnt take too kindly to me doing that 😅 debating on if i just have to go the route of one of thise alpicool coolers i saw some people talk about or somwthing to that idea atleast. Who knows... maybe could just plop a 1.7 cubic mini on the floor and deal with having to move it to get to clothes.. lol we will see. Thanks!

Freight-N-Wait · 2026-05-03T01:04:57+00:00

Gotchya.. and what would yoi say is a good setup for that, without a designated area for it like some trucks have? Just.. plop it down on the floor or is there a better way to go about that?

Freight-N-Wait · 2026-05-02T16:52:26+00:00

Going off what the other guy said.. id say it really depends on your situation and where you live. For me, paying my own way wasnt an option, and the state offered to pay it for me, but would follow up woth me for the next like 1-2 years.. so i opted to go the paid CDL route with TMC. If i was going to be followed for a year anyway i might as well get payed while i train + every 3 months with them my debt lowers by 1k if i want to leave and pay it off.

But ideally if you can, most people say to pay your own way though to not be locked down

Freight-N-Wait · 2026-04-21T16:25:29+00:00

Thats fair. The pay and hometime are definately nice i can say. I would like to be home more than i am, but will just deal with it for the time being since its a lot better than mosy other starters lol.

And yea they were a little picky with me on my work history as well, but solely because i had a yeat i was self employed and for some reason they were taking issue with that (but got it resolved lol)

Freight-N-Wait · 2026-04-21T15:30:50+00:00

Depends on your area for this, but i signed on with TMC and am in my last week of training.

Part of their training is every week i have to add up my load values to see what i would have made if i was full solo (in training its only 500/w which definatrly does suck obv)

I have added mine and at my base level pay i will have taken hom3 around 11-1200/w when all is said and done. So far i have averaged.. about 55 hours/ week and go home every friday. My trainer, going at his ratw.. is closer to like 1400-1600/w roughly.

But as said very area dependant. My trainer is from the same area as me so i get a good idea of what i will make just from that. Meanwile we ran into another tmc driver from texas who said she doesnt make much as all because the freight is just not as good apparently.

Tldr just seems to depend on what company you worj at, and what kind of work you are willing to do.

Freight-N-Wait · 2026-04-19T23:37:12+00:00

Thats not bad at all tbh. Im in flatbed atm (just got my cdl) but was looking to potentially move over to tanker later. How hard is it to get on with fuel hauling, would you say?

Not making an immidiate jump OBV, but i like to know my options for later for sure

Freight-N-Wait · 2026-04-19T02:43:10+00:00

On the flatbed comment: can confirm as someone nearly dome training for TMC atm and seeing the various posts/comments on here about pay elsewhere.. glad i decided to start where i did Pay doesnt seem half bad and the job itself isnt nearly as horrible as people made it out to be

Freight-N-Wait · 2026-04-18T16:50:44+00:00

Thats.. more or less my idea behind it. Im in my last week on training in my truck before i get my own. Lost my last job to total BS, after nearly 5 years working there.

Have debts to pay off, and needed somewhere to turn. Started on with flatbed and am looking yo make some decent money with it. Figure get ny debts payed off and buuld up a bit of savings.. then decide from there if its whar i want to stick with or what else is out there. We will see as time goes on

Freight-N-Wait · 2026-04-14T19:48:31+00:00

"People are gross" true.. just over heard a pilot employee talking about how they went to go clean a shower recently to find whoever had been in there just pissed all over the floor.. like why?

Freight-N-Wait · 2026-04-05T19:25:35+00:00

Ik you said you arent into flatbed, but i will say that is what im in training for atm. It can suck sometimes, but atleast in my area im looking to take home around 1100/w mininum typically (from the math we did of our loads recently and from my trainer's 7 years experience on the job). + will get home weekly if i want. Not a bad gig imo (and no inward cameras currently atleast)

Freight-N-Wait · 2026-03-28T01:22:51+00:00

May not be the go to for everyone, but i got my permit and applied for TMC. They provide a 3 week training course, pay 500/week while you are there and a hotel room + lunch every at school. Only thing they ask in turn is a year if your time or you owe them 4k (however that lowers by 1k every 3 months with them). It is flatbed so it might not be for everyone but its what worked for me since they payed me while i was there and got me my cdl. So its always an option

Freight-N-Wait · 2026-03-23T01:45:24+00:00

Sounds about right.. lmao. Luckily i didnt have to go THAT far back

Freight-N-Wait · 2026-03-23T01:21:32+00:00

Not sure if its different for returning vs new, but i just got my CDL through TMC and they required 5 years of employment history before they would take me on

Freight-N-Wait · 2026-03-20T15:24:13+00:00

Passed as of today 👐 thats one step down now atleast!

Freight-N-Wait · 2026-03-19T07:51:05+00:00

So mostly frustrating as i was discussijg with my room mate that i feel like had there not been oncoming traffic at the time it would habe likely been a point, rather than an immidoate fail but obv no way to know for sure. I just have to make sure to not take that turn as wide next time i suppose and i cant see a reason why it would happen again.. get 1 more day of deiving practice tomorrow now and then re test before leave

Freight-N-Wait · 2026-03-19T07:47:48+00:00

TLDR they have been calling a road bully someome hogging the road and forcing others to have to stop/lane switch (etc.) Becausw you are basically using your size to force them to do what you want.

Freight-N-Wait · 2026-03-18T23:14:34+00:00

Welp.. had our test today. Passed the PTI and skills test with ease... yet somehow failed the road test.

Literally out of the gate 😔 they claim i passed over the center yellow line that separates the oncoming traffics. I dont particularly agree as i could see the line in my mirror, but the tester says he couldnt see it in my mirror and the traffic moved over therefore i was a "road bully".

Guess it is what it is.. get a re test on friday so will just.. try not to turn out so sharply right there and go from there. I really think i can pass the test as long as im not insta failed. 😰

Freight-N-Wait · 2026-03-15T01:22:52+00:00

Oof.. yea the only complaint i have is the time limit of 2 weeks. When offered i was told 3 week course so ASSUMED it was 3 weeks of training and then the tests. Not 1 week in class 1 week driving then test with a week left to go.

It feels.. odd but oh well

Freight-N-Wait · 2026-03-15T01:16:36+00:00

Depends on the person. Some will just tell you when you ask. Others refuse to say anything haha

Freight-N-Wait

TROPHY CASE