A recruiter from Werner Transportation will be here in our office Sept 21st  to visit with students.  Werner is one of the few trucking companies that have paperless logs approved by the Federal Dept of Transportation.  This is a great opportunity to meet with a representative from Werner to get all of your questions answered.  Job applications for Werner will be accepted prior to enrolling in class.  

Werner will then get back to you to let you know if they will offer you a job.  After you get a positive response from Werner you can sign up for our 160 hour Professional Tractor Trailer Training Program and get started on your training.  You can finish up in as little as 3 weeks and then head off to Werner and get to work!

Bryan C. stopped by with his co-driver to show off his truck.  Bryan has a dedicated assignment to haul for 3M.

Mike S. stopped by recently to show off his Werner truck.  Mike took his training here right after he got out of the service and now he is taking advantage of his G.I. Bill benefits.

All of these former students have stopped by to say Hi and show off their trucks. While most of our student go to Werner or Roehl, it is interesting to see how many different companies hire our students.

We hope you will stop by some day in the future after you get a job driving truck.

There are still job opportunities for new drivers that have taken formal training.  But, the trucking companies are not hiring as many people as they did a year ago, or six months ago. Or any time in the last 20 years. 

Trucking companies are being more selective.  They will not longer accept people that have had DWIs in the past.  As little as six months ago they would overlook such mistakes if they were 10 years old, some companies would accept drivers with a DWI as little as five years prior.  NOT NOW!

Only drivers will almost perfect records are getting hired now (January of 2009).  We have job applications for several trucking companies in our office and we welcome you to come in and apply for a driving position before you start your training with us.  It is normal in this industry to make sure you have a job waiting before you commit to an extensive training program. 

We did send an email to KARE 11 asking them to air a clarification about this issue but to our knowledge that have not done so.  Please post your comments and questions to this blog and we will reply as soon as possible.

B. B. from Cottage Grove is one of our real success stories.  He came to us looking for a new start, a new beginning.  This was an opportunity he needed and with the help of his family, he was given that opportunity.  It was not all that easy for him.  He worked his butt off and we encouraged him and congratulated him along the way. 

And now he is living the dream.  Working max hours driving all accross the United States making a decent living.  We were very happy to see him recently when he stopped by with his truck and co-driver.  We are grateful to have had the opportunity to work with B. B. and wish him continued success and a prosperous New Year!!!!!!!!!!!!

The answer is YES, if and only if, you have a good driving record!!!  Here is what we consider a good driving record:

1. No at fault accidents in the last three years
2. Not more than one ticket in the last three years
3. Not more than two tickets in the last five years
4. Not more than one DWI.
5. No DWIs in last ten years.

If you meet this criteria, we CAN place you with a good job in the trucking industry as soon as you finish our Professional Tractor Trailer Training Program.  You can start your training anytime, you can attend full or part time, and finish in as little as three weeks or take up to six months.

Two years ago (fall of 2006) the economy was still booming.  Trucking companies could not find enough drivers to fill all of their trucks.  They had freight to move, they had trucks to haul the freight, but they COULD NOT find enough drivers.  One of the reasons for the shortage of drivers is you have to have a good driving record and so many people have recent DWIs on their records.  So the trucking companies hired owner operators to haul the freight they could not haul with their own trucks since they could not find enough drivers.

Now that the economy has slowed down, the amount of freight going down the highway has slowed, BUT, not as much as you might think.  Fewer new cars are being sold so that part of the industry has slowed considerably.  But people still have to eat.  They may not be eating in a restaurant so they need to buy more food at the grocery store.  So, there is still just as much produce being hauled, just as much meat, just as much bread, it is all just going to the grocery store instead of to the restaurant.  And there is just as much toilet paper being hauled, the same about of laundry soap, and most other consumer goods.

The only difference for the trucking industry is now the major companies do not need the independent owner operators to pick up the extra freight that they used to.  The major companies still need reliable drivers to haul freight all across the county.

And when the economy does come back, there will be even greater demand for truck drivers.  This is one profession that will never be outsourced to India!!!!!