CDL-A Recent Grad Driver — Paid Training, $1,300–$1,500/Wk Solo

Just finished CDL-A school? This program pairs new drivers with an experienced trainer, pays you weekly from day one, and sets you up for steady solo earnings once you're ready to run on your own.

What you'll haul

• No-touch dry van freight, all within territory east of I-35.

• New York City's five boroughs are excluded from the routes.

• About 70 percent of runs are drop and hook, with the remaining 30 percent involving live loading and unloading.

Equipment and schedule

• You'll run a 2022 or newer automatic Freightliner or Kenworth, equipped with an APU for rest stops.

• After training, the truck is assigned to you alone, no slip seating, with take-home truck options available.

• Passengers and pets are allowed once you've completed training.

• Typical rotation is 12 days out, 2 days home.

Pay

• Trainees are paid weekly by direct deposit throughout the 4 to 6 week training period.

• Once you go solo, you're guaranteed at least $1,000 a week for your first 3 months.

• Average solo pay runs $1,300 to $1,500 a week gross, with top earners bringing in $1,750 or more.

• Expect to run between 2,200 and 2,800 miles weekly.

• You'll also get $300 for orientation, with travel and lodging during orientation covered by the company.

Training

• Training lasts 4 to 6 weeks, all of it running real freight on real routes rather than classroom work.

• You'll learn trip planning, backing, drop-and-hook procedures, log book and ELD rules, and how to manage live load and unload stops.

• Your trainer also covers company systems and dispatch communication so you're ready to go solo.

• As soon as training ends, you move directly into full solo pay, no waiting period.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, vision, and prescription coverage, along with 401k matching, start at 30 days.

• Employer-funded life insurance and long-term disability coverage.

• Access to an employee stock option program.

• Vacation time begins accruing from your first day of training.

Requirements

• Valid CDL-A and at least 21 years old.

• At least 120 hours of training from an accredited CDL school.

• Stable work history with a clean driving and background record.

• Current DOT medical card and ability to pass a pre-employment drug test.