I am new to posting but I have been reading posts on here for a couple of weeks now. Alot of posts state to " work for ?????? for a year and then get a job at a better company or higher paying company". Who are these better companies they are referring to? Most of them seem to have their pros and cons.

99% of the "good" companies are small fleets & driving for an Owner Op.

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Private fleets such as Wal-Mart, Frito-Lay, and Sherwin Williams are examples of top notch carriers. They will require 3 years (or more) of experience PLUS a safe driving record and clean MVR.

Other top tier carriers are LTL outfits (union and non union) such as UPS, Fed-ex, Old Dominion, Sai, YRC, etc.

The best paying jobs will be the toughest to land. .57 cpm plus paid benefits for union line haul drivers. Some local drivers may earn $25.00 or more per hour plus over time (some after 8 hours per day others after 40 hours per week).

Entry level jobs will usually offer any where from .20 cpm to .30 cpm. No paid holidays, sick days, personal days, break down, drops or hooks. They "may" offer extra stop pay (first pick up and final delivery are usually UNPAID but anything in between the first stop and final they may pay $15.00 each). Layover pay may or may not be offered. Some carriers will not pay for layovers on the weekends or if you are assigned to a load but still have to wait for an appointment.

Once you get some experience you will be more valuable and then you can start making some decent pay. 30 to 40 grand is pretty typical starting wages. Top earning union company drivers may make around $100,000.00 per year with hard work, over time, and bonuses. All depends on the company, the pay scale, and how hard YOU want to work.

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Adapting to an ever changing world.

Martin Brower here in Texas starts at $19.00 an hour, o/t after 8 and all the work you can handle. It's easy unload with a liftgate and most everything is on a cart. You get a $.75 cent raise after 6 months and then a dollar raise after another 6 months so your making $20.75 by the end of your first year.

Benefits aren't bad either. I have a family plan and pay only about $65.00 a week for medical, dental, & vision. We are non-union out here but other locations are union and they pa may be a little different.

What I look at is the stability of the company. Let's face it, McDonalds isn't going anywhere. They were one of only a few companies to post a profit at the close of 2008 and again 1Q of 2009.

I worked linehaul back in Atlanta and loved it also. Just keep your nose clean and get a year under your belt and you should be fine. Good luck to you!

"good" is in the eye of the beholder. Most small fleets, and certainly almost all O/Os, can not offer a comprehensive benifits package. i.e. medical,dental,vision, paid vacations,ect...

That being said, they usually offer a more personable/family type work atmosphere. Some, in lue of benifits, may offer better pay and fancier equipment. But, keep in mind, these are also the first types of operations to be affected by a down turn in the economy.

On the other hand, a large company will usually offer you access to benifits, and stability in a tough economy. The downside is that they tend to be less personable (your a truck number not a name), and the equipment is plain jane.

The job of any driver looking at entering the industry, or just looking for a change in employeer, is to decide what type of operation will suite their personal needs.

The original poster has begun a very important step to determine what is neccessary to get the type of driving job he/she desires, that is ASK QUESTIONS. The answers given so far have been helpfull. Keep up the good work drivers.

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Thank you Christ & Veterans for the blood you shed for my freedom! Hope is knowing that Christ will not let failure be your final resutl.