What do you look for in a trucking company and what makes you stay?

I pay attention to which companies have trucks running past the house on a regular basis. A company that has a lot of freight moving past my house should have no problem getting me home (and I enjoy being home as much as possible). If I see day cabs running past the house, that is even better since I don't care to sleep in a truck...and day cabs usually indicate local work, which is what I prefer.

I pay attention to which trucks are constantly holding up traffic out there on the road. I won't drive a truck that cannot run the speed limit, and if I'm FORCED to drive a governed truck, don't expect to see me on any roads with a posted speed limit above the speed at which the truck is limited. I've got nothing but time...and if the freight really is "hot" and urgently needs to get there in a hurry, turn my truck up so that I can safely drive the speed limit on the big road without holding everybody else up and creating a safety hazard.

I pay attention to the condition of the trucks I see going down the road. I don't care so much whether they are new, clean & shiny, or if they happen to be dirty and a little older. If I see that a lot of your company trucks are bent up, tore up, with parts missing...or trailers where the sides are scratched all to hell or they don't track straight....that isn't a company I want to be associated with. I prefer to work with people who know how to drive, and are capable of getting down the road and make their pickups and deliveries without running into things.

Once I find a company that meets those criteria, I start talking to drivers. I want to make sure they are treated with respect and paid fairly for the work they do.

Once I've done all of that, THEN I contact the company I'm looking into and talk to somebody.

There is no "perfect" company...it is always going to be a compromise between the pay, how well you are treated, the equipment you operate, and the quality of coworkers you'll be associated with. More of one will compensate for a little less of something else. What is "acceptable" is going to vary from driver to driver.

 

All we want is to not be lied to.
That's all there is to it.
Thats why it's so hard for big companies to keep drivers.
Their mouths write checks their butts can't cash, so we bail. Nobody WANTS to change jobs; it's a huge pain in the butt,but if you are getting treated like dirt, you have to.

 

I looked on the Internet when I decided to get a new job this spring.
Worked out pretty good, I had lots of offers and picked a pretty good place.

 

Hmmmm ok, I'll bite.

Pay for what you get. IE: I'm a Heavy van (105k lbs) driver and my company pays me the same as a standard van driver. With shorter miles, so smaller check. You want me to do local junk (fetch/hunt trailers, move empties to repair shop, sweep out someone else's trailer) pay me for it.

Good running truck: I don't give a rats behind what brand it is. Set it up right and keep it working!

Comfort: either put an apu system on the truck or shut up about the idle.

Communication: When asked a question, answer it. Even when it's "I'll have to check".

A "do not disturb" setting on qualcomms. That way, I'm not awakened to see a daily BS message from safety.

Don't give a hard time about supplies. If I need something (load locks, straps, bungies, etc) just let me get them. Don't leave me hanging for an hour while you search the lowest price 25 miles away.. in the wrong direction.

 

I'll be simple about it, my name is Eric (Rico, Reesco, or some spelling thereof depending on my bosses mood) not driver #352465. There are three times I'm a number to my company, my fuel keep, my gate code, and my employee number for tax time, otherwise I'm a name. Treat me with respect, if I tell you something is wrong with the truck, fix it (if you find something else, fix that as well and tell me about it so I know for the future), trust my opinion, if I tell you something is unsafe, don't argue with me. If I tell you a load won't fit, is too heavy, etc., don't argue with me. If I tell you I'm exhausted and I can't do it, that's what I mean, it doesn't mean I'm exhausted but I'll pass out after I do your "emergency" for you. If you expect me to lie for you to a customer, then tell me the lie ahead of time so we are on the same page, don't leave me hanging. If I screw up, treat me like the adult I am, not like your dog that just took a dump on the rug.

 

1: Research the company that you work for so you know what goes on at that company so you dont have to put yourself in a position to lie to a possible new hire.

2: Listen to the driver and what they are requesting when you initially talk to them. If they are asking for things that you know cant happen let them know it cant happen.

3: If a driver get a call and says NO. Leave it at that! If i apply to a company and they tell me NO i am not going to continue calling them to get the job. Recruiters do it to us all the time.

4: I hope i can speak for a lot of drivers here when i say this, dont tell a driver "let me see what I can do". Then in the next sentence, ask when they would be interested in starting orientation. As drivers we want answers to our questions but not just answers that you think we want to hear. I think that has a lot to do with the turnover rate for these bigger companies. These drivers are promised the world and then dont get any of it. I have worked for a major company and went i went to orientation a guy told the instructor that his recruiter told him that he would be getting a few things and the instructor told him point blank "recruiters lie to get the spots filled". It shouldnt be like that.

We want to work for the company but the company wants to get us in a truck and not work for us. Just as recruiters get paid to get the manpower in the door, the drivers have to pay their bills also and support our families all the same. It is a big hit to a driver to leave a company to go to a week long orientation and possibly get one load by weeks end. That make for 2 weeks that we dont have a decent paycheck which in turn stacks the bills up at the house for some people.

 

What do you look for in a trucking company?
well maintained equipment and higher pay based on your experience level! a truck that is not governed at 55 mph to 65 mph and no qual comm no Elogs and no forbidding drivers talking to customers for loading or delivery! a unused word or terminology use in trucking "TRUTH". No Slip Seating, not even while driver is on off duty, or while truck and trailer is SUPPOSE to be in shop for repairs.
Jessi12 i do want to thank you for your post. be safe out there.

 

I've been a P&DC driver for 14 years with the same employer, but if I were to end up in a situation of needing another local job, this is what I would look for:

1) Pay. You get what you pay for. A driver of my experience level typically won't even turn the key if the pay is less than $1200 net bi-weekly. If you want professionals and not steering wheel holders, fork up the $$$.

2) Benefits. A good medical, dental and optical plan is a must have. Retirement packages are great also.

3) Equipment. Doesn't have to be brand new. Equipment is expected to be up to date with CSA and DOT specs, and well maintained.

4) cleanliness is godliness. How clean is your shop?

5) I prefer companies that have a uniform and dress code.

6) I look at what personal vehicles employees are driving.

--------------- more to add ---------------

7) Paid Time Off. Paid vacations and paid sick leave.

8) Overtime. If everyone else gets time and a half for hours worked over 40, why not us?

9) Relations. How does management treat their drivers?

 

Pretty spot on with what I used when finding what hopefully will be my last job.

Although, the personal vehicle thing can be hit or miss. For a well paying local job, many people will commute a good distance to get there and many don't buy a nice car for that purpose. Also, some people are just cheap in general. We have multiple guys that make six figures that drive some of the biggest POS vehicles you can imagine.