Since last week I have been trying to decide between Covenant *argh*and Werner *argh* and could not come to a decision so far… I realize they are not the best companies out there, but I am running out of options. Would appreciate anybody’s opinion and input.

I think the only difference is Covenant has a litlle and i mean just a little better trucks..

I thought that Werner had better, newer equipment. What about Covenant's trucks? Are they well maintained?

i have driven for both of these companies. i hope these two are not your only options. from my experience the werner equipment i snot only newer, but maintained better. the paperless log system, in my opinion, is garbage. i was constantly cheated out of hours. by that i mean the log system which is integrated into the trucks electrical system and the qualcomm would tell me i was running out on my 14 hours w/in about 11 hours of doing my pre-trip. also, werner locks their qualcomm so you can only view any info in it when the truck is stopped. covenant gives you their routing that they don't like you to deviate from, and they also tell you when and how much to fuel. my big problem w/ covenant was that they only pay you for the paperwork that the have received thru trip-pak. i was running a dedicated account that they no longer have and would run under a master pro number for a week at a time w/ my last drop either fri afternoon or sat. no way to make those drops and get paperwork in to chattanooga by mon.

Surely you have other options. I suggest making some more phone calls.

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Knowledge is Power

Hummm… eletronic logs, can’t one send a msg and have that fixed? Well, maybe more hassle than paper logs. Werner is not the only co. that locks the Qualcomm when the truck is running. But it doesn’t make any difference, for I wouldn’t be able to view my msgs while driving anyway. Werner orientation is right around the corner where I live, they said I can run southeast regional after training, I can team if I want, and their training is 6 to 8 weeks, which are the only things that I like about it. Covenant is not too far either, they offer southeast, I will have no choice but team, which may good for me, I don't know, and the 5 week training is ok, except for the fact that it can’t be split in two phases. I have expanded my list to include Schneider and Transport America. But I am not sure about these either. Anyway, as a newby, student driver, I will not be able to find the ideal company. My first choice when I came out of school was Roehl but unfortunately that didn’t work out.

Of the 4 companies you listed I would select Schneider. They have 1 of the largest fleets in the nation and will have moreopportunities for dedicated accounts that may get you home more often.

Covenant does indeed do teams but from what I have seen they actually pair up 2 trainess (after each has gone out with a senior driver for 3 months) for an additional 3 month stint.

I do not think thats a good practice at all and encourage you to really think about that before you decide to go there.

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Knowledge is Power

I have a friend who just finished her 5 week training with Covenant. Now she is at home, waiting for her co-driver to start her 6 month driving before she can go solo. But her co-driver is no senior. He is just another student who just finished 5 week training.

Yeah, maybe Schneider. But they said I will have to drive 48 states for 6 months before I can pick a dedicated or run southeast.

i have not worked for any of those companies, but from my experiences i would recommend the Great Punkin (Schneider) over the others, from what drivers have told me, and what i have seen.
But you gotta start somewhere, and there will always be those who cannot tolerate conditions that another thrives upon... Happy motoring

best to decide on who will get you more miles then to think about better trucks ... if you think about it , most of your time will be driving .. so as long as the truck stays in one piece .. its who will give you more miles ... that is how i would look at it ...