There was a similar topic posted recently: soon to be driver--choices, choices....which company to go with?.

I'm currently in school, and one of my instructors says Werner is the best company there is; another says they're okay. On my first day of class, a graduate came in and talked to us about Schneider; they sound okay except for a one-week training period (I'm not sure if that's standard or not, though). I'm unfamiliar with Roehl.

Originally Posted by RizenPhoenix

forget Werner, they along with CRST and CR England are the unholy trinity from hell. You have two of the better ones in Roehl and Schneider. Go to Roehl if you what to learn flatbedding and go to Schneider if you want to learn dry van.

Or skip all of them and look beyond the "Big 10". There a lots of companies that will hire recent grads. Many don't advertise. Look in your local yellow pages and start knocking on doors. My first company was great, and they only hire in person. All their drivers come from referrals of other drivers, recommendations of the driving school at the community college, or people with enough motivation to seek them out. I started in dry can at .36/mi and by the end of 3 months I was at .40 ran 2800-3000 miles a week and was home virtually every weekend. Lots of gems like that out there if you look beyond the obvious.

As a side note, we had the Werner recruiter in when I was in school. I felt like I needed to take 3 showers after listening to that guy..........

I suggest selling yourself to a smaller,say <25 truck,outfit.It can be done even if you are a newbie.Smaller equates better,not necessarily regarding pay,but the overall "big picture".no qualcom,no 63 mph truck,no elogs,no whatever.I have never driven for a big carrier nor did i go to a driving school.I am basing my opinion on all that i have seen and heard in the over 20 years that i have been out here.

but then being so seasoned/calloused,i rarely believe anything i hear and only half of what i see and we all know about another's opinion!

best of luck no matter your decision.

I must add that it is not always about the pay.you could make bookoos of moolah and be absolutely miserable driving and being miserable carries over 24/7-365.you simply can not escape that miserable feeling when your job makes you that way.That driver wannabe is a fact.so a few cents more or less per mile ain't always all that-