search for them in good and bad company sections. search other starter companies for that matter. You're pretty much stuck with starters for the first year, so choose the right one for you right out of the gate so you're not hopping around. Dont just jump on the first offer to come your way, if you have a class A, you have a job at any one of a number of carriers. Do your research and save the hassel of making the wrong choice. When you quit, companies love to trash your DAC to make it hard to get another job, so again, DO YOUR RESEARCH. It only takes a day or so.

as far as what to bring, clothes, shower gear, a sleeping bag/pillow, and entertainment. pack light, because you'll probably be sharing a bed with everything you bring on the trainers truck.

I went with Werner because they are the only company i could find that had a pet policy for beginners. That was a big thing for me. So i am hoping it works out.

What is DAC?

DAC is where trucking companies report anything bad you do(preventables, abandoned equipment, owed monies, etc.), then other companies check it when you apply to be sure they want you. Pet policies are hard to come by these days, and if thats really important to you its going to limit your options. Even so, search. mega-carriers are all listed in the good/bad company area, and you can learn all you want about werner.

Yeah i have been reading about them with mixed reaction. The pet policy attracted me. US Xpress has a pet policy but its a lot more expensive (deposit wise) and the recruiter told me they were only looking for teams. I get along better with people who can't talk back to me. Tough to find a company with a pet policy and a rider policy that also hires newbies. My dog is almost 8 years old, so once he passes away i can look at other options but he is my best friend and i am not giving him away so for now i have to take what i can get. On the plus side, this also gives me a few years to get some experience which will also open more doors. Might just stick it out with Werner for 2-3 years.