Looking for a good trucking co in south florida!!!!

Discussion in 'Questions From New Drivers' started by gearjammer1978, Jun 18, 2013.

  1. gearjammer1978

    gearjammer1978 Light Load Member

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    Apr 22, 2013
    West Palm Beach,FL
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    So I will be graduating Metropolitan Trucking & Technical Institute Inc. in West Palm Beach next week and trying to plan my next step. I know right after I graduate the first thing is to go to the dmv office and get my actual license card and take my doubles/triples, tank & haz-mat endorsements tests (and pass). After that I will change the focus of my resume from the railroad industry to the trucking industry. Those are all a given. I will flood the market with applications (within reason and stuff closer to home), but it's still a bit overwhelming. I of course want to go with a good company and one that pays well but thats were the problem lies. My current job as a police dispatcher/911 calltaker pays me between $17 & $18 an hour and offers overtime. I have been making the past couple years between $50,000 & $55,000 a year. Unfortunatly I don't think it will be overly easy to find a company that will hire me at those numbers with no experience. But on a good note "no experience" is my only downfall. When I graduate from MTTI next week I will have a certificate for a 184 hour course, my criminal record is clean, my driving record is clean & my work history is just as clean with no write ups and I haven't called out sick in at least the past 2 years. So even though I'm sure I will find a company or two willing to hire me I may have to settle for part time and stay at 911 so I don't have to deal with a paycut. And thats another thing is finding something part time so I can build experience. Oh and here's another monkey wrench....I don't want to do long haul. I wouldn't mind regional or just the southern states.
    I have been pouring over all the major trucking co.'s websites as well as local ltl trucking co.'s websites trying to get a feel for what there offering and I wanna share what I've narrowed my list down to in terms of companies close to me and being a newbie fresh out of school so that you guys can put your two cents in as I'm very interested in other peoples input & perspective.

    1. Werner Enterprises
    2. Con-Way Truckload
    3. Arnold Transportation Services
    4. Comcar Industries (aka CCC Transportation LLC)
    5. Cypress Truck Lines Inc.
    6. FFE Transportation Services
    7. Florida Rock & Tank Lines Inc.
    8. YRC (Yellow) Freight
    9. Southeastern Freight Lines
    10. Fed Ex
    11. UPS
    12. ABF
    13. Estes Express Lines
    14. Old Dominion Freight Lines
    15. Armellini Express Lines Inc.
    16. Carroll Fulmer
    17. SAIA Motor Freight Line Inc.
    18. Premier Transportation

    Now most of these companies say you have to have 1 year otr experience but I'm still gonna apply because what can it hurt. You'll find a bunch of popular co's not in the list because either there not close or they want between 2-4 years otr experience and so I doubt they'll hire me fresh out of school. A couple will hire newbies fresh out of school. Again please feel free to share any & all comments about those companies good or bad!!! Thanks in advance
     
    Last edited: Jun 18, 2013
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  3. 123456

    123456 Road Train Member

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    number 9 on your list, check them out.

    they offer an awesome beginners program.

    good luck
     
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  4. gearjammer1978

    gearjammer1978 Light Load Member

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    Apr 22, 2013
    West Palm Beach,FL
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    You know I was just looking at Southeastern's website and I see they are hiring for a driver trainee in my area!!!! I like there trucks but more importantly they seem like a good company to work for. They offer local LTL routes and linehaul routes if I wanna go a little farther outside of the area. I was just reading a guys thread about southeastern out of atlanta and he is very happy. So I will deffinantly be applying next week when I graduate school. Can't wait.
    Does anyone have any good info about Southeastern's Driver Trainee program?!?! I see it is geared to people who don't have there license yet. I will when I apply but I would imagine it could still work just the same because I'm sure they will want me to get famaliar with there equipment and see how well I do so training of some sort will be done either way.
     
    Last edited: Jun 18, 2013
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  5. MIKEG

    MIKEG Bobtail Member

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    May 24, 2013
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    i was curious with the same question pretty much also in south Florida, but i think im gonna go buy a used truck with my roommate and partner up with him and run the truck through the company he works for now out of miami... they are saying they will provide us with the trailer the loads the dot number and the authority but we have to pay for gas insurance on the tractor maintenance and every other cost... and they will pay us 1.40 per mile.... is this horrible or even profitable or should we find a company paying better. or just do everything on our own and run it through a broker. Or in a nutshell is that company basically just acting as a broker and trying to rip us off? because i have been told by other people who are owner operators with just their own tractor that they are making 2.50 per mile but they have their own dot number and authority and the whole nine yards.... or is the 1.40 per mile gig actually pretty decent to start off with?
     
  6. 900,000-tons-of-steel

    900,000-tons-of-steel Road Train Member

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    Cypress (flatbed) hires newbies and can get you home weekly or more doing statewide and/or regional runs. If you hustle you can make some decent cash as a newbie. Hustle often means getting to your Monday morning pickup on Sunday night.

    Armellini is teams, hauls all flowers and does mostly northeast, big city but pays well.

    Avoid Werner and ComCar. Seriously.
     
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  7. 123456

    123456 Road Train Member

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    Cypress ?

    Good Luck
     
  8. HwyPrsnr

    HwyPrsnr Medium Load Member

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    Anywhere, USA
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    You have better job stability where you are at with your $50,000 to $55,000 p/y. A few of the companies that you have listed are already on shakey ground and debt rising. To top it off, you dont want to start with OTR will be a real struggle long term. When you give up that good job and go trucking and that company closes up, what are you gonna do when other options want you to have 1 year OTR and you have none? This industry isnt for just anyone. TV paints many pretty pictures about it. But, its a long HARD road. Got to be HONEST with yourself. Because you are the only person that you cant truely lie to. I dont think you really thought this out. Good luck and Be safe out there drivers.
     
  9. 900,000-tons-of-steel

    900,000-tons-of-steel Road Train Member

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    Aug 17, 2012
    Florida
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    I'd take Cypress long before Werner and ComCar. Yea, Cypress has serious problems (research their safety manager, rumor and word on the street is he had not one but two DUIs ... people wonder how he still has his job ... I believe he married into the owner's family. http://www.thetruckersreport.com/tr...nside-scoop/144959-cypress-truck-lines-5.html and http://www.linkedin.com/pub/danny-drummond-cds/14/47b/b45 ... LOOK at that scowling face!!! What I do know is the guy is a first class pr*ck.) but a newbie could do worse.
     
  10. gearjammer1978

    gearjammer1978 Light Load Member

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    Apr 22, 2013
    West Palm Beach,FL
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    Well shakey ground at my current job is what led me to attend tractor trailer school. It was told to us by higher ups that if we couldn't stamp out overtime they were gonna have the sheriffs dept. come in and take over dispatch. And if that happens there is no gaurantee they will give us jobs over there. So I guess I'm ###### if I do & ###### if I don't. I'm just gonna have to hope (and use some common sense) I can find a company that pays at least close to what I'm making now and that they don't go belly up. I'm really looking at Southeastern Freight Lines.
     
  11. blairandgretchen

    blairandgretchen Road Train Member

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    Dec 9, 2011
    South west Missouri
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    Odfl pays .55 CPM solo, .64cpm team. Need 1yr or and doubles and hazmat.
     
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