Having a tough time with a decision. I am at two companies. One is small 185 trucks and one is large 5000 trucks. Both are based here in my city.

If I go with the smaller company my fears are they might not last the recession. But the people seem nice, everyone knows each other and they come highly recommended. They promise an average of 2500-2700 miles per week and it would be dry van and a lot of drop and hook.

If I go with the big company I will definitely be out more. They have a little longer training period. Everyone also seemed nice but don't know that they would remember me as well. I would think that driving for a bigger more well-known company would survive the recession easier and they are reefer which is more hassel but people need to eat and frieght may not slow down because of that.
What are the pros and cons of both big and small companies? I would love to hear from people who have worked for both kinds. And yes I have heard negatives about the big company I am looking at but it was all L/O and nothing has been negative about their company division. All advice is appreciated.

It's all a matter of preference. In my situation, I much prefer the smaller companies. I'd rather people know me by name and sight, rather than just being a number. Others would much rather remain below the radar...not everyone's the same.
I've seen larger companies let drivers sit for a couple of days because freight was slow and there were other company trucks in the area that could get to the load quicker. The smaller companies don't have as much competition from their drivers because they are more spread out.
As far as being worried about the company surviving the recession, I'd have to venture a guess that since they have 185 trucks, they will more than likely be just fine.

Good luck and I hope this helped.

in my experience, smaller companies are a joke (8 trucks.) they want you to run illegal and don't pay more than what a rookie would make. the size of the company has nothing to do with being recession proof. a lot of companies in this country that used to be the biggest and best at what they did have disappeared in the last few years (pillowtex, bethlehem steel, maytag, etc.) and a lot of smaller ones are prospering and growing. just look at GM, Ford and Chrysler - they're all bankrupt as hell.

I wouldn't say a company with 185 trucks is small. I also wouldn't say company with 5000 trucks is big - they're huFREAKINmongous!!

Go with your instincts.

There are no guarantees anyone is going to survive a recession, regardless their size.

Consolidated Freightways ("Corn Flake") drivers worked for a big company and that didn't do them much good.

Lots of big companies go under so don't let that be a factor in your decision.

I agree with you about big companies going under.

But, I disagree about smaller companies.

One of the best jobs I ever had was working for an outfit with ten trucks. We ran Texas to the west coast and back and no one was required to run illegally. They let you if you wanted to (as long as your log book was straight) but they didn't require it.

And, they didn't run satellites to babysit you.

And, I made over $50,000 a year and was home every week.

It all depends on the company.

The primary reason I left was I had a major disagreement with one of the two owners. That is the down-side to smaller companies. When the president is your dispatcher, he tends to always win arguments.



Other than the personal issue, which was my fault due to other issues unrelated to the job, the company was a great place to work.

Well I called the big company to ask a recruiter some questions and she was RUDE. So now I am leaning towards the small company. It's a tough decision. I will put in my apps and see what happens. Thanks for the input. You guys made some good points about loads and the recession. That's why I like this board. Good solid answers.