So I am scheduled for Transport America orientation in Scottsburg IN. on Mon. Sep 15th. But today, Crete FINALLY called me(only took them 3 weeks!?!?!)saying I have been approved. I have to get my Hazmat if I wanna go with Crete and have 45 days to do it. I have heard good and bad about both companies(more good then bad mind you)but Im stuck with a decision to make and dont know who to go with. I live in Cleveland Ohio for those who may wonder. Anyways, I have no experience and I need to get my feet wet. But since I have a choice to make here, I would wanna make the best one. Let me know. Thanks!

*****Recruiters should advertise they're trucking companies to drivers the way infomercial ads do on T.V.-"A unique experience. Individual results may vary"*****

I've been around the Acklie companies on and off for over 20 years. Crete is one of the only companies in the industry who want to hire drivers who would plan on retiring from the job right there. There are only a small fist full of companies that have this attitude toward drivers. Marten Transport is another one. Transport America has been a mess for a very long time. Their outlook about truck drivers is more of you will do for them what they demand and be happy or you will be gone. They will screw with you to make you want to quit. I have a very close friend of mine, whose work ethic and driving abilities are first rate, who went to work for Transport America after he quit TransAm. He stuck it out for about a year. The last full paycheck that he recieved from them, (consequently the one that made his mind up to leave them) was less than $120. He is the kind of driver that works hard and keeps his nose clean, but he got caught up in the company politics just for asking his dispatcher if he would help him with getting his miles above the 8,500 per month mark. Go to Crete, you won't be disappointed. My friend came over here when he recently left Transport America and he's doing very well.

Best of luck!

your friend must be a nimrod??? lol I made good money with transport america... and there are a few guys on site here still working for them...

go with the one with the terminal closest to your house...

or ask yourself which you prefer??? red paint or blue ???

or flip a coin...

them and roehl, in my opinion, are all the same horse... training companies...

drive a year and move on, or drive a year and get dedicated and train for them for really good money... or just get used to the place and like the solo experience and don't worry about going anywhere else.

you're looking at 6-8 hundred a week starting out with any of them... more is possible... but then you get into the realm of running real hard and being in the right place at the right time...

good luck to you...

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Though your argument is very clever, I don't think it will lead to the results you desire. gandhi

you mentioned the one with a terminal closest. I am starting with TA in a couple weeks, and there terminal is 61 miles from my house, heard if its less than 75 you have to take it there on your hometime. Only reason I ask is cause my old ford only gets about 12 miles to the gallon, so it would cost me a bit to make the trip in it.

I "had" to take the truck to the terminal for three weeks... then I turned in a security letter (permission to park) in my home town, then I took the truck home half the time.

half the time meaning when it was enroute... my dispatcher phyllis was pretty good about getting me loads that went by the house thru the week so I could sleep over ect.

2 things... the fuel expense is stupid high to let you "out of route or dead-head home" so that probably will not be a regular occurance, you'll have to park at the terminal...

the other thing... about the truck at home on weekends... its nice... but... if its at the terminal the mechanics can be working on your honey-do list while you are off duty... this is much better then sitting there twiddling your thumbs while they do maintenance.

so... for me... I never had the truck home for a weekend... better to drive home once a week and pay the gas myself.

the thru the house loads... were nice... before I left ta, I was hitting the house twice a week, every other week. but that all depends on where you live and how the loads flow in your area.

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Though your argument is very clever, I don't think it will lead to the results you desire. gandhi

I thought about that maintenance deal after I thought about it, and reading alot of posts about how they had to wait to get trucks fixed, guess it would be good to get stuff done down there while I am off. How long has it been since you worked for TA?

15 months ago.

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Though your argument is very clever, I don't think it will lead to the results you desire. gandhi