I am in driving school right now should be graduating in about 3-4 days and still cannot decide who to take the big leap with. I have pre-hire letters with the following companies which of them sound the best? Any and all advice is appreciated. Thanks

TMC
Covenant
Werner
TransAM
Swift
Transport America
USA Truck

Hmmmmmmm
My crystal ball is out of order, NightRacer.
But don't fret!
NopE.

I suggest that you do a LOT of research here at The Truckers' Report in the next couple of days, --- especially in the Good Truckin' and Bad Truckin' companies threads. That ought to give you some insights as to what you can expect.
Keep an open mind though.
Some folks who complain are just whiners.
And some who make favorable reports are VERY inexperienced.
Just weigh it all.

Without more background information, it would be difficult to impossible for anyone here to recommend which companies are "best". It all depends on what YOUR needs and requirements are. One company doesn't fit all.

I noticed that Schneider wasn't on your short list. Have you considered them?

One company I think you'd be wise to avoid is C.R. England.

Just keep in mind that the companies you've listed are known as starter or training companies. As such, many newBees get their start there with plans to move on within a year or two, to a "better" company. Those "better" companies don't always turn out to be "better" though.

Whomever you decide to go with at first isn't as important as not job-hopping. The better truckin' companies don't like to see that, and don't consider that a "stable" work history.
As you gain valuable experience, keep your eyes and ears open for a better opportunity. Talk to other drivers with other companies to get a feel for what the industry has to offer.

The larger truckin' companies that advertise for new drivers in all the truckin' publications aren't usually the best long term choices. There ARE smaller companies out there that don't find the need to advertise that much, because their driver retention rate is MUCH better --- and there's a good reason for that.
Beware that the larger companies have a turnover rate of around 100%, or more, per year, --- and there seems to be a good reason for that, too.

At any rate, continuing to read here is in your best interest.
If/When more questions arise, don't hesitate to ask.
That's why we're here.
Well, ....... that and having more fun than a human being should be allowed to have.

Being from Memphis you might want to lean towards covenant,I've never worked for them but they do run a lot of east west freight and for orientation they own they're own motel,you might get a single room.Good luck,oh yea if it didn't work with covenant us is just aroud the corner

Well, if you would like to run flatbed, then go with TMC, (top notch training in flats) they are my first choice and even though there are problems at all companies, TMC seems to be very good----

as to pulling a box, havent heard much bad about Covenant-a buddy of mine uste to drive for them and was really happy with them until he decided he wanted to do local

but the choice is up to you, but if you want some other names to look at in flatbed, consider also Maverick, Melton, or even McElroy

Peterbilt79

Any of them would be a great starter company.You will read and hear good and bad in all of them.But look it this way,get your training and do at lease 6 months and see how everything gos.Who ever you go,go with an open mind and be prepar for good and bad.And don't espect to start making big money at first.You have to prove your self to the company that you want to work.After that then that were the money starts to look good.Good luck and do your homework on these companys.Good luck.

ANY of them (great) ???? Someone needs to make an appt to see the men in white coats........

__________________
My childhood dream of becoming a truck driver turned into a nightmare!

First what you need to do is make a list of the items YOU want in a job. Then do all the research on the companies and see which ones fit your needs the best. You've got to remember that it's you looking for a job and not anyone else. Some may say this company is bad but it might be ok for you. That's why you need a list. Put down everything you can think like, pay, hometime, equipment, etc, etc, etc.

After you have your list YOU can even go out and look yourself for a job. Why not use all your resources? Use the recruiter as a last resort. Find out what would be a good company in your area to work for and go see them. Make a list of companies in your area and hit the streets. Just remember the better companies do not advertise because they do not need to. You might just get lucky and find a job with all your hopes right there. You might hit that company when they had a couple of drivers retire. Also alot of these companies know each other and if you give a good first impression they may just pass you name along. Always shoot for the top then work down.

This is the best advice I've seen in quite awhile.

You may eventually have to go to a training company for some experience... but bang on as many doors as you possibly can right now... ya' could get lucky.

and if not, you instead may get a hint or head nod suggestion from one of the better paying companies... "go work for XYZ and call us in three months"

it happens !!!

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

They may not be great but its a start,just to get your foot in the door.What I mean is they are only good to get the training and some exp.

Thanks for the advice everyone. I am doing just that I hve talked to about 15 companies and some have said no because a wreck I was involved in 2 years ago and I knew it would hurt me some. I took my test at school friday passed it without a problem getting my license tomorrow. So now I need to finish up my research on companies and make the plunge with someone. Will keep you posted. Thanks again for the support and advice.