Best companies for a wannabe trucker?

Discussion in 'Questions From New Drivers' started by Dariq843, Aug 27, 2013.

  1. Goldenfan

    Goldenfan Heavy Load Member

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    Really, Werner over top of several others listed there??

    Old Dominion
    Conway (if you're close to an LTL terminal) The truckload division seems to have some fans as well and you may be able switch to LTL later if you want.
    Schneider has a lot of dedicated or regional runs. I'd look at their bulk (tanker) first though.
    Roehl again several different divisions & home time options and also regional or OTR.
    TMC is flatbed and too anal for me.
    Pepsi would get a strong look at your age. That'd be most likely local.

    Trans Am, Averitt and Prime would be worth looking at along with Maverick and HO Wolding.

    You must be in a decent school if Old Dominion hires from there.
     
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  3. Truckin2Eat

    Truckin2Eat Medium Load Member

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    Averitt my father just join them. Says he looking at good money home weekl. Started him at .37, have nice equipment(automatics) just are very strict, have to keep hair cut, shave, uniform, black belts, and black shoes. And its a service station right in Augusta GA not far from south Carolina depends what part you are in. 2500 miles are about right cause I remember hearing my father mention 2200. In someone else post they mention if you went to Stevens its a contract that's false if you are going to community college. You just will have to do your 4-6 weeks training with just about all major companies because you'll be looked at as a recent grad from an accredited school.
     
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  4. wolf98

    wolf98 Light Load Member

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    Aug 2, 2013
    bowling green, ky
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    I asked a recruiter from stevens (Lisa something) if I obtained my CDL on my own would I still have to sign a contract and she said yes. A 3 year contract is mandatory unless you have like 2 years experience already.
     
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  5. Truckin2Eat

    Truckin2Eat Medium Load Member

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    O h*** stay away from them buddy that's the first I ever heard of that. If that's the case you might as well go the company training. If you go through a community college you shouldn't have to sign a contract to a company only do your weeks of training cause you have no experience and that makes sense. Someone correct me isn't Stevens contract only 1yr if you go through the company training with them and you owe them nothing if you stay for that yr.
     
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  6. wolf98

    wolf98 Light Load Member

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    Aug 2, 2013
    bowling green, ky
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    check out trucking truth.com it explains about stevens being a 3 year commitment by going through their training. But I went the extra step and called the recruiter for the information about the company myself. Not that I don't trust what others say but I wanted a more informed answer. What I got told was from a recruiter who had just left being a driver because she wanted more home time. Some of these recruiters work from home but have access to all of their "Clients" on their company website.
     
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  7. chadastrophic

    chadastrophic Light Load Member

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    Nov 15, 2011
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    McElroy is a decent flatbed company if you want to get home every Friday afternoon and usually leave back out Sunday evening. School tuition reimbursement as well.
     
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  8. Tonythetruckerdude

    Tonythetruckerdude Crusty Deer Slayer

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    Pepsi...without a doubt would be 1st on my list...out of that group anyway.
     
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  9. Truckin2Eat

    Truckin2Eat Medium Load Member

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    Your saying if you go through their training. You have to sign a 3yr contract. You are not goin through their conpany training. Your confusing me now either way it looks stay away and Try Pepsi or Averitt
     
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  10. Davezilla

    Davezilla Medium Load Member

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    Ya, the main reason is that Werner pays the same as most of these other ones, about $700 a week... but they have nice trucks and they have a relaxed atmosphere. They dont make you take a screwed up route with 50 stop lights, the trucks idle and you dont get written up for it... and there are a ton of dedicated accounts.
    A single person can get on a dedicated right away if they are willing to move, thats what I did and I had a great time while Im hearing horror stories from all the other companies.

    And I just went to Conway, and the other guy who went with me walked out halfway through when the hiring manager was talking about how he could keep you there for 24 hours on line 4 if he wanted to. He later said he fired someone for leaving off 2 weeks of work experience... and their application doesnt even have areas for you to complete schooling or unemployment.

    Werner is full of people from other companies, my trainer was from TMC, I had students from several companies that told me their horror stories, and Ive gone to orientations for other companies that are full of people from Trans Am, Schneider, CR England...

    Ive talked to a lot of companies, and a lot of them have plain stupid rules, sometimes impossible to follow rules. Like 30 percent idle time. Thats 6 hours idle for every 10 hours of driving.... just insane rules.

    Werner might not pay well, but at least they dont have insane rules, they dont micro manage you and tell you what route to take. They also dont charge you for out of route miles... Ive only seen that once for a team that drove 100 miles out of route...

    And all but one of my Werner dispatchers was cool, I just called them up with no problem.

    The truth is, a lot of drivers dont even try. I have seen drivers quit after not even calling placement to see if they can get a different dispatcher or account. They dont tell anybody, and they abandon the truck. Thats not Werners fault if you dont use the tools they gave you.

    Like, Ive call placement every few months and there is always an account they are willing to give me. Ive never been told there wasnt something open. And people are trying to say that Werner is a bad company that doesnt care... not true. Its not their fault if you dont even try to fix a problem. You cant just say "My miles suck, Im leaving... before you even ask the company for a better route".

    I got stuck on this awful Texas cross border refrigerated run, and they gave me a new account almost instantly after I asked for it...

    I had like 3 or 4 students quit because they said they couldnt get an account, I friggin called myself and they got offered the Home Depot account... but the students turned it down because they didnt want to put in the effort to get hazmat. They turned down an AWESOME account because they were being lazy...

    So, its not Werners fault if they have accounts and people arent willing to call about them or do the work to get onto one. I find it hard to believe that someone could be dense enough to spend 2 weeks training with another company... because they didnt want to study hazmat so the could carry paint and batteries and stuff to the home depot...

    Their loss.

    I had a student set up for a dedicated, and he lost his job because he threw a hissy fit over a salad. I also had a student who lost a dedicated route because he didnt have enough common sense to keep from screaming at his superior to shut up and to "speak only to me when I tell you that you can speak"... and both of them blame Werner...

    The worst thing that can happen with Werner, is low miles. If you are a single guy trying to get experience... there is a lot worse that can happen. They dont have any insane rules, they dont yell at people... and they communicate pretty well.

    The major problem with Werner is the non-dedicated pay is really low, but its still better than CR England or Swift, or any of the other starters. I just checked the CSA scores, and Werner is not in the bottom half in any category. So they are a pretty safe reserve, that you know they are better than 50% of companies.

    But they arent as good as Prime or Averitt, and of course Crete/Shaffer is a leader... if you can get on with them.

    Conway OTR is also one of those companies that seems to be laid back, they dont force your routing, and the trucks idle. You only have to maintain MPG... not that hard.

    But you never know, some people wont ever be happy. You could give them a 2000hp gold truck with 240 inch sleepers and a playboy model inside, and they still wouldnt be happy.
     
  11. wolf98

    wolf98 Light Load Member

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    bowling green, ky
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    Let me clear this up for you like this.

    1. take their company training and you owe them 3 years.
    2. don't take their company training and don't have at least 2 years OTR you will have to sign a 3 year contract with them.
    3. don't take their company training and have 2 or more years OTR, NO CONTRACT REQUIRED.

    ***** Did this clear it up for you. Sorry not trying to be an *** just trying to explain it.
     
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