Flatbed/Tanker/Reefer - Starting out?

Melton Truck Lines is also an excellent flatbed company that hires new CDL graduates.

 

Thanks, Chinatown. I will check into those companies. There are different types of TWIC cards? Also, when is a good time to get a TWIC card, and can you have more than one at a time for different divisions (ie. tanker and flatbed)? Thank you.

 

Just one type of TWIC; it allows entrance to seaports, chemical plants, military bases. If you decide on tanker, you should get it before you start applications so the companies won't have to delay hiring you.

 

Again, solid advice. I appreciate it very much! I will look into getting one! How do you obtain the TWIC. card, other than going to the place that distributes them (ie. is there a test, how easy is it to get, etc)? And when you say flatbed and tanker are $55k-$65k, is that starting pay for newbies? Lastly, of the list you gave me for tanker, which company do you feel is the better one...also for flatbed too? Don't mean to bombard you with a questionnaire, ha ha.

 

TWIC is just a background check and fingerprints and picture for your TWIC ID card.

The pay I posted is for newbies. That's what it adds up to with milage pay and assessorial pays.

Where you live, probably Superior Carriers, but most tanker/hazmat companies pay really well weekly/annually.
Any of the tanker companies I listed are good. There's lot of positive comments on Superior Carriers, but the others are good to. Look over the websites and make a decision.

Melton Truck Lines average annual pay is $50K and their tarp pay is $40.00 and the trucks have APU's.

 

Thank you for all of that information! I will definitely look into the getting my TWIC card before I apply to companies. I will, also, look into the companies that you listed a few posts back! Is tanker a hard haul-type difficult to start out with, as opposed to flatbed or reefer? I guess my real question is, is tanker a good haul-type to start out with? One last question that isn't really apart of this thread, but I am curious to know: how do you (or truckers in general) deal with the differencing time zones with the different regions? I don't mean sleep wise, more so making deliveries, and keeping it under 70 hours, etc. Hopefully that question makes sense.

 

Yes, tanker is good to start out with. Why start on the bottom when you can start on top?

 

Yes, very true. Thank you so much, Chinatown, for your assistance and knowledge! It is more than appreciated!!

 

Chinatown has a lot of experience on any kind of job about trucking I think.

 

What about companies that hire cdl graduates under 21?