Working for smaller companies

so your looking for greener grass! and you are being talked into a 1099 job. you've only just started trucking. here is some of the best advice i can give you. 'STAY" at your current driving job!!! if you would put 5 years in at the job you have now. later in life you will benefit from it!! that i promise you. doors for higher paying job with benefits and everything you are looking for. will open!!!!! if you start job hopping you will never see it! if you take a 1099 job chance are. you'll be stuck paying off a tax bill and getting stuck with a poor csa score, maybe some speeding tickets. and when the 1099 guy goes belly up. you'll have a terrible time find another driving job. I talk to guys all the time who has these problems. and there simply stuck! they never see the higher pay, or the better jobs in the industry. pretty much they closed the doors of opportunity on there selves. the trucking forms are full of drivers who have done nothing but job hop. and now no one wants them. don't be another one.

 

^^This^^ OP, listen to post 21. He knows what he's talking about.

 

that's fine. make a copy of each and every check you get. keep a copy of the paper for each load, keep a copy of the logs,make a copy of the permit book for each truck you drive, even taking a picture of the numbers on the truck. and the truck for the guy your going to work for. keep all that in order 100% start to finish. so if and when you find yourself out of a job with him! you will have full proof of employment for the job. and it will make it much easier when having to hunt for a new job. one thing every hr person hates. is having to track down an owner operator to verify work history.

 

I might have missed this while skimming through, but how small of a company?

 

I worked for a small company like that way back when I first started driving commercially for something other than our farm. There's pros and cons. They were very good about getting stuff fixed quick, good communication, good equipment, etc.

It was a family operation though, so it got frustrating when dad would tell me to do ABC and the son would tell me to do EDF, etc.

I guess my best advice is just to talk to them and get a feel on their attitudes, communication, ethics, etc.

 

Sometime back, I came across an OTR Swift driver with about 10 years on the job. He was in his mid 50's, kids were fully grown and out of the house, I believe that he was also divorced. This was the only truck driving job the man ever had.
He mentioned that his miles ranged from 1800 miles a week to as much as 3300 miles a week. Generally, he averaged 2200 miles a week to 2700 miles a week. The Swift OTR driver hauls dry freight. He mentioned that if asked to do so, he would haul reefer.
The Swift driver also mentioned that once he hits his 11th. year, he will be looking for another truck driving job at a smaller company. He is looking for more regional runs that have decent miles, decent pay and benefits, and more home time. The driver mentioned that this would be the company that he would probably want to retire from.
One company that the Swift driver mentioned about looking into was TDC out of Joplin Missouri. He would even go so far as to move to Joplin Missouri, if he could get the job.

I wished him well and the best of luck. I do hope that he was able to make that switch from Swift to TDC.

God bless every American and their families! God bless the U.S.A.!

 

the driver would have no trouble with getting on at walmart..... atleast then he would have the income to put away for retirement....

 

Run....