Not sure which way to go...Werner/CRST/WSE/Windy

Without a doubt, go solo. I don't care how hot she is, you'll eventually want to give her the boot. The same goes for her too. The first six months you'll not get any rest because your going at it like rabbits. The last six because you can't stand the sight of her.

 

Gavin was my recruiter too, very easy going but straightforward kind of guy. I came to WSE with about 9 or 10 months of experience, so I didn't have to go out with one of their trainers. In the beginning they ran me pretty hard and I was loving it... I was getting around 2700 or 2800 mi a week. I was cutting it so close on my logs that I would start each day with maybe 8 or 9 hours available and still keep rolling day in and day out. I had some personal and family issues to deal with so I had to get home a few times unexpectedly and that kinda put a damper on how hard I've been able to run. At one point I even had to ask them to keep me in the southeast just in case I need to get home, and they did exactly that. Things should straighten out for me at home after thanksgiving and I have no doubt I'll be back up to at least 2500mi or more a week after that point and for the rest of the slow season. The general consensus is that trucking companies tend to run their newest drivers pretty hard because we're the lowest paid, so it works to their advantage financially.

I haven't been any further west than Texas, Oklahoma or Minnesota. We seem to have a lot of freight in the eastern half of the country, as most of the other drivers I meet hardly ever go west. I spent entirely too much time in WY, MT, ID and UT with my last company, so I have no desire to head back there anytime soon.... the winter there SUUUUUCCCCCKKKKKSSSS! I'm guessing you won't spend a lot of time out there either, but you should ask your trainer to show you how to chain up your tires just in case you ever need to. My truck is an 05 and my chains are still in their plastic wrapping and have never been used

I think my longest run is the one I'm on now, picked up near Minneapolis, two stops in VA, and two in Tennessee... total is around 1550 loaded miles. I have had a few 1000+mi runs, one being from Florida to Maine. I have had some as short as 350mi, but on average I'd say they've been between 500 and 800mi. Most loads are just a single drop, but they do pay for additional drops. I seldom sit at all after a drop unless dispatch is trying to get me in a position where they can get me home on time. Usually they send me a pre-plan load offer with the info for my next load before I even deliver my current load.

Dealing with reefers really isn't much of an undertaking, they're pretty simple. At orientation they will take you to their shop to meet the mechanics, and they will spend about an hour or so going over the basics with you. The Atlanta terminal has a shop for tractors and a shop for trailers although the terminal itself leaves a lot to be desired...LOL I have had two reefers break down on me that I couldn't do anything about on my own. In both cases they sent me to Thermo-King shops, one needed a battery, and the other actually needed a new coolant line welded in. TK took care of both, and we have an acct with them, so when they're done we just sign our name and go.

With 12 months experience, I still consider myself a new driver, and from the way things seem, it just isn't everyday that you come across a company that meets most of your needs. At my old company I had a faster truck, and actually earned more cents per mile, but I could never seem to get routed away from the Rockies.... very beautiful scenery out there, but when I need to get back home to Georgia, I can't always afford to wait two and three weeks.

I'm probably starting to sound like an infomercial for them, so just PM me if you have any more questions, I'll be glad to help out where I can.

 

Just a little humor. Evidently it went over your head. If you're going to be that thin skinned, you might have a bit-o-trouble making it out there on the super slab. Yes indeed, YOU would be better off solo. Best of luck to you.

 

did werner promise u a dollar general run and home every week after training?