Howard Transportation | Ellisville, Mississippi

CDLman63 · Feb 21, 2021

StealthyServal said: ↑

I recently started with Howard Transportation, it took me over a month to bite the bullet and apply. Part of what took me so long was the lack of information on this company, so I wanted to start a thread and put the info out there on these guys. I’m making this post with the time I have during training, and doing it on mobile. So apologies in advance if it’s scattered and disorganized. I will do my best to update this and provide as much detail as I can.

Howard Transportation (HT) is a private fleet based out of Ellisville, MS. It is a subsidiary of Howard Industries. A lot of what they haul is transformers from their plant in Laurel, MS. They run almost exclusively eastern states but will occasionally run Midwest, and very rarely running beyond that.

I had orientation the 25th of January, and started running with a trainer the 1st of February. If you are coming in with no experience, fresh out of school, your training will be 8 weeks long. If you have some OTR experience they will evaluate and reduce the training as needed. It is not necessary to have flatbed experience. I came in with 3 months local, 3 months OTR reefer, and I went to a school to get my CDL. They told me I have to do 4 weeks of training, but depending on the loads we encounter, and how quickly I learn it could be as little as 2 weeks.

Orientation is 4 days long, and they will hold it every Monday, you just tell them when you want to do it. You are paid $500 for orientation and $500/wk for training.
The first day we went over basics, introduction to Howard, meet any other students that are attending with you, go over some of the ways HT does business and setup direct deposit and all that jazz.
Day 2 we went over HOS, and a basic crash course on load securement.
Day 3 we discussed CSA scores, how they generally work and how they effect you. We also went over Drug & Alcohol policies and DOT rules.
Day 4, the final day. This was mostly a review day, your chance to ask any questions to safety or any office personnel. You will do your road test this day. You’ll meet with a few different people in the company, let them get to know you, and they will go over the PeopleNet system they use again. You will also sit down and fill out your insurance forms and life insurance.
Each day of orientation they will take you out for lunch and pay for it. Monday, Tuesday and Thursday they took us to a local BBQ place and Wednesday we went to a local Mexican restaurant, they took care of all of it.

They paired me up with a trainer by the end of day Thursday and left us to figure out our schedule. I had just moved down to Mississippi and asked if I could have Friday off to finish moving and transfer my license, they ended up giving me the entire weekend off and we left Monday.

All their trucks are International LTs, and are single bunk mid roofs. All trucks are equipped with an inverter (I haven’t had a chance to see the wattage yet), and their seats have back massagers built in. Trucks are limited to 67mph, and there is no radar/adaptive cruise.

I will update this post with more info soon. I’ll also answer any questions as best as I can.
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Did you mention that your medical insurance is free?

CDLman63 · Feb 21, 2021

StealthyServal said: ↑

I actually asked about this during orientation as I was excited to try a Western Star out. The reason they gave me on the switch to exclusively International was that they got Western Stars because there’s a dealership very close to the terminal. The dealer changed their service hours to M-F 8-3 and this didn’t work for Howard so they switched to International.

They have the main terminal in Ellisville, MS and a drop yard in Kenly, NC. The NC location is basically just a dirt lot and an office from what I was told. It just provides a location for our NC drivers to get certain things they might need (IFTA and the likes)

Trainer trucks are double bunks!

I don’t have the whole list on me, but 0-1y experience is 43cpm, 1-2y is 45cpm.
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.43/mile starting
.45 at one year anniversary
.47 at two year anniversary
.48/mile cap at three year anniversary

CDLman63 · Feb 21, 2021

Chinatown said: ↑

Post where their terminals are.
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Ellisville, Mississippi
Kenly, North Carolina

CDLman63 · Feb 21, 2021

88 Alpha said: ↑

They no longer have Western Stars in the fleet? I was under the impression HT was transitioning from Internationals to Western Stars due to the number of issues they, like many others, were having with the MaxxForce engine. Perhaps when they started getting the LT trucks with Cummins motors, HT didn't see the transition necessary.
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Western Stars are gone.
All International LT 625’s ( 2020 & 2021 )

CDLman63 · Feb 21, 2021

jackoboyo said: ↑

I hope your trainer's truck isn't a single bunk!
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CDLman63 · Feb 21, 2021

TB John said: ↑

Pay scale?
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.43/mile starting
.45/mile at one year anniversary
.47/mile at two year anniversary
.48/mile cap at three year anniversary
You save around $6000 or more a year because your health insurance is free ( company paid ) - that’s huge !!

CDLman63 · Feb 21, 2021

StealthyServal said: ↑

Last week was surprising.
We picked up the load Monday going to SC and NC. We then picked up a load needing tarped in NC going to PA. From there we picked up in PA and went straight home. We got home Friday around noon and was off for the weekend.

This Monday we left out a little later than expected, didn’t get on the road until about 2p. But they got us a load of transformers going straight to NH. From NH we are going to CT to run a load to PA. It’s expected that we will go from PA back home again and be home in time for valentines.
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Bow, New Hampshire. You probably went to NUCOR Connecticut & picked up slinky’s. Took those to Ohio or Pennsylvania, and went to Zanesville or Butler to pick up steel coils to take back to Laurel.

CDLman63 · Feb 21, 2021

ncmickey said: ↑

Howard sent a recruiter to the school I went to in Smithfield, NC. Seems like a decent company.
Do you get accessorial pay? (Tarping, bonuses?)
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$20 Tarp Pay
Quarterly Safety Bonuses usually $300 to $500 depending on how long you run your engine when parked for 10-hour & 34-hour breaks.

CDLman63 · Feb 21, 2021

Working for Howard Transportation has spoiled me. I have it made! Stay at home as long as I want. Health insurance is free. Don’t hear from dispatcher for days sometimes. No micro-managing anything. Wouldn’t want to be anywhere else as an OTR company driver. Got it made !!

CDLman63 · Feb 21, 2021

CDLman63 said: ↑

Working for Howard Transportation has spoiled me. I have it made! Stay at home as long as I want. Health insurance is free. Don’t hear from dispatcher for days sometimes. No micro-managing anything. Wouldn’t want to be anywhere else as an OTR company driver. Got it made !!
Click to expand...

Forgot to mention I am in a 2021 International LT 625 ( brand new truck )

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