Is Schneider a good starter company?

arent you a Schneider guy?

 

I used to be, for about 2 years.

I ran with their intermodal, & OTR dry van divisions.

Now I do hazmat tanker duty, elsewhere.

To address the original thread question, "Is Schneider a good started company?"....I would submit the following:

It depends....on what your priorities are, and also, where you live.

For me, I live "in the sticks"....and as a rookie, Schneider was the only one that would hire me (at that time) with a terminal anywhere close by.

Obviously, given the Forum thread shown/referenced above, not everyone has (or will have) a good experience there.

Things apparently have slipped somewhat, since my departure a few years back, for a new driver (especially a vet) to get abused like that.

Otherwise, here are some "mega-carrier" advantages to consider, as food for thought for a new driver:

1) They generally have LOTS of terminals & dropyards, so finding overnight parking (particularly in/near urban areas) is often easier than with a smaller carrier with less parking/terminals. This is especially important for a newer driver, who is obviously not as adept with finding safe, legal and respectable parking as opposed to a more experienced driver.

2) They have multiple divisions, so you can try out different types of trucking (pulling different types of freight) without changing employers. This saves major hassle and lets someone new to the industry "sample" different types of freight, without later looking like a job hopper.

3) Their massive freight volumes will very likely keep you busy & running--even in a deep economic recession.

4) They have contracts with repair facilities nationwide, so that if you have a breakdown issue--help is available soon, and virtually everywhere. This is not necessarily the case with a smaller carrier.

5) Here's a big one that many rookies don't know about, and thus overlook: their large size gives them huge self-insured advantages, so if you do something stupid and have an at-fault wreck, you're much less likely to lose you job as a result. A smaller carrier can't afford this type of leverage with their insurance, and so is much more likely to fire you as a rookie, after an at-fault accident. If you get fired (especially as a newer driver) from an accident, it can well be almost the end of your career as a driver. THIS IS ONE OF THE MAIN REASONS WHY I STARTED WITH SCHNEIDER.

6) They are much more understanding/tolerant if you use/invoke the so-called "stop work authority"....if you feel it isn't safe to continue driving because of bad weather and/or bad road conditions, etc. As a new(er) driver, it's very important to be able to stop driving if you feel conditions are getting you in over your head. Better safe--than later sorry.

****NOW, BACK TO THE ORIGINAL THREAD QUESTION***

If you want less time with a trainer before being assigned a tractor, then definitely go with Schneider (this info is for dry van, OTR duty--it may be somewhat different with Schneider's tanker group). If you want more time with a trainer before going solo (weeks, instead of just days)--then start out with Swift, or yet another large carrier.

If you want to see more of the western US ("the east is nice--but the west is best"), then definitely start out with Swift over Schneider--especially if you live in the eastern US.

Other thread/Forum participants here have suggested Schneider's tanker division as a good way to start out in the tanker world.

My experience inside Schneider would suggest otherwise.

I spoke to intermodal drivers who had come over to intermodal--from their tanker group (there's your first clue).

They told me what it was like there, and what to expect.

I never went there--and starting tanking, elsewhere (there's your second clue).

After what I have seen/heard while inside Schneider, I would recommend their tanker group to a beginner only if:

a) You are former military (Army, or Marines);

b) You are SURE your recruiter has you set up to start things off after your training with a DEDICATED ACCOUNT (i.e., & NOT over-the-road);

c) Openings with other carriers that take rookies are not available in your area.

I think everyone here will pretty much agree with me when I say that you will do better financially if you start out doing tanker elsewhere, anyway.

Hope some of this helps with your decisions....


--Lual

 

Go to Schneider tanker for the experience and not the pay.

They like to say that at the end of the day all tanker companies pay around the same but that is a lie.