Best companies for recent CDL graduate?

The other day I was trying to tarp in around 10 degree weather with wind blowing like crazy. After about the 7th time my whole tarp took off I gave it up. The load wasn’t going very far so I didn’t tarp it. The receiver never said a word about it.

 

tarp

<<<hocus - pocus>>>

trap

-- L

 

I just looked up the jobs available in your area for SNI. The only dedicated account right now is for PODs. Pods is a pretty great account for a new driver, and a bit of a cheat code. The 2 biggest pluses are you will do very little backing up, and you get credit for flatbed experience, but it’s barely flat bedding, you only throw straps, no tarps. Pay is pretty good for low experience. It does say pods wants 3 months but sometimes exceptions are made. It’s really hard to make a lot of money as a new driver, no matter where you go. One of the biggest problems new drivers will have is trying to make a lot of money and start rushing.

 

The following link has the only starter/beginner fleet I see now actively hiring total rookies (that isn't flatbed) in your area (as of the time of this post):

Swift Transportation -- dry van -- OTR -- terminal is in Lancaster, TX -- hires/trains novice drivers

@Moosetek13 can tell you all about Swift.

You'll likely see the entire lower 48 with this job -- if hired....& you stay with them long enough.

Good luck....

-- L

 

if you flatbed you get all the baddies u real trucker now if you wanna be like rest of the lazy trucker you would go to kllm or roehl transport best there is the best there will ever be

 

My wife is a baddie but I'll look into kllm!

 

Hi. I worked for a year with my own refrigerated truck in Russia, and now I’m looking for a full-time truck driver job in the U.S. I’ve checked all the links suggested in this thread, but they all ask for U.S.-related information, such as a Social Security number or a U.S. phone number. Is there another link that doesn’t require this information?

Given the low competition, I’m also considering driver jobs in Alaska. Thank you.

 

I"m not trying to be harsh but your expectations for pay and hometime are too high:

For starters, no company that hires new drivers is going to give you one week off for every three out. You're probably looking at one day off for every six or seven out, so three weeks on the road will net you roughly three or four days at home.

Second, don't expect anywhere near $60k in your first year unless you take virtually no hometime at all. If you start out at $0.45-cpm, which is kind of high for new drivers right now, you would need to drive 3,000 miles per week to reach $60k per year taking three days off every three weeks. You're not going to make 3,000 miles per week, every week, as a new solo-OTR driver in this market even if you take no hometime, much less every three weeks.

 

Just an update. I received an offer from Frozen Food Express, doing LTL. Pay starts at 0.55 cpm with an average of 2400-2800 miles a week. 2 and a half weeks out earns you 4-5 days home time. No touch freight, drop and hook only. Not bad for a recent graduate eh? I prayed and had faith that God would lead me in the right direction. So all glory goes to HIM.

 

It sounds good on the surface. Make sure the job offer actually says $0.55-CPM. Some recruiters will lie over the phone about that. If the offer doesn't say it, try to clarify with your recruiter exactly how many days of driving earns you one day of hometime. Never trust approximates with that sort of thing.

Also, 2,400-2,800 miles per week sounds good, but budget for less. With the hometime you mentioned, averaging 2,400 will gross about $55k for the year. If that drops to 2,000, your gross will be around $45k. Personally, I'd budget for even less. It's always better to underestimate.

Good Luck!!! Don't be afraid to ask questions.