Which company to Choose Werner, May Trucking Company, Freymiller

If May has given you an offer, I'm in agreement with the other members. I'd take it. Their running lanes will make a driver out of you, and its all about getting seat time and experience. It's 10 days of training, true enough. Here's the thing: that's merely a suggestion. If you don't feel like you're ready to go out on your own, you can always re-up for more training. You know yourself, and you can decide if you need to stay out longer with your current trainer, or go for another round of training with a different trainer. I'd communicate that to them should that scenario come up. 10 days is no time whatsoever.

I only say this, because when I trained with Western Express, another driver said he didn't feel ready to go solo. He hadn't totally got the hang of load securement on the flatbed side. He wanted to stay another month with his trainer and Western didn't hesitate in accommodating his needs. With the benefit of retrospect, I think I should have done the same thing. I wasn't as ready as I thought I was. If safety and being professional is a point of emphasis, just communicate that with May. Hopefully they remain sensitive to what you need.

 

OP: If you just want plain ol' Spam...instead of a trucking super buffet....well, then that's your choice...



-- L

 

Well, that's good. We all know trucking companies don't lie.

 

Freymiiler wont have any trainers until mid January probably. All their trainers stop around the holidays.

 

Just like Collision Avoidance Systems, trucking companies that do not use driver facing cameras will continue the practice, until they get sued for NOT having driver facing cameras.


Navistar settles crash lawsuit blaming lack of optional safety features

 

In that case I would wait for Freymiller to hire you. Understand you will have regrets WHOEVER you pick. You will think life wold have been unicorns and cotton candy had you picked the other company. Had you been at the other company instead of the one you chose you would have the same feeling about the company you did choose.

I don't know many drivers that didn't think "I have no business in this industry" at some time during training. Only recently can you have even a small amount of info about the industry or doing this job until you are fully in it. This job is NOTHING like any other job you have ever had. The average day is a LOT LONGER than most long days at any job you know about. You have to make lots of decisions about things in which you received no training, and then ALWAYS be told you should have done the other thing, even if that other thing was what they told you not to do before. Having no CB radio, and 90% of other drivers also not using a CB radio you have no idea you are violating the industry norms until your actions cause someone to almost volunteer to do time in prison to straighten you out. You used to hear corrections on the CB radio and avoid some issues. Between raising kids with a steady diet of "stranger danger" and now the smartphone where everyone lives in their own bubble and never have to behave any way but how they want to behave the new drivers are setup to fail unless they work much harder than drivers used to work to fit in. You will need to fit in, not just make your life easy and to heck with everyone else.

I bounced around industries. Trucking is the one industry where the most was demanded from employees and the least amount of training was given. McDonalds gave me a lot more training and friendly supervision to work as they wanted me to work than a company giving you $200k worth of gear and hoping you bring it back in one piece in a week, month, etc. To exaggerate quite a bit it's like expecting a brain surgeon to never lose a patient but only giving him a few weeks of training and without med school, just someone with HS diploma.

Have you talked to any Freymiller drivers? If not, you better before making a decision. You wouldn't likely buy a new car by just watching some car commercials. Whatever 1st year pay is for a new driver, think of picking an employer as buying a car that costs whatever they pay 1st year drivers. For that amount of money it's worth doing A LOT of research and not just waiting for them to find you and give you the real info, if they decide to. It's your life, you put in the effort and you get the results. Imagine buying that $50k car but never talking to anyone that drove one before you sign the paperwork. <shudder>

 

Post #5 on this thread:
No Experience Want Training and Be Safe for 1st Job