How to Interview a Prospective Employer

Last evening, when I was fueling up, I noticed a gentleman going from fuel pump to pump, speaking to the driver, then moving on. When he got to me he simply told me he was in CDL school and was talking to people from different companies as to how they liked or disliked their company and what made it good or bad.
Basically, he was doing his homework.
We sat and had a cup of coffee (I was done for the day) and then after that, I thought maybe this would help prospective newbies with their decisions. This is my opinion. I don't say it's perfect, but if it helps, by all means, use whatever works for you.
Truck driving and what it brings you is different for everybody. Just look at the ages and situations of people entering the field. Some are young, not married yet. Some are married, some divorced, some are older and entering a new career...each person has different needs and wants, so what one company offers might not be good for another person. You have to interview the prospective company according to what YOU want.
So here are some thoughts:
If you are entering without any experience and planning to make this a career, then training should be of highest concern. Too often I see posts referring to training pay, how long the training is or if you get to take your truck home with you.
Remember, the CDL school only taught you enough to get a license. The trucking company will train you to drive. So find out how much they invest in your success.
The real question is how much training do YOU need? Invest the time now to make your future the best it can be. Don't pick a company because it has $25 more per week training pay. Ask what their training involves. Who trains (is it someone just 6 months into the industry or someone that has more time and experience?) What does the training entail? For instance, are you required to perform certain functions to pass, such as docking, decending mountain passes or the nuances of certain types of accounts?
If it's a flatbed operation, will they cover proper loading? Tarping? Will you be required to do it before completing training?
Will you be required to log a minimum amount of miles to complete training and if so, how many?
What is a trainer required to cover with you during that period? It doesn't do you a whole lot of good to have a body in the sleeper as you're trying to figure things out.
Is there an incentive for the trainer to get you trained and up and going? If a trainer makes all his money by being paid for your miles driven, he/she may keep you on longer just for the money.
How about the prospective company's safety program? What does it entail?
CSA 2010 is a big issue these days, and it's going to affect us all somehow. Safety is the #1 issue it is suppose to address. So what is the company doing to address these issues? What is this company's ratings?
Does the company provide E-Z Pass? Doesn't sound like much? Well I pass coops all the time backed up with 10 or more trucks waiting to go thru. My company has E-Z pass and apparently it's good safety records and inspection records account for something, because I get a bypass code 9 out of 10 times, or more. That can add up to a significant amount of time. And it's these same places, trucks are singled out for 'additional' information. check your logs, maybe a level one or three?
You don't want to go thru weigh stations if you don't have to.
How about tolls? How are they handled? Do you pay, then wait to be reimbursed? Does the company even pay tolls? Some don't. If you're going to be operating on the East coast a lot, this can be significant.
How about winter driving? Does the company have a stated policy regarding driving in bad weather?
I started in this business in 1972. The company I drove for required us to put chains on as needed. We had to keep going unless the highways were shut down. Not pleasant, I assure you.
My present company lets me make the decision whether to move forward or stop for safety and I"m not punished. They don't even allow us to have chains.
Spend some time and go to a truck stop at least once, maybe more if you can and interview drivers from the companies you're interested in driving for. Ask the same questions. A recruiter may tell you one thing, but the drivers may laugh and tell you another. Check it out.
Ask the drivers if there's any issue getting paid on time or reimbursed for legitimate expenses.
How is emergency road service handled? You don't want to be stuck someplace for hours or days because they haven't sent a service vehicle out to assist you.
Simple things. When you do your trip inspection and find a nail in a tire, how does the company handle it? Will they allow you to go to the nearest tire place and have it fixed? I know of a company that requires you to keep filling the tire up until you can get it into their yard to be fixed. (unless it just won't fill or stay filled)
How about continued training? Completing a month or whatever of training isn't the end all for your career. If your company drives in the northern states, does it train in winter driving conditions?
What does the company expect you to do with minor repairs? Are you suppose to 'fix' those things? (do you want to be a mechanic?)
Talk with the drivers and find out what kind of mileage they're getting. Are you forced dispatched? Or are you forced dispatched across the border? You can lose an entire day just getting across the border these days.
Does the company pay for scaling? That can add up pretty quickly.
do they train you how to adjust your tandems or 5th wheel? Or are you left to the book training you got in CDL school?
If it's a reefer operation, who pays for washouts?
How are your trucks equipped? These days, many places don't allow idling. What do you do in Arizona in the summer or Wisconsin in the winter if you don't have an APU? Are you allowed to have an inverter on board and if so, who installs it and are you charged for that?
A good way to guage a company's maintenance practices is how often they allow you to wash the truck (and they pay for it). In my mind, a company should wash their trucks at least once a week. It shows they take pride in their fleet, so likely they maintain them better.
Better maintenance means fewer breakdowns and you're driving more.
Do they have a breakdown policy? If your truck has a major issue, will they either 'loan' you another truck or pay you while it's down? If the shop is waiting three days for parts, another two days to get them installed, that means you just lost nearly 25% of your income for the month.
don't worry about what kind of truck they provide. You can make money in a Pete, a KW, a Freightliner, Volvo...more important is how they take care of them and how old the fleet is.
Trucks with 500 or 600,000 miles on them are going to have maintenance issues.
Are you allowed to have a 12v cooler on board and or Microwave? Food is the driver's #1 cost while on the road.
Some people want hometime more often than others. An example is me. I don't care so much. My family is raised. My wife accompanies me sometimes, but others...well, she'd rather I left and she stay home to be grandma. But when we were 25, I guarantee you hometime was an issue!
Take time to ask drivers their thoughts. They will come up with things you never thought of. Then ask your prospective employer the questions.
Don't fall for the carrots that recruiters offer such as, "we just took delivery of 300 new trucks and we need driver right now!"
That may be true, but I guarantee you the experience drivers get the new trucks, not a newbie!
If there is any way for you to hang out around the school or terminal for a day or two before accepting, do it! You will learn a lot!
I'm sure others will post ideas and things to check out, but do your homework. It will make for a more successful career.