Are there any good companies at all?

Best case scenario find a smaller local company, and youll more than likely find a really good job. The big OTR companies you read about on this site are never the answer, unfortunatley most of what we here about on this site are the big bottom feeders.

 

brown trucking in Lithia ????

 

Yep, small companies are the way to go. I work for a company with about 60 trucks and make more than I ever have trucking. I average about 1100 dollars a week. It is nice. And the companies yard is about a 15 minute drive from me. Even though I am hardly ever there. And most of their equipment is pretty nice.

 

Kennesaw, Brown/Schrader, Shaw (carpet) transportation, Domino's, Saia, Estes ...

 

evere02,

Of course there are good companies out there for company drivers. Quite a few in fact. You're right though, you are probably not going to find them on this site. It is enjoyable to read about the "good" companies but to each their own I guess.

I think you are selling yourself short by limiting those companies that do not haul HazMat. They tend to pay more for that type of endorsement.

Then again, you might be limiting yourself by looking at only OTR companies. We all know how they pay and don't pay. Completely unacceptable if you ask me. But again, to each their own.

Good luck on your search. By the way, I am a company driver.

Drive safe

 

how old are you? i started working part time at a food service company in buffalo, and the pay is about as good as it gets for local companies around the area. granted, its hard on your back and knee's, but it will keep you in shape for a long time, and hourly pay with overtime and only occasional overnights with compensation pay is hard to complain about. The places you have to put a truck are interesting, no docks, or conventional parking for that matter, but once you get used to it, pulling into gas stations and convenience is as easy as any dock. All food service jobs that I have heard of pay roughly comparable wages, because of the hard work they must pay good wages otherwise drivers would quit.

another thing to look at would be running less than truckload motor freight(LTL). all of the companies with the exception of central transport pay well, and you are usually home every day unless they put you on a linehaul run where you must take your break at a hotel.

I run LTL linehaul monday thru friday on the same run, tonawanda ny to fremont oh, and with ot after 40, even at the starting wages, i gross between 1050 and 1100 every week. at top rate, on the same run, it would be over 1300.

This would require a hazmat however, but truthfully, I only have about 1 trailer per week with hazmat on it. Don't be scared of the test, its easy, if you do a google search there is even a cheat test on a website that covers all of the questions that i have seen on the tests, at least in michigan and new york.


So there are 2 decent job types to look at, I would say don't even bother with otr truckload freight, it doesn't pay well enough for the time involved. Flatbedding can be ok, but it depends on how you get paid(mileage or percentage) and what type of freight you haul.

 

My stepfather works for Williams Dairy pulling a milk tanker out of Baxley GA and brings home about 1200 every week. They have newer equipment and they're growing more every year. I heard they just bought out another dairy in Macon. Not sure about their hiring area but I'm sure there are more companies like them in GA.

 

Although small and not hiring, the company I work for is pretty frickin' awesome if I must say so myself.

 

You can work for the large carriers, just try to get on a dedicated account. Most of them have them. My brother drives for Schnieder dedicated. He gets home 2-3 times during the week and every weekend. Runs around 2700-2900 miles a week. Not great pay, but steady and he's home. I run local dedicated for TMC and get home every night and off weekends. Average around $900-$1000 a week.

Small companies are probly the way to go, if you can find one and get hired. But, be warned, small companies can sometimes have the same problems and a large company. Just have to research the company a little.