Are small companies worth it?

I have worked (in trucking as well as in other industries) for very small companies and very large companies. My worst situations have all been in the smaller outfits.

I've found the office politics can be much worse in smaller operations. Favoritism is more evident and if you have a rogue boss, where can you turn? The fact of the matter is you are stuck in a bad spot with small companies. Don't like the situation? You can put up with it or you can quit your job and look for work elsewhere.

In a larger company you can appeal to a safety department and/or compliance dept if you are pressured to run illegal or drive faulty equipment or in adverse weather conditions. If you have serious issues with your FM you can often request to be switched to a different board.These options are often not available in a small company. Running behind because of a shipper delay or mechanical breakdown? In a larger company you can often have a load relayed to another driver whereas in a smaller company you are their only option so that's why they pressure you to do whatever (legal or not) to get the load delivered.

There are good companies and bad. A companies' size doesn't make them good or bad. But when you are working in a bad situation in a larger outfit you have options that can often resolve the problem. In the smaller company it's "here or the highway".

I also believe that the better large companies offer more access to better employee benefits. Profit sharing, more health insurance plan options, 401k with a company match, online resources, discounts with many partner vendors, etc.

Everyone has to make and live with their decisions but I feel like my job security and job satisfaction has been better when working in the big company pool.

 

How about we fix my truck... put it in the shop to have the AC repaired... while I rest overnight in a hotel... and the truck and I will both be ready to run tomorrow?

 

Bulldog, they should be springing for a hotel room. I had a problem with my A/C last summer and my (big) company sprung for a hotel room every time I asked (which amounted to 6 nights) until they fixed it to my satisfaction.

 

Somebody told me once, and please take this with a HUGE grain of salt, that in some of the southern states, tractor-trailers are required to have fully operational air conditioners per either state safety standards, or OSHA requirements. I've never looked into it, cause I live without A/C at home, and am used to the old "windows down and a fan or three" trick to keep cool enough to sleep.

 

If you find yourself in a hot environment and the truck is not cooling adequately you should explain the problem over the qualcomm. That way your complaint and their response is recorded. If they refuse to offer a reasonable solution I'm pretty sure you could file a grievance (not sure with whom-OSHA, dept of labor, etc) and the written acct could be requisitioned to support your case.

 

I'm considering a small company out of Ohio as we speak. Only 40 trucks and a small number of O/O. I have all these same concerns going through my head also. I've always had pretty good luck with outfits with maybe 150-175 trucks. I'm a little hesitant with this particular company because their Driver Fatigue rating is a 92. I questioned it and was told the drivers with multiple log violations were no longer with the company etc. etc...but no way it was just a few drivers got the number up to 92.

 

im with a company that has 180 trucks and we have three different terminals and everyone knows me by name, we have e-logs, trucks are set at 68 but are powerful and mostly everyone here likes it except for some bs here or there... plenty of bonuses, home on weekends and steady work....

i worked for another medium size outfit and it was #### near hell... running illegal, beat up trucks, and not enough freight... its all about doing your homework

 

small fleets are a hit and miss. like big fleets. there good ones and bad ones. you have to decide what you want to do.

here's what i can tell you. the way the owner talks and acts. will tell you if he takes care of his trucks or not. and is he/she going to treat you well or not.

I worked for 2 major fleets and 3 small fleets. the difference. big fleets you are a number. and you have to stand in line for every thing. plus they want you to stay away from home for long periods of time. and you end working with people that act like they care. but they really don't. and they will jerk you around if they can.

little fleets. you are a person. a good one. will welcome you in. treat you very well. and will always ask you what your plans before you go home. and ask you when you will be ready to go again. and any time you brake down. they will have you find a shop. or tell you which one to go to. and they will make they get to your truck quickly. and get you back out on the road with in a day. and when you go home. they will ask you what that truck needs. most small fleets want that truck and trailer at there house and not yours. and while you are in. they will go out and check on it. and make all repairs before you are ready to go. major fleets will get to it when they get to it. often leaving you set for a few days. the little guys i worked for had between 1 and 10 trucks. and the farmer that had the 10 trucks. if it wasn't for the ressession. he had to seel the trucks to save the farm. and he also sold most of the farm equiptment to help. I would still be there. the truck repair shop i worked for as both a driver and mechanic in '08 to '09. any time i broke down. I would tell them and they would come out and fix the truck on the spot. that was more of a local regional type of job. the father and son I worked for. to of the greatest people i ever worked for. they were leased with a container company. and if it was for the guy that ran the office we were out of. I would have bought a truck and leased it with that company. the guy wouldn't get off my butt about my family. after a year. i had to part ways. I never told the 2 guys i worked for. it would cause problems. and the son was a really big guy. and out spoken to put it mildly. so small companies can be great. sometimes better then large companies. it's knowing how the person that owns the trucks acts and thinks. all that is needed is one sentence from the guys mouth. that will tell you everything you need to know. good luck to ya!

 

There are pluses and minuses to every trucking company. Along with some of the comments here on differences with companies, another factor to consider is how independent minded you are. Many times with smaller outfits, you need to almost have a mindset like you are an O/O regarding getting things done. That will not fly well with the larger outfits. With those guys, you have to have a mindset that is similar to factory work and "according to policy". Not necessarily a bad thing, just the way it is. Flexibility is not always in a big carrier's vocabulary, and they will get a brain cramp if you "take matters into your own hands".

It all depends on your comfort level. If the big carrier's had a business model that fit everyone, then no smaller carriers would exist. But also, if they were terrible, then they wouldn't exist due to lack of drivers. It comes down to how you prefer to do things. Personally, I don't care for the government style hand holding of the larger carriers. I like to be able to actually have input into the decision process. Some would prefer to avoid the risk and let a person above their pay grade make all the decisions. Nothing wrong with that either. We each have a place.