Best Company For a New Driver

If you're paying for the training and aren't concerned about having to have a tuition reimbursement I would consider looking far beyond Werner or Schneider. Schneider would be the better of the two in my opinion, but I'm sure someone else will think otherwise. You're going to find that there are cheerleaders and detractors for just about every company out there and your first year or so is gonna be frustrating most likely. If you're tough skinned and determined you can stick it out, you might as well make a list and roll the dice. Experience is experience and once you get it you can do whatever you want in this business. As far as safety always keep that in mind as the most important thing for yourself and everyone around you. If you have common sense and once you get through cdl school you'll know safety when you see it. And you'll also know what isn't safe. You can grin and bear it if you're in a situation like the thread "Werner trainer craps himself". But you can't afford to be forced to compromise your safety.

 

Gyphon,

Like comingback said, there are better choices then those two you mentioned. However if you like one of them go with them. Don't ask for people to give you advice on who to go with because in the end it boils down to you researching the company your wanting to go with. Don't take some ones word and join ship without checking them out or you might end up hating this lifestyle after only a few months because of the company choice you went with. I drive for Roehl, I just got my truck assigned to me.. I also put in months of research.

Also note, and I know being I am still in my first year it's going to happen to me but every trucker I've talked to tells me the first year is a nightmare and after getting through that initial year everything pans out for the best. So it depends on how much you can put up with really.. 4 wheelers will 90% of the time do the wrong thing and put you in a bind, but it's how YOU deal with it that makes the difference. See Roehl says we drive to protect others and I fully believe that.. Sorry I know, going on in a rant.

To sum this meaningless post up, research. Not one person can tell you that you will like a specific company. Your decision and time goes a long way.

 

TDI is a pretty decent school. Went back there in 96' and my wife did also. As far as best company, there is none. The schools recommend a handful of mega-carriers mostly because they are getting paid to do so by those companies. During class you will have recruiters come in a blow smoke up your ##### about how great their company is. They are all pretty much the same. Not that there is anything wrong with that. Keep in mind that you don't need to follow the herd! Most newbies go this route because it requires absolutely no effort. Be one to think outside the box and you will reap the rewards. There are so many other gigs out there but they require you do some research and put some though into. The harder it is to get a job with a particular company the more worth it they are to work for. The companies that aren't advertising are the ones with low turnover rates and this means their drivers are happier working for them.

 

What's the better girlfriend? A blonde or a redhead?
Everyone's different. Everyone has different needs or wants.
Same for trucking.
What do YOU want? What is most important to you?
Find a company that meets YOUR needs.
You don't have to pick one of those two. You can pick anyone.
Trucking schools usually get a spiff for each graduate they send to these 'sponsor' companies.
If you have a good driving record, reasonable health and take a shower once in a while, you can get on with any starter company so long as you're in their hiring area.

 

Believe it or not, I reviewed thousands of good and bad post about many of the different trucking companies. I decided that there are good and bad about all of them, so I said what the hell, I will try Swift for a year, since they seem to be least expensive way to get started, then decide what to do from there.

 

I can't comment on how Roehl's school is because I did not attend it. Orientation in Ellenwood GA Terminal was excellent though. I had George and Frank, those two guys are just great working together really create a fun environment to learn company policy's. Driving portion I had George. He is a stand alone great guy, he knows your learning and will work with you.

After orientation, you get a 600$ hire bonus. Split into (2)$300 checks. Also Roehl pays weekly (like most I believe). After that, you head out with a trainer for however many days the trainer feels you need. Might hold you out for a full 13-14 days or might hold you out for 4-7 days depending on your knowledge / skill level. $90 a day training pay, must log 6 hours to get the full pay. After that you test out, I got my truck that day but had to wait a few days for work to get done.

I start with $0.30c a mile. I've received detention twice on my two solo loads (go figure).

Negative about Roehl Ellenwood GA terminal. The hotel they use is very sketchy and they barely clean your room / replace towels. If you do choose Roehl and get the appleton terminal as your training location you will be very pleased.


I can not attest to other company's. That is my experience so far.

 

I'm not the best qualified to post to this thread probably but I am anyway. This forum is a great place to get information for research. Just remember there are two sides to every company from a drivers stand point. Start here and then go to the companies web site. I am about to test out of cdl school next week. I had the misconception that they were going to teach me to drive a truck. They are going to teach you to pass the DMV test. Learning to drive is going to come later. And the school I am attending is a reputable school. Just my experience so far and even then it is just an opinion. Good luck.