Need advice on good companies

Welcome to the forum!

First make a list of your wants and needs. Then like the list you have above start writing down the companies that match your wants and needs and that also interest you. Research them thoroughly on the internet. When you have narrowed them down to a couple dozen or so then start calling the recruiters of the companies. You may also want to have a prepared list of questions ahead of time to ask them. Make sure to take everything they say with a grain of salt. They are recruiters!

Out of your current list I can only speak for one. I drove for Central and it was an excellent company. I can also tell by where you live that it would be a good company logistically to go with. They have a terminal just outside Denver. You will also pass through Cheyenne quite often maybe allowing you for a little better home time.

One other thing I forgot to mention; you may also want to consider what type of trucking you want to get into. By this I mean, dry-van, reefer, flatbed, tanker etc... This will also help you narrow your search in companies.

 

does any one have info about U.S. logictic, jax, fa?

 

Central is a very good company. Sure they have their good points and bad points and happy drivers and not so happy drivers but that is pretty much anywhere you go. The nice thing about Central is that it is not quite a mega-carrier and they treat their drivers like humans instead of numbers. One main reason I usually recommend Central is because they really went above and beyond to help us succeed on many occasions. In one instance obtaining a large settlement from Volvo for us!

Central has a school in Salt Lake so it would cost you nearly nothing to get started. They will pay to get you out there and put you up in a hotel and usually feed you at least one meal a day. The terminal out there is pretty impressive also! There is a terminal not far from you in Henderson, Co which is just outside Denver. However it is a small terminal and they do not school you out of there. Like I said before, you are in a good location too! We used to run through Wyo constantly so it wouldn't be a big deal for you to swing by your house a little more often than normal.

What it boils down to though is what company is going to best suit your needs. Do your home work and make your decision from there.

 

Ya, keep in mind too that more drivers complain than complement companies! I wouldn't base any company or career decisions on what these guys are saying. In the same breath, you need to take what the recruiters say with a grain of salt too! They tend to embellish a little!


All of your research and homwork you are doing will definitely give you a better heads-up as to what to do. Choose your company of choice on your own personal wants and needs.

 

Don't be too disappointed when you find that most all of the gasoline companies want experienced drivers. Also remember that the better companies do not need to advertise for drivers. If you feel that there's many jobs in Denver then there's no reason why you couldn't go talk with them. Going to a terminal is much better than reading an ad on the computer.

 

Ruan has mostly dedicated accounts. They have a good size dedicated fleet in my hometown delivering Auto Batteries for Johnson Controls. A lifelong friend of mine was driving for them. He seemed OK with them, he had to leave them because he fell off a trailer and ended up having surgery on his back and he is no longer able to drive. He had regular home time so that is a plus if that is important to you. They are not a starter company though. You will need a year experience though and depending on the account, possibly a hazmat endorsement.

 

I drive for Ruan out of an Iowa terminal - their home offices are in Des Moines.

If you have a good attitude and desire to make money, Ruan will keep you running. Most of my work involves hauling cement powder to road-construction sites and ready-mix concrete plants, but I've told my dispatcher to just keep me busy, that's all I ask.

This week, I hauled liquid eggs from east of Des Moines to north of Mankato, MN; hauled hot molten sulfur from St. Paul down to Waterloo; hauled cement powder from Des Moines to Ft. Dodge and last night hauled a Target store trailer from Cedar Falls to the Twin Cities.

I've also hauled frozen food products from Des Moines out to Columbus, OH, been offered to haul ink from near Des Moines out to Fernley NV.

My tractor is an older day-cab, but it's VERY WELL maintained! I do not have any safety concerns, and am not afraid to pull across any scales.

Paper logs right now, but the company newsletter says we're heading for PeopleNet.
If you have a can-do attitude and are willing to work, you'll be kept busy.

Best wishes, and I'd be happy to answer any questions you may have.

Be safe