Usa or central refrigerated

I have no experience with Central, but know this. Central is a reefer company. This means hours upon hours sitting at grocery warehouses, and there is a very good chance you WILL NOT receive detention pay. It means getting used to the sound and movement of a reefer starting and stopping all night long. For the most part USA Truck drivers don't have this problem.

 

Why those 2 ?

 

You also have to get those reefer units washed out all the time. Big pain in the butt. But they always have work. Don't forget that extra fuel tank you'll have to top off.

 

I've got the same kind of question, sort of, but mine is betwwen SRT, USA, and a few others. The reason I am considering these companies is because my dad is getting his CDL and wants me to go teaming with him. I am recently divorced and he is retired and bored and needs the extra money. I have experience but he does not. That is why I am looking at these companies. Not for me, but for him. Not many decent, relatively speaking, companies out there that will give him a shot without having experience first, so, there inlies the problem. Trying to pick one that won't be as bad of a starting company as the one I wound up with. Whose name I won't mention because I'm not on here to whine. Reefer tends to pay more but they want hazmat. USA told me no hazmat required. Still discussing it with my dad trying to make things as clear as I can about the pros and cons from what I have seen. I personally don't like having the hazmat on my license. I let it drop off when I started pulling flatbed and haven't gotten it back. Pain in the keester in my opinion. But he likes the idea of getting 5 cents a mile more. Anyway, I'm dragging this out too far.


Have any of you teamed for USA and if so what lanes do they run primarily and are the NYC burroughs forced? Same questions for SRT, if anyone knows, and any other suggestions if you have any. Thanks a lot and God bless.


Be safe FIRST!!! Hometime doesn't matter to dead men.

 

By the way, to those asking about company paid training? You'll wind up in a contract if you go that route. If at all possible get your CDL on your own. That way you do not find yourself in a contracturally bound situation that leaves you thousands of dollars in debt if you decide you've had enough or just plain decide you don't like trucking. I went with company paid training when I first got going so I understand about money issues when it comes to paying for your own training up front first. My dad was able to get his on his own, thank God. Hope some of you can as well.

 

USA has No forced NYC. $100 extra if you take one. I've been at USA a year and have never been asked to go into NYC. But I also told my fleet manager it's always a no so doubt ask me. Lol. Been all around it though.

Last I heard haz loads were only $0.03 more a mile. Not worth the hassle to me. And I've pulled a placarded class 9 don't need a hazmat endorsement for it but if the shipper puts on placards you have to follow hazmat procedures.

Sent from somewhere out there

 

Thanks for the info. I talked to a USA recruiter and was told the hazmat was no big deal to them anyway because that was 3% or less of their total freight volume. To me hazmat just makes you a target for DOT and an uneccessary added expense for those of us that don't think the little bit of extra money is worth it. JMHO. I sent them an e-mail regarding my questions and they answered back saying to call them for more indepth explanations and whatever other questions I have. They seem anxious to talk to us and have been very polite and upfront from what I can tell so far. I've been at this long enough to be instinctively "bite shy" so I'm still on guard. I'm just trying to keep my dad from having to go through the same crap I had to go through when I first got started. Thanks for your reply.


And remember to be safe FIRST!!! Hometime doesn't matter to dead men.

 

And I meant to say "isn't" worth it about the hazmat