Im Just Starting off

Research, research and more research! Regarding CRE, I have not heard or read one positive thing about them so definately cross them off your list. Prime is a much better choice but that being said, there are even better choices if you put in the time to research as many companies on here as you can. Best of luck to you!

 

ive heard some good things about prime. nothing good about cre. have personal experience with neither. but id open up my research to include some others.

millis. (most positive feedback ive heard outta any starter company)
usx (also hear more good than bad)
usa truck (my 1st company...always got decent miles..treated well)
crete/shaffer (dunno bout hiring newbies...good company/good pay)
roehl (mostly good feedback)

there are others...those are the ones that come to my mind immediately. also a good idea to have a plan. most drivers dont have any intention of staying with their starter company. where do you wanna be after a year or so? flatbed/tanker/reefer/van/car haul? own your own truck? do NOT sign up for a lease purchase without a lot of research and at least a year driving experience. most leases are bad deals...other option is to save up and buy one outright at auction or elsewhere. or fix your credit to help get outside financing. good luck...may the new year be a new opportunity for you.

 

Crete hires beginner drivers only after they have been to one of their approved schools, i.e. technical college, road masters, sage...etc. I did not care for Crete, but that is my personal opinion. Go down to a truck stop, and see if you can talk to a few drivers. MOST will talk to you.

 

Don't do the lease to own program!
Unless you will relocate, look at companies hiring areas so you don't waste time applying at companies where you're outside the hiring area. This information is on the websites or if you're unsure, call them. From my experience, as a new driver, I would recommend a good refrigerated or flatbed carrier. I made more money with refrigerated, but liked flatbed much better. I didn't mind tarping, chaining, strapping during inclement weather because I liked the challenge and knew the warm tractor was waiting when I'm ready to roll down the highway.

 

try getting into a school yourself and not getting a company to pay for it. lots of counties have programs that will pay for your schooling, ask at your local work force office or whatever they call it where you live. Once you jump into one of those 'training' programs, they pretty much own you and if you leave you owe them thousands in tuition

 

anyone but cre

roehl, millis, swift has been very good to me. prime seems good

 

also...in re to cre...if a company tells you theyll hire you, 95 times out of 100 that will not change in a month. so when you get a yes from someone, unless they are the "dream job" for you, put them off for a couple/three weeks. this will give you a chance to keep looking while not burning any bridges. and in re to crete, that is literally the first bad comment ive heard bout them. not saying chinatown is wrong, i have NO personal experience with them so my word means little to nothing. just saying that that is why i listed them, because id heard mostly good things about them.

as far as company schools go, ive been in blue's corner forever...in general id stay away from them if i had another option. i would, however, go ONLY with a school that would guarantee a job upon completion. also heard good things about millis school from a driver recently...said you pay a small amount per week for one year (think it was $25 but dont quote me) and thats the end of the contract. said they also "contribute" each week, so that if you leave before the year is up you dont owe a ton, but only the remainder. made it sound to ME like the same basic deal as if youd gone to a private school, and they were reimbursing you. of course, if you can get the govt to pay for it, with wia or something similar, private is DEFINITELY the only option. but ask around to companies you wanna get hired on with.. is the school you are considering acceptable to them?

if you are seriously considering going to cre, and havent yet. make sure to ask them:
how long will you be contracted with them for?
how much per week/month will they take from you after you start driving, and for how long?
what happens if you leave earlier? (if they tell you contract for 2 years, what happens when you leave at 6 months? at 1 year? at 18 months?)

with this info youll be able to compare them to private school that you end up financing. the bad part about company school is you are sorta stuck with them for the length of the contract. after 1 year you should be able to find a significantly higher paying job than england. maybe even 6 months. its nice to have the flexibility to leave anytime something better shows itself, with no repercussions.