If you have some personal experience or knowledg with a newbie/graduate company......

I am sure there are many who will disagree, there are lots and lots of student mill companies out there. Sound like you are hubby/wife team because you said 'We', and not I. I would suggest getting trained as a team if you can, as well, find a company you can at least tolerate, not expecting too much, but have room to grow in that is team oriented. Your criteria is great to consider, but there are a couple flaws in your list. First, there aren't any larger carriers with really good CSA scores that take on lots of students because its the rookies that keep those scores high. Decent CSA score would be more like it. Second, Good pay per mile with no-touch freight would be a matter of perspective. Dry-van/reefer no-touch freight doesn't pay that well in this industry, and to be hired on as a student/team with no experience demanding high pay is not likely to happen at most of the bigger companies.

I am not promoting them in any way, but it sounds like Covenant Transport would be a decent match. Considering your criteria, I know for a fact that they will train you as a team from the beginning, they used to pay $6,000 for each person as reimbursement during your first year even if you paid less for that in schooling, not sure if they still do. They treat their teams pretty decent, especially the drivers that go out of their way to show they like to work hard and turn lots of miles without running off to the nearest casino every chance they get. Their benefits are decent comparatively, they got pre-pass, easy-pass, pike-pass, you name it, and they reimburse you for everything business related otherwise (tolls,scales,minor repairs you do like headlight etc.). Its a decent company when comparing them to the 'Swifts' or 'Werner' types out there, not saying their a ton better here, but they do have one leg up on most of the other student mill companies out there when it comes to long term growth. They actually have one of the very few decent L/p programs left out there if you eventually want to grow past being a company driver, eventually venturing into the owner-op realm where as a team, you could be easily looking at triple digit (above 100k+ ) take home salaries, even with Covenant.

BTW, I have friends that I talk to with all these companies I stay in regular contact with including Covenant, Swift, Werner, CDN, Schnider, Prime, CR-England, and a few others. I compare notes and deals with them all, and am disgusted with most of these companies Lease and/or Owner-op programs. My take is that I have noticed that if a company treats their owner-ops like dirt, then they generally their company drivers like double-dirt. Just last week one of my long term close friends leasing with swift was told that he wasn't allowed to make his final payment on the truck he has worked so hard to pay off. They pulled the rug out from under him, telling him 'OOOPS!', we didn't realize that 'Swift' doesn't actually own your truck and its ACTUALLY NOT FOR SALE! OMG HE WAS PISSED!, and now does not know what he is going to do. Apparently they did this to a few dozen drivers last week alone. He is soo close to paying his truck off and had already starting customizing it. Now he don't know what to do. THAT IS BEYOND LOW!!!

I am not trying to tell you what company to go enlist in, I am just giving you some option(s) that I have seen no one else post so far. Whatever company you choose, make sure you can grow with them, and try to grow with them as a team. you will be much happier in the end.

No matter the company though, your first year in your new career will be like going to 'boot camp', where it will not always be nice and flowery.

just some thoughts,...Rawze

 

https://schneider.taleo.net/careersection/2_cd_tx/jobdetail.ftl
2-3 team positions open in Texas, remember not everything orange is bad... I'm just sayin'
A few more in Mo. Do not let anyone talk you into lease purchase or rent to own, there are very few success stories. Your CSA score should be more important to you than the company's. I know that the "Great Pumpkin" reputation isn't the greatest, but I met very few disgruntled employee's (former and current both) that did not have unrealistic expectations to start with. Melton (flatbed) is an excellent place to start but don't know about the team thing, they will teach you how to flatbed safely.

 

Just last week one of my long term close friends leasing with swift was told that he wasn't allowed to make his final payment on the truck he has worked so hard to pay off. They pulled the rug out from under him, telling him 'OOOPS!', we didn't realize that 'Swift' doesn't actually own your truck and its ACTUALLY NOT FOR SALE! OMG HE WAS PISSED!, and now does not know what he is going to do. Apparently they did this to a few dozen drivers last week alone. He is soo close to paying his truck off and had already starting customizing it. Now he don't know what to do. THAT IS BEYOND LOW!!!

It is indeed, have your friend contact Jim Klepper whom writes the legal colum with The Trucker mag. If not get his own lawyer but get it done...... yesterday.

JMO

 

that recruter is a moron. I know of at least 6 boyfriend/girlfriend non married teams with covenant, 4 of them are even owner-ops.


btw i do NOT recomend going owner op to anybody that does not have a few years driving in.

 

Friends of mine drove team for CRST Dedicated not Expedited on the Caterpillar account until the wife could gain 1.5 years experience---home every weekend for 34 hour restart. The husband had years of exp. but few good companies would give them a chance as a team . They now drive for a Fed-Ex contractor and are very happy. I believe it depends on where you live for the Cat account but it might be worth a call.