What to do After Experience?

My advice would be to do something different or specialized that's where the money is.

When you have a job that most can't do because of complexity or learning curb normally the money is good, but it is also important that you like what you are doing.

There is few options such as tankers or oversized, some ltl gig are pretty decent too.

I do extremely temp sensitive high values stuff and i really enjoy the challenge and it's really rewarding.

Good luck

 

Funny thing is, that carrier never USED to be a "starter" company. Back when they required 2-3 years T/T experience, a clean MVR, etc. to hire on, they were a pretty good outfit to work for. Used to be "seniority" was a tough thing to come by because drivers were treated with respect, made decent money, and had a tendency to stick around for a few decades...

Sad to see a once great company go down the crapper like that...now they are nothing more than a mini wannabe-megafleet.

 

Trimac Transportation is good. They might hire you now or you may have to wait until you have 12 months experience. With 24 months experience you might get into their "Elite Fleet" and there make over $100K per year running OTR.

 

He expanded his fleet too quickly, and cut rates to keep trucks rolling. That meant having to find ways to make up for it by changing the truck specs to shave weight. The average age of his trucks these days is 2-3 years...because if he held onto them for 4, they'd be junk. He specs highway trucks with light weight components, and then uses them for vocational work...and then wonders WHY stuff gets tore up. No clearance for stuff to move around once you turn off the paved road...and then there was the switch to super singles and the trial run with some 6x2 trucks...those drivers spent more time stuck than they did hauling freight. Can't forget the "light weight" dump cylinders that were skinnier and requred less oil...but would bend under the weight when unloading.

Saving weight is one thing...but when it affects safety or the ability to get the job done, it's a line that should never be crossed.

 

Check with Old Dominion. Good LTL company and a few posts on here say a solo driver can make over $70K easily.
A&R Logistics has an excellent reputation and good paychecks. A former neighbor of mine made $72K per year there. Dry bulk and not hazmat.

 

That's what Sam & his ATA buddies are hoping for...enough of you new guys don't know anything other than riding around with the electronic babysitting devices and poorly spec'd equipment, so you just go along with it because it's all you know.