Company Evaluation Checklist--Input Requested

Those are both excellent and should be at or near the top for any new driver.

Expanding that subject a little:

• Gender policy when training? i.e. Do they pair female trainees with female drivers?
• Is there a limit on the amount per week that can be advanced?

 

Recruiters are hired to convince a person to work for that company. The position exists to do nothing more than answer basic questions and make the company seem like they're the best thing out there and that you would be crazy to want to work anywhere else.

They will tell you what you want to hear, they will bend the truth, they will lie by omission, and in some cases they will just plain lie to you because they know that once you sign on with that company, especially as a new driver without enough experience to go elsewhere, you're likely going to put up with whatever crap you have to in order to gain the all important experience.

My advice to you, and every other new driver, is to be very skeptical of EVERYTHING the recruiter tells you until it can be confirmed by other sources, best of which will be a current driver in that company / division.

 

• Chaining Policy

DOT requires trucks to carry chains. Sure. Some companies, while following DOT Rules, will have authorized chain pickup and drop off locations in the States requiring them and not allow their drivers to chain. You'll ask, so yeah. Stevens; I remember picking up bags of never-used chains from authorized locales and then dropping them back off when I left the state where they were required.

Interestingly enough this prevented me from getting a job from a guy who hauled apples in Oregon.

"So, you've driven. You can chain, right? We go over the pass with these apples and winter is here."

"No, Sir. Never chained up."

"Well, I'm not about to teach you; you'll need to get that experience, though."

As much as it may pain me to admit it, I got that chaining experience with C.R. England. Trainer and I were at odds on everything and he was a great trainer. Another poor slob like me trying to stretch money from one end of the month to another.

Again, this is all about the MEGA-outfits. When I applied for a grocery hauling gig? All the owner wanted to know was if I'd show up to work, not hit anything, and not run off with his truck.

Long story short:

• Chaining Policy

 

Many recruiters are 3rd party and work for dozens of companies; thus probably have a few basic answers to the most commonly asked questions.
My questions are quite simple; freight lanes, accessorial pays, preferably no grocery warehouses.
Lower cpm doesn't necessarily mean small paychecks so my question is freight lanes and average length of haul. For example, Holland Enterprises cpm is looked at as low, but looking at the big picture, their average length of haul is 1600 miles and solo drivers run coast to coast, so that company would be at the top of my list for a reefer outfit.
Some companies pay .50 cpm for new drivers which is good if you're running coast to coast but not so good running regional or local because the miles just aren't there.

 

Ummmm...what are chains? Just kidding. I don't carry any, so no I don't go in states that require it, even when I did, I never threw a set of chains. If I needed metal between my rubber and the asphalt to move, I sat still.

 

You don't have to ask everything question on the list, just pick out the questions that are most important to you. The list will help in that it will have questions that many will not think to ask even though they are important personally.

 

Thanks for your efforts and for sharing them. The spreadsheet will be very handy when shortlisting companies and compiling information on them. Some of the answers are available on their various websites, but the spreadsheet will make it much easier to collate that info.

 

Everyone has missed the most important question. Does this company have any drivers that retire? Throw the rest out ,that question tells the whole story if it's more than just a couple of drivers.