New to Trucking.Trying to find best company.

dont go to swift read the forums on bad trucking companys and then pick one

 

Landstar, i think Stevens Transpot is located down in Tex, some ad things are on this site about them, but i have spoken with many drivers from there and they are a decent company based on what they say...
one thing you need to keep in mind is that you will read bad things on just about evry company on the forum., keep in mind that many of the people that write the negative things were terminated from the company. as far as swift and werner go, well, pretty much everything you read on here is true.
this forum should become your best friend, the only stupid question are the ones NOT asked.
welcom to th forum and dont be shy around here.
you will get many replies suggestions companies that should take you, pervided that your histry, crim/driving history are decent.
good luck in what every it is that you decide to do, and keep us posted

 

If I were to recommend a company to start training with it would be either Schneider or Swift. I would recommend schneider over swift cause I went through schneiders school and liked how they did things there. They were real professional and taught you just about everything you needed to know about driving and life on the road. Also the trainer I had was real good only had to go out with him for two weeks. Swifts training is a lot longer and you have to go out with a trainer for 6 weeks. Also dont believe all the bad things you hear about schneider or swift alot of the negatives are people who just have a deadset on hating the companies or are people who were terminated for doing something dumb or slacking. Just my two cents. Good luck to ya, and remember keep an open mind and be ready for anything and everything.

 

CR Englend has a driver refresher course for $500. It is not on their web site but that is what I am doing. You will get a least 6 weeks paid training. Pay sucks but hay something is better than nothing.

 

The best company for me, may not be the best company for you. You need to decide what you want from a company. Just starting out, is their training most important? Or is it the earnings, the hometime, benefits, area you will be driving, or something else?

Write down and think about what "best company" means to you. Then think about it and if needed revise the assets of the "best company". Once you have refined your definition of "best company" then you can ask about good companies for you at this time in your career. If you end up at a one of the many good companies which does not fit you, you will not be happy.

Having talked to some students and some companies, I have noticed a change since we started at the first of the year. Due to economic reasons within the trucking industry, there are many experienced drivers out of work. Some companies are preferring to hire them. In fact some companies have sharply curtailed or suspended their training programs for new drivers. It is not the quality of the new drivers that causes this. The fact is that a very high percentage of new drivers will not be driving even 6 months from now. The companies are saying, "why should we invest money in a trainer and paying a new driver who will endup leaving maybe even before the training is over when we have all these apps from experienced drivers?"

There are some companies who will use this. They will hire new drivers cheaply train them. Then burn them out as fast as they can so they never have to pay a full wage. Avoid these companies. If all their trainers are new be cautious. If no one driving for them is at the maximum pay scale, be cautious. If all the drivers you meet from there are enthusiastic newcomers with lease/purchase, do not just be cautious, run in the other direction.

Just my opinion for what it is worth.

Wayne

 

Well; if you want good training, good pay, with good hometime check out maverick. I go thru your neck of the woods all the time. OOPs just saw your age. sorry....

 

I graduated from a the Tennessee Technical Center in Crump, Tn. (7 weeks). I really enjoyed the class and like most other folks I worried over shifting and backing and the normal stuff newbies think about. At 48 I had no doubt I would be a good worker. Then someone told me to check out this forum. They said I would enjoy it.

Well, if I knew anything I probably would, but when you don't understand the trucking industry let alone handling the truck itself....... well, things get confusing. A month ago things seemed clear to me, finish school, get the best job I can with no experience, pay my dues, keeping my mouth shut, and trying to learn the industry.

Well then I went and started reading some of this stuff too much, one guy saying you gotta cheat your logs to make money, another saying do everything by the book, and most saying that your gonna get screwed anyway........ I tend to believe that we all get screwed a little no matter what the industry is. I lost all my savings with the Worldcom and MCI colapse (due to greed).

Now I am kind of frozen in my tracks, I'm not sure what to do. It has nothing to do with being weak or a candy........ I just don't know which direction to go. I need to get my year in, about the only thing I absolutely have to be able to get is medical benefits.

Any help is appreciated. I live in Selmer, Tn.

 

yea his age gonna be a issure for the BIG companies but im sure he can get something local.