Getting a new company truck as an experienced driver?

Here is what I do... a little trick out of a bag of trucks.. Er tricks.

Some companies even the small ones will hand you a truck just for asking. I had one in Batesville feeling generous and happy that I loved that road test 120 that ran very well for me at that time and handed it to me with a new drivers seat and mattress. I was ready for a trailer load in about 3 hours after disinfecting the interior and so on. They kept a library of all trucks owned and I found the binder on that particular one by unit number and learned it's weaknesses (Generally front end and alternators) over the 5 years the company had it.

Another trick was to find the part of the company lot where they store trucks. Find the key to a particularly nice one, preferably without tags and so on. Show up at the shop boss's desk when he is harried and 10 minutes from going to lunch roughly. Ask him off hand that this tractor should be ready and can I have it by unit number. (Never by model and year) he's going to more likely as not give a shoo go away take the #### thing. Tap into his computer real quick to set it into stone. A visit to the office permit book and tag lady and a few minutes after that that tractor is now ready for battle in every way excepting a fuel feeding.

By the time a large company understood I am in a newer model (Being too many indians and too few busy chiefs) it's pretty much defacto assigned and set. I captured a few good trucks this way.

Chrome is a hassle. But if that truck has a 600 cat in it... and a rockwell 9 short that would become a target for capture. Just go by the unit number when little chief with the power to tap you into the computer and associate you with it is wanting out for munch. More than likely you will get it. Possession is 90% of the battle. So when the yelling starts 6 months later... something about newbie hires don't get nice trucks. Just smile and say chief so and so gave it to me out of the truck pile I don't know anything about this truck or that truck, it's a company truck what should I care what is in it. (Ya right BS... etc) why are you even yelling. It's out making us all money.

 

Of course he brings enough to the table
Driving for 5 years accident free should get you a brand new truck if you want one.
I'm only 2.5 years in and has a chance to get one already...

 

I must be doing alrite. Started with my co. In 2013. Had a 2013 , brand new ‘16 and now a brand new ‘19, got that in May.

 

lol . I was just reading this craigslist ad 20 minutes ago !

"Brand new truck in Orlando"

CDL-A Driver Wanted (GREAT PAY, $5000 BONUS) 2019 Cascadia Available

I don't know anything about the company ,I was just browsing .

 

You guys are so tough and old school yet you're engaging in conversation via the internet using modern technology ? ( probably from a Chinese made smart phone)

^^ Perfect example of hypocrisy from most of you "old school" American guys.

Each generation talks trash about the next ; it's a never ending cycle.

 

I am headed the other direction. I want a pre-2000 truck. Mechanical
engine, manual transmission, etc. I have had my fill of check engine lights,
trying to find Def in the middle of winter when the pumps are froze up...…
Also pretty tired of ELDs. Been filling out paper logs for years......don't
much care for the new systems.....for the record I still carry a flip phone.
Would throw that away if I could.

 

You've obviously never driven an International with the "I'll get this back in gear eventually" automatic.

 

Yes I drove that pro star 3 miles to yard in Reverse when it refused to engage in forward. 2 years of exciting episodes. Never got towed so many times however I get paid for all delays so a lucrative albeit annonying couple years

We had one of these PRIMA DONNAS announce he would only drive bunk trucks,, it was for city deliveries so TM assigned him a little single axle daycab. That was 15 years ago, driver still here

 

Is there an American made smart phone? What i am saying lots want to start at the top. I want this, i want that. That has been going on for generations. He has 5 years experience, then went to something other than trucking. Now coming back, wants a new truck, mayby a certain model. Nowdays with the megas trading off trucks more often, chances are better for a new(er) truck. Just choose a company to his liking and get busy. All trucks are fairly decent. If you are very picky, pay, and whatever else should take priority. Not style. That comes later after you have proven yourself with the company. But if very picky..buy you own dang truck.