Tyson Foods?

I just finished orientation for Tyson friday afternoon. Everything so far sounds like a good company, but I haven't been out in a truck yet. Apparently the tractor I was going to be assigned, went to california with a driver who had a breakdown. So here I sit at home waiting for a tractor and hoping I don't have to wait until "MY" truck gets back from Cali. I will say, aside from this debockle, if they stand behind everything they told us in orientation it should be a pretty decent company. They are pretty strick on how you do your log book and paperwork. Remember Tyson is not a trucking company, they are a food company that owns trucks.

 

We do a lot of business with Tyson pulling their loads - so I don't have direct experience driving for them. That being said, first, I haven't heard any biotching from their drivers when we pick up loads. Second, they are very strict about trailer cleanliness, how their loads are treated and on-time delivery. It's a big thing for them, and our management is very sensitive to how we treat Tyson loads as drivers. Hope that helps some...

 

So they do hire students

 

Looks like they do... there's a "trainee" tier on their experience vs pay chart. If I were you, I'd google Tyson, and click on the link to the corporate website. Under the Careers tab, there's a link to the "Drive for Tyson Fleet" page.

 

That's usually a good sign!

If there's a truck stop nearby that you see Tyson trucks parked at, you might go up to the driver, introduce yourself and your desire to drive for them, and get an "inside look."

 

That's what I've been saying for awhile now. I believe it's better to work for a company that does not make their revenue from the truck. In this case if business slows down it's because people have stopped eating chicken. In my line of work business slows down if people do not drive. I think that would be a great company to start out with and you might even stay there. They might even have drivers that retire and that would top many OTR companies. Good luck.