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a little help on my choices?

Discussion in 'Questions From New Drivers' started by roadrunner2012, Apr 30, 2012.

Page 1 of 2
  1. Apr 30, 2012 #1
    roadrunner2012

    roadrunner2012 Bobtail Member

    21
    0
    Jan 4, 2012
    philadelphia pa
    0
    hey there,

    it is time for me to decide on a company to start my new career with and i was hoping to get a little insight on some of my options. I live in philadelphia, pa and got my cdl through a school here in philly.

    many schools say they will give you weekly home time right after training, im trying to find one that actually might live up to that. also looking for a company that some of you may KNOW to give good miles and at least "okay" pay to apprentice drivers.

    Here are some of the places my school had recruiters come in from. please feel free to mention any other outfits you all may know in my area.

    werner
    h.o. wolding
    us express
    maverick
    p.g.t
    swift

    I hear great things about mcelroy but need to call in the morning to see if they hire out of pa. crossing my fingers!

    If i must be on the road 3 weeks at a time before i get home then i will do what i need to do. I just dont want to be told ill be home on mostly every weekend if i wont be. id really like to find a place to start off regional and actually be home at least 1-2 days a week, but as i said, i paid good money to get my cdl and i need to provide for my family so i will do what needs to be done in the end.
     
    roadrunner2012, Apr 30, 2012
    roadrunner2012, Apr 30, 2012
    #1
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  3. Apr 30, 2012 #2
    STexan

    STexan Road Train Member

    14,963
    29,154
    Oct 3, 2011
    Longview, TX
    0
    I can't speak for any of the outfits you mention. But I can say that you will need to make sure you end up in a "regional" division with some of those mentioned. But with any don't expect to be home -every single- weekend. TMC had the best home time dispatch system that I've had personal experience with, but I'm sure others do as well. Being in Philly should give you plenty of options. Also, you may look at Roehl.

    Personally, I'd suggest avoiding Werner and Swift and I'm not too high on US Express, either.
     
    STexan, Apr 30, 2012
    STexan, Apr 30, 2012
    #2
    roadrunner2012 Thanks this.
  4. Apr 30, 2012 #3
    roadrunner2012

    roadrunner2012 Bobtail Member

    21
    0
    Jan 4, 2012
    philadelphia pa
    0
    yea i have pretty much already ruled werner and swift out for sure because the many horror stories ive read on them, and us express i heard have automatic trans, im not interested in letting my shifting skills get rusty being i dont plan on staying with the company i start with for more than 2 years. thanks for your input :)
     
    roadrunner2012, Apr 30, 2012
    roadrunner2012, Apr 30, 2012
    #3
  5. Apr 30, 2012 #4
    sdaniel

    sdaniel Road Train Member

    5,511
    4,420
    Sep 7, 2011
    Pelham N.C.
    0
    Road, check out epes transport. May be a fit.
     
    sdaniel, Apr 30, 2012
    sdaniel, Apr 30, 2012
    #4
  7. May 1, 2012 #5
    roadrunner2012

    roadrunner2012 Bobtail Member

    21
    0
    Jan 4, 2012
    philadelphia pa
    0
    will do, thanks
     
    roadrunner2012, May 1, 2012
    roadrunner2012, May 1, 2012
    #5
  8. May 1, 2012 #6
    jadmas2

    jadmas2 Bobtail Member

    38
    6
    Feb 23, 2012
    atlanta georgia
    0
    Being in Philly and you want to be home often then I would check out some companies with dedicated accounts, this will usually get you home more often. Also I would not take to heart everything you hear about companies on this site. Take this into account. If a company has 7000 trucks on the road would it not make since that this company would get more complaints then say a company with 900 trucks on the road? Get my point? I work for Werner and like you had ruled them out but at the last minute I did something, I researched. Go research SMS scores put out by the DOT. This will tell you a little about how a company operates. Also, being new you should probably go with a company that uses e-logs. SO much less hassle. Werner is a good company that has some bad drivers and trainers but also has some really good drivers and trainers. We have several million milers, two million milers, three, four and even five million milers. Has to say something for the company. Anyway, not tryining to sell you on one company just don't read a book by its cover. Call recruiting and see if they have a dedicated run up there. I was just in PA and had to help out a dedicated account. Yeah, epes is good also, Trans am wants you to lease and have autos, US express is not using autos anylonger for the most part but they want teams but also have several dedicated accounts.
     
    jadmas2, May 1, 2012
    jadmas2, May 1, 2012
    #6
    roadrunner2012 Thanks this.
  9. May 1, 2012 #7
    roadrunner2012

    roadrunner2012 Bobtail Member

    21
    0
    Jan 4, 2012
    philadelphia pa
    0
    Jadmas, thank you for your help. did you start your career with werner? if so i am def. interested in hearing more from you about some things. I do see your point about werner getting more neg. feedback because of its size. at the same time tho, its very common for much larger companies to have more bs rules and pay less, have you sit for days waiting on a repair, ect. So will werner get more complaints due to its sheer size? yes. does that mean most of these complaints are invalid?

    either way, i try to listen to people who actually have first hand exp. with the company they rant on about. but anyway i would love to hear about your time at werner, esp. if they were the first company you drove for.
     
    roadrunner2012, May 1, 2012
    roadrunner2012, May 1, 2012
    #7
  10. May 1, 2012 #8
    roadrunner2012

    roadrunner2012 Bobtail Member

    21
    0
    Jan 4, 2012
    philadelphia pa
    0
    I just called mcelroy, they do not hire out of PA, i was really hoping they did, i would have went with them in a heartbeat. makes me want to move closer to them haha
     
    roadrunner2012, May 1, 2012
    roadrunner2012, May 1, 2012
    #8
  11. May 1, 2012 #9
    1azsupertrucker

    1azsupertrucker Light Load Member

    144
    44
    Apr 30, 2012
    Phoenix,AZ
    0
    I drive & am a trainer for May Trucking Company. Not sure if they hire out of PA or not, but I enjoy working here. They pay decent & has been my experience that they treat their drivers like family. As for being on a dedicated account, that may be something you have to earn regardless of who you drive for. Just trip plan effectively, make sure you're on time for deliveries & pickups, be professional w/ customers, etc. If you do all that you should be able to be put on a dedicated account. I hope this helps you.
     
    1azsupertrucker, May 1, 2012
    1azsupertrucker, May 1, 2012
    #9
  12. May 1, 2012 #10
    MNdriver

    MNdriver Road Train Member

    7,985
    4,372
    Feb 24, 2012
    0
    Knight/Squire, Conway, Maverick would be my choices.
     
    MNdriver, May 1, 2012
    MNdriver, May 1, 2012
    #10
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