A question for my fellow "wannabes".

A good company is often viewed as one with exceptional pay, home every night, full benefits, new equipment, etc. To me, those are great companies. Maybe they do operate the way that all companies should, but in reality that just isn't the way this industry works.
For me, a good company is one that will give me a job and hold their end of the agreement. Many companies have low pay rates, few benefits, expect you to stay out for weeks at a time, and have cheap equipment. If I choose to work for a company knowing this, then I have no business complaining about it. As long as they stay true to their end of the agreement, they are doing all that anyone should expect from them and they are being a "good" company.
This probably isn't a very popular opinion but it is how i feel. Too many people go to work for the bottom feeders and then complain when all they get is what they were originally offered. Sorry, but that doesn't make a company bad. It just means that you have unrealistic expectations.

 

The biggest problem about being a newbee and trying to find a good company is the lack of real life experience in the trucking field. You can do a ton of research, but there is nothing like actually getting out there and living it. For example, one might say that they don't mind staying out for three or four weeks before they get hometime. Easy to say until you live in that cube for a month and are about stir crazy.
For the most part what becomes really important and what is negotiable on the job scene usually changes over time depending on personal priorities. Try your best to look down the road a few years (like marriage, children, elderly parents, etc.) when making your selection. As said many times before, money isn't everything.

 

Oldnewbegonnabe actually addressed this question to wannabes . To most of them the answer is a good company is something about 1% will luck into right out of school . For the rest it is something they may find anywhere from a year to 3 years down the road . 95% of them won't be around that long .

 

Ahh yes the cant wait to truck ideaism. Been there done that. For me it was a wake up call. Here is why. I got into this field cause it was something Ive wanted to do for a long time. I took a medical resignation from a hck of a good job for the state of MN at 19 bucks an hour. WHY? Politics. (Thanks uncle Tim P.) Anyways I went to school for my CDL. Paid for by WIA. I got on with Wiener and I did the out the whole 300 hours only seeing my wife once, ONCE for 3 hours. Almost two months of being on the road and only seeing my wife once for 3 hours. We got through that. I passed and was on my own. Came home saw the wife and by my 3rd day my FM was already threating me to come tow my truck away cause I should have been done with home time even though I was approved for 5 days. Fine I went back out and did what had to be done all of my loads were delivered on time or earlier. What did it in for me was that I wasnt around for my wife while she was going through the hard times of watching her mom slowly die of Cancer. All I could do was console her through the phone. I said enough is enough. Aftyer 4 months I was done with OTR like that at very poor pay and miles. I did odds and ends jobs driving. Hauling sweet corn, corn silage and what not. I finally was blessed with getting a job where I haul grain for a company nationally known, home evry night (well my rental place, 2 hours from home yet) and can go home if needed. My boss does not force us to move product if we dont feel safe in crappy weather. Sure we work to maintain our trucks and trailers in top shape but its because he tells us that the truck each one of us is driving is our money maker. If we need help he works it in. Right now Im working on getting my tankers endorsement and switch to hauling seed oil. Only half hour drive from home then.
Gonebutnotforgotten in my expierience you hit the nail on the head. It is true that text book is not always according to reality. But if you do this and when you are getting ready to give up, hopefully you have a ambition that drove you into this field and will keep you going, or else youll be part of that 95% that RickG talked about. Me it was my wife and family. Now I am actually enjoying my job that they have to send me home just to get me to rest. And I get paid hourly.

Swaps- if you need a place to start MN is one of the better states to get trucking. Even if you have to start in a Class B truck driving tender truck hauling dry fertilizer. Its right around the corner. If you need more help PM me and I will try to help the best I can.

 

I'm glad you were able to find a good job and actually benefit from the WIA training . Far too many leave OTR and leave the industry because they can't find anything else .

 

Its the matter of sticking to and working for what you want. I didnt lose 250 lbs. just to look good.

Oh yeah and I also give credit to this forum for the help and advise.

 

As a wannabe a good company will be the one that gives me a job.

Having spent 6 months reading this forum I am under no illusions about the industry, might be an idea to rename it "Truckers report encyclopedia".

Yeah keep my head down for a year or more and learn all i can with a long term goal in mind.

 

As a driver in training, I can ask for several things out of a company but my top four would be:

A) A DM that does not force his/her drivers to log illegally
B) A company that repairs equipment properly
C) You get treated with respect and a little dignity from everyone
D) A True open door policy

KH

 

OF COURSE I'M NEW AND GREEN NOT TO MENTION NERVOUS AS HECK
JUST GRADUATED A WEEK AGO HAVE A CLEAN RECORD, USED TO BE A SCHOOL BUS DRIVER, I DRIVE DEFENSIVELY ALL THE TIME. I LOVE EDUCATION AND ANALYZING SITUATIONS WANT TO KEEP SKILLS FRESH,DRY VAN, NO TOUCH, DON'T CARE ABOUT HOME TIME, THERE'S A LITTLE BIT ABOUT ME.

I HAVE 3 COMPANIES INTERESTED IN ME: ROEHL SCHNEIDER AND STEVENS.
WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS AND THANKS IN ADVANCE

LOVE THIS SITE

 

All are pretty good companies for new drivers. I think Stevens has a parasitic lease program you need to avoid at all costs. Well, any company's lease program you should avoid right out of the bat, but some companies pressure you harder then others.