Companies to avoid:

/Shrug Mega carriers don't always have to be bad. If youre interested in playing their game you can actually do fairly well. I averaged around 900 a week gross with USXpress with my top week being $1935 gross with bonuses etc. I only quit them because I was doing a lot of favors and they didn't want to pay me more that the idiots whose loads I was fixing for them. So I gave myself a raise by going to another company. If they offered me the right deal Id go back though.

 

Stay away from Butler out of Kansas City, they are the scum of all scum, they will take money out of your pay for repairs on their trucks I had a problem with the reefer unit it cost $315 for repair, that came out of my check, they say they pay you.34 cpm but when you get your check they are only paying you.23cpm, they charge you for orientation, which they say they tell you that so many lies the recruiters tell you,

 

i agree Leigh, they are scum, i have never worked for a company that talks terrible to the truck drivers like they do in Orientation, sad.... that's why i got out of there fast,

 

Amen to that!

Although I started later, 37 y.o., and married, its my 1st real prospect of a "career" since I left the Army (it was a mistake to leave) 9 yrs ago. Yes, I like Roehl. No, they're not perfect. But they have been very upfront with me, and earnest in their efforts to make my task easier. In 9 months, I have averaged $750+ take home pay, and been home by when I wanted to be, except once. And that was only 1 day late, and because of a shipper not having a load ready.
I'll move on to a higher paying company after my CDL tuition reimbursement is finished, and I've finished their VA apprenticeship.
I agree with the poster about not leasing right away, too. I thought I wanted to go that route asap (6 months for Roehl) but after having researched and culled the input from current o/o's & l/o's, I'm going to hold off probably until I can buy my own. Which means several years down the road.

 

I worked for Roehl and yes I repowered loads, as a rookie and as a "vet". Picked up loads because I was the closest truck and gave them up as I didn't have the hours to run them. Freight has to move and most carriers do the same as needed.

Yeah I had some of those 300 mile days, as has most of us here has. I generally stayed busy and usually made decent money...because I TALKED to my dispatcher and ran/picked up what they sent me. Knowing I would get something better because I was dependable.

Roehl is a large company that actually trains the new drivers. That pays a new driver MORE to start then a lot of companies pay for 2 years+ veteran drivers.

I now drive for Davis Transfer, dedicated account, and have weeks where you only work four days and some where you have more loads then you can handle. Common industry wide.

Called trucking.

 

Yes....trust me, I KNOW you can; J.B. Hunt showed me that loud and clear! I don't care for ANYONE using my log book but me.

 

JB didn't teach me that my experience as a trucker did. when you get some real experience maybe you can learn tricks of the trade too...

 

Sure seems in line with that email he sent to a recruiter (check out his other thread) which he wouldn't be doing unless he was looking for another job...oops!

 

Just my 2 cents.. I have been running with an O/O friend of mine to get back into the industry. In the last 4 years I have tried my hand at local and coal bucket. Neither will help me get a driving job. So I have been driving (for free) part time as a team with my friend and working part time odd jobs to pay bills. I see so many people complaining about "this and that" when it boils down to the fact that they just aren't cut out to be truckers. Anyone can drive a truck but not anyone can be a trucker. A trucker won't like a driving job and a driver wont make it as a trucker. I think these larger corps need drivers and treat them as such by baby sitting them and controlling every aspect of their job. After all they're not a trucker yet. A trucker takes offense to that control because "he knows how to do his job". An O/O has total responsibility of every aspect of his life and as such can only blame himself for his failures so he works harder and possibly smarter at success. When some of these "drivers" are complaining about "this and that", go talk to an O/O who hasn't had a day off in years because when they're not driving they are fixing their truck.

My point is that one persons dislike of a company might be because of preconceived notions about what the job is supposed to be like and not based on the reality that ALL jobs have a downside if you nitpick enough. If you don't like company A, B, C, and D, Maybe driving a truck isn't for you. Maybe your a trucker and need to be an O/O.

But that's just my 2 cents

 

I'd be more interested in places to avoid that are not "personal" issues but ... outright scams.... abusive to employees... it's not right to make a driver pay for repairs... stuff like that. I want to know WHO TO AVOID... with any employer.