good and bad everywhere?

You'll hear good and bad about every company out there. Some people aren't happy unless they're griping.

If you're paying for the school and they place you under contract that would raise a red flag with me right off.

 

No company is a perfect fit for every driver. Find the one that suits you and enjoy.

As far as being placed under contract when you paid for your own schooling, nerts to that! You got your license at no cost to the company, they don't get to back charge you for it just for the pleasure of working for them. Trust me, they will make money off of you during your training period in other ways. Usually by teaming you with your "trainer".

 

You pay for your own school, you are under no contract to any trucking company.

No reason to start out with a so called "starter company". You have no dues to pay, so may as well go with a carrier the assessorial pays and milage pay is tops. You don't post where your location is, so we don't know what hiring area you're in, to help you with company names.

 

Chinatown said it!
Your location was not listed, I'm not sure why these guys are not doing that as hey enter their stuff but oh well, If you go to a company that will reimburse your tuition back to you a little at a time take it but be careful of jumping from one to the next, if you attend orientation at one and decide you are not a good fit the next one is probably not going to pick up the training bill, I know a Guy who went to Prim got on a truck and became a second class driver on a team situation in training and then got off the truck went to another company and the new company was a good fit but they refused to pick up the tuition for him! Good Luck out there.

 

Almost anywhere in Texas is good.

SVTN
CTL
Melton Truck Lines
System Transport
Holland Enterprises

 

I'm on my 3rd OTR company now, Swift, GTI, and now Interstate (IDC).

Swift was decent to learn the ropes, but they babysat too much.

GTI was good miles (2800-3200/week) but couldn't get me home with 4 weeks notice. Great equipment too, very well maintained and outfitted.

IDC has me running Western 11, and drops me thru the house for an overnight often. Good miles 2500-3000/wk.

Each company has strengths and weaknesses. The trick is to find one that fits you. Best bet is to go to a local truckstop, see who's there. This tells you who gets to your area. Now look at the rigs: dirty/clean; good tires; rusty or well maintained? After finding one where the trucks are in good condition, talk to their drivers (not recruiters). They'll give you the info on the company. Then talk to the recruiters ( and take it with a grain of salt).

Best of luck!

 

Yeah, what these guys said. Stay away from the mega/starters, they are set up to deal with the least common denominator, and it sounds like you have your ducks lined up better than most. Too many come out of the schools more broke and desperate than when they went in (which was often a last resort.) It's no fun to be treated like an idiot because the majority of your co-workers are idiots. Besides that, working for someone more local lets you learn how to handle a truck away from the PITA that the truck stops along the major freight lanes have become. I wouldn't recommend OTR to anyone unless you are just dying to see the country and have nothing tying you to home. There are just too many other trucking jobs that don't require so much time away from home.