Help a student out?

Are these the only ones you're considering? Swift is hit and miss; there are people who like the company, but Swift is so typically bad that other companies generally use them as the butt of jokes. (Sorry, good Swifties out there). Werner, Stevens, and CRST are pretty close behind.

If you don't mind driving a pumpkin, Schneider is probably the best out of that list (IMHO).

 

I am a student as well (graduate in 3 weeks). There are only 2 companies on your list that I am even remotely considering (TMC & SNI). Do a little more research. There are many, many companies out there (400,000+ in the U.S.). Don't go with the easy obvious choices. Do a little more reading here and you will find good reason to run away from most of the names on your list.

Good Luck!

 

This is a decision you really have to make for yourself. YOU know better what you want out of it than any of us do. Talk to people, weigh your options. And, as stated above, take a look at other companies, as well. I'm actually at the Petro here in Shreveport, waiting to load out Monday, and they have the same free publications aimed at drivers looking for employment as every other truck stop carries. Come by and pick some up. Several companies other than the ones you mentioned advertise in them.
If you're looking at CRST, bear in mind you'll probably be running team... how comfortable are you with that? CRST Van Expedited is the only division which hires new drivers - CRST Malone (who I drive for) is all flatbed, and consists entirely of owner/operators or small fleet owners leased onto CRST Malone.
I started with Swift. Mixed experience there. Entry level companies all have their ups and downs, so don't expect any of them to be perfect. I think you were wise in discounting USXpress and starting in an automatic truck - there's another thread about someone whose encountering problems because he learned in one, and found out the hard way that he can't shift.

 

My company hires students although they dont advertise in those truck stop books.

JBS Carriers

 

I looked up JBS and they state that a driver must have 1 year of experience. Do you have to come from a specific school?

 

There all pretty much the same.Ive never driven for schnieder, but I hear their training and collision program are fairly good.Ive driven for Swift,J.B Hunt, Bunzl USA,UPS supply chain solutions,PSC, and now Greatwide, doing dry, flat, and tanker over the last 14 1/2 years.No matter where you go, your gonna get hell for being a rookie out there,so expect it.( We all had to start somewhere though, didn't we) One of the first things I would do, is look at which company has a terminal closest to home.This way you can base yourself out of there.(Not like your gonna see home more than 3 or 4 days out of 4-5 weeks at a time). I have only heard crap about CRST since I started driving back in 97' so I would cut that choice.Second would be looking at the equipment, and maybe even going to a truck stop and asking the drivers for the companies your considering, what their honest opinion of the companies they drive for are.Either way, good luck.