HELP! Newbie here trying to make a decision!

people will bash me all day and night for this but im with swift and they work for me. you might not like them or they might not work for you but i am very happy there

 

Pride Transport is one of the better companies to get started with from what I've read and heard. Gordon Trucking isn't bad either. There are definitely far worse out there. Just go with who fits your needs best. Good luck with the process.

 

55 #### man you are as old as I am.

The only thing you really need to make a decision on from My Point of View (MPV) is what kind of trucking do you wish to do. Flatbeds, Reefers, Dry Vans, Tankers. Once you figure that out then go with the first company that will hire you. You are not going to stay with any company that hires you right out of school because they will never pay you the best rate. They start you so low that you will be dead and buried before you hit their top scale. So you put in your six months to a year and off you go to a better future. Most companies get a $6000 bonus for hiring a newbie. Government programs. That is spread over a 6 month period so after that, move on.

Look around your home area and see what kind of freight comes out of there. If you live in and oil producing area with lots of tankers running around, driving a tanker would seem to get you home more often. Like wise, if there is a Walmart dc there, van traffic should be high. Flatbeds are great but at 55, I am not climbing all over them and pulling tarps. I am more management when it comes to hard work. But if you in good shape go with one of them.

No starter company pays you good wages. They don't have to. You are an apprentice driver. It takes time to work you way up the food chain. Which brings up Reefers. They sit alot. Lots of time waiting to unload but everyone eats every day so the job would be more secure over 12 months. Expect to make no more then $30,000. Expect to hate everyone that works at your company. This comes because no one really talks to anyone anymore. It is like combat, you don't want to get to know someone because they won't be around long.

You should do fine if you have learned anything in those 55 years. Try to learn the business of trucking. Study. Get to know your Dispatcher. Someone is getting the good runs might as well be you. And again, all companies are just about all alike.

 

look in the yellow pages of your phone book see what companies are in the Fresno area then cross reference them on the internet if you can or better yet just call.
whatever you do get a year in with whoever you go with then you will have more options on the table if you do not like the situation your in.
that's all the advise i have, good luck to you.

 

It is like combat, you don't want to get to know someone because they won't be around long.

lol that is funny