I Start With Averitt in January 2012

Well I called them up and there not hiring out of fort Myers. Sucks. Very hard to find something good here. I know swift has a local oppertunity for the Walmart distribution center near me. But I heard those guys r getting worked like dogs.
What a bummer I was very interested too.

 

Hi Matt,

I was going to PM you with my questions but I need at least 7 posts before I can do that

I have read your thread entirely, on your journey with Averitt. I am almost 55 and looking into a new career in trucking. I have been a self employed photographer for the past 14 years but the economy has all but killed my business.

I have talked to the CDL school in Roanoke, VA, which is about an hour north of me and am planning on starting in January. I know that at some point during the classes, recruiters from trucking companies will come in and talk to the students. I know Averitt is one of the companies so I have been doing as much reading on them as I can.

You seem to be pretty satisfied with them. If you can offer any advice on how to decide what actually makes a company desirable over another, I would appreciate it.

I do have a few questions for you, if you don't mind:

If I do get on with them after graduating from CDL school, where would I do my on the job training with them?

I have heard they do not allow facial hair, but others said just no beards...?

My income is so low now that I am making less than I was making 15 years ago in a grocery store. My best year was 2007, at about $33,000. I am guessing that I should not have any problem making that much?

I have a perfect driving record - no moving violations since I was 18, no accidents either. I have never been arrested, no drug abuse. I am in pretty good health but take cholesterol and blood pressure meds. I could stand to lose about 15 pounds. Is there anything that Averitt looks at that I need to consider? Age?

I would appreciate your advice and comments as a current Averitt driver.

Randy

 

Been with Averitt a few weeks now and, although no job is perfect, I like them so far. Most everyone I've ran into is really easy to get along with. Nice equipment and although I was not initially a fan of the automatic shifting, it's starting to grow on me, especially in heavy traffic. I can tell you that in orientation there were a few guys that had left Averitt and were back. I talked with them and they said they could not find anything better than Averitt. The small stuff I do not like is 1) the uniforms, especially red uniforms, 2) no beards, and 3) their insistance on me taking a sleep study test. Unless you are close to a perfect physical specimen, you WILL be required to do a sleep study with their doctor and if found to have any degree of apnea, you will have to sleep with a mask over your face for 70% of the time, even when you are off duty at home. I had the feeling that their doctor got off on requiring people to have the sleep study, but that is just my opinion. Was almost a deal breaker for me.

 

First let me say thank you to Big Mike for start this thread and keeping up with it. I drove through the 90's up until 2002. I have tried my hand and working on a family members farm, funeral director and HVAC. Neither of these careers gave me the satisfaction that truck driving gave me so once I am finished with HVAC school (April 2013) I plan on going back to truck driving school and get back on the road.

I live in central Il and I saw on Averitt's website they are looking to hire students out of the Morton Il service center. Big Mike or MustangGT are you familiar with Morton or maybe there is someone reading this post that is. Like you I want to be home with my weekly as much as possible and after reading your thread Averitt has move to the top of my list for potential companies. I read all the posts on this thread and there did not seem to be much talk the benefits and their costs. Would you mind providing a little info on the benefits at Averitt.

You and Mustang GT seem to find yourselves in some good freight lanes do you know much about the freight lanes up towards the Illinois service centers?

I grew around trucking and I drove ten years prior to coming off the road and it was guys like Big Mike and their attitude about driving the always stayed the course. I have always felt driving is about the average. What I mean by that is a bad day does not make a bad week, a bad week does not make a bad month and a bad month does not make a bad year. You have to look down the road and not under the bumper. Big Mike if you are ever in the central Il area give me a shout and I will buy you a steak dinner for your efforts on this forum and I will get your info when I apply so you can get some bucks in the wallet.

 

Averitt has good benefits as far as medical insurance but I did not take advantage of them because my wife works for the state and has outstanding benefits and I am covered under her policy. I was not as impressed as much with the dental and vision but then again, I didn't dig real deep into what all was offered.
They do have profit sharing, for what it's worth, and 401K. They do not 'match funds' however, which would have been nice. Hope this helps.

 

Rather than a "match", they make a monthly profit sharing contribution into your 401k. On a good month, it could be equivalent to 4% of your pay, or sometimes less. I have seen as much as $150. and as little as zero during the lean times around '08.
All in all, I have averaged just over $1000 per year.

 

Yes thanks j mark and mustang gt for the info.

 

Can't help you much with your area. I have only been in the Chicagoland area half a dozen times with Averitt, the last time maybe four years ago. They have been good about keeping me in my neck of the woods, which is a good thing, having never missed a weekend home going on six years.

Blue Cross runs under $40 for whole family. We have eight paid holidays and work up to three weeks paid vacation. Also jury duty pay and bereavement pay. Breakdown pay after two hours applies on the road and in an Averitt shop, even for a routine service.

 

MustangGT if you don't mind me asking what can a guy realistically expect to make a year with Averitt as a truckload driver?

I do like how they keep you in your area. I figured you guys might not know how things are in my area but I figured it wouldn't hurt to ask. When I drove before I mainly went from Central Illinois out to the NYC or somewhere in Jersey. I ran a dedicated for a year that went to NYC then Chicago then home for the weekend.

Averitt has a lot things I like. I think having uniforms is great idea and I like not having to fuel at tstops. They are in the number one spot now. The runner up would be company called NTB.

 

I hate to sound vague because I have no idea of the miles you will be getting but at the mileage rate you will be getting, 40-45k is a safe bet to start. I know guys that have made 50-60 in TL but I wouldn't want to get anybody's hopes up.