I thought Swift & Prime wanted drivers. Doesn't seem that way.

I don't think most major carriers like Schneider have transitioned over to Autos just yet. They may have some trucks but they are reserved usually for seniors or teams. I doubt I'd get a new or auto truck... some other member mentioned he was given an old beat up 2010 Schneider truck with 100,000 miles on it. Worried I will end up with one of those! The "Latest equipment" benefit is usually a ploy to get you to sign up.

Hence why I am not sure whether I should go tomorrow or wait, take some more time to look around.

 

Keep looking. Don't be too concerned about the equipment, just get on the road and start experience.
I was driving a new condo pulling hazmat/tankers running 48 states and it had to be put in the shop. The company put me in a much older flat top Freightliner until my assigned truck was fixed. I decided to keep the old flat top because it pulled hills better and had more power overall. It was beat up looking, but I loved driving it and ran it coast to coast and border to border. Did the same with a reefer company and their old beat up flat top International; it had a smoother ride and pulled hills better so I kept it and let some newbie have the condo. I was making money,good money, so that was my priority.

 

Nice, yeah the school had an older truck that had a really good old transmission that was a beast getting over hills and around corners. Was hard to put it in reverse though. Not sure how much longer I can keep looking..already a month since I graduated. Don't want to forget

 

Did you apply to those companies I suggested?

 

I did but haven't yet for Freymiller or the Freight place in Springfield. Just applied for Giltner.

 

Lightside, you're over thinking this situation.

1)The longer you wait after finishing school, the less likely you are to be hired.

2) I spent 7 years at SNI. If you run team you will get a new truck within 90 days and a new truck every year thereafter. If you run solo, you will get a used truck. Occasionally a solo gets lucky and gets a new truck out of the gate but is rare.

3) Autos: Every major is experimenting with them. Whoever you sign with just request a manual when you get to orientation. New autos are good transmissions now, not like years ago (although, I still don't want one)

TA

PS. Don't believe anything on the net, even trash I write. Go experience it yourself for the truth.

 

It depends what you mean by 'used truck', but generally I've had much better luck with a hand-me-down truck with 150,000 that had all the bugs worked out of it. New isn't always better and much of the time means Guinea Pig. If you're talking a used truck with over 400,000, that's a different story......it may be at the point where it will nickel and dime you, may be the best truck on the road.....a crap shoot.

 

Schneider is "trying" to transition over to automatics, that much is true. But it's still in the testing phase.

I'm pretty sure that sni is sticking with manuals for all training trucks. So far my trainer is the only one who hasn't been talking about getting a new truck. It may be because his is newer than the ones that are being replaced however.

If you ask your dbl to keep you in a manual, they'll try to honor that wish. I asked my dbl to keep me in a manual as long as possible, and thankfully she's done that even as I just recently got a newer truck. Most guys are wanting the autos and love them when they try them. I'll admit I haven't tried one myself, and I'm not interested in one. ...even if it means I have to keep "stabbing" myself in the hind end with the shifter as I move into the back of the truck.

 

The easiest driving during my whole career was with an automatic. At first was skeptical, but after 3 or 4 hours, I was sold on automatics. Was pulling hazmat/tankers coast to coast at the time. If I were to buy my own truck, it would be an automatic.

 

I'm not sure what the fuss is about besides us guys wanting to appear as manly as possible. With the new gutless fuel-saver engines coming out these days, you might as well have an automatic. They had an automatic at the school I went to and it was kind of boring to drive but so much easier to just let off the fuel to shift.