I'm curious, what are some of your favorite trucking companies. Also, what do you love about them?

x1heavy,
Thank you for sharing that. My story is that several years ago, I went to CR England. I was naïve, was in love with the idea of driving trucks. Was on a Greyhound bus when a flatbed trucker ran a red light and hit the bus, throwing us into a ditch in a small town somewhere. Majority of passengers were seriously hurt. CR England said to me, we will understand if you choose not to come out and want to go home. I passed on that idea and went anyway.

I got my CDL in hand, went out with a few drivers to celebrate, we pulled over to take a leak and we were not aware that we were pissing on the tires of the head of the schools car and he saw us. I was sent home and I kid you not.

I kept my CDL up for awhile and then let it go. I chose to go back and get a regular license. Fast forward years later and here comes Raider Express with their ads about their in house school, guaranteed job, .30 cents a mile, and it sounded good to me. I never did my research, never spoke to drivers, just went with it.

I managed to pass the school, managed to actually get through the driver trainer portion on the road in 20 days instead of 28 to 31. Trainer said I was ready and they gave me a nice new Volvo after I aced the upgrade test. That was their way of making me their poster child for other new drivers.

My wife had a stroke and I had to come off the road. I remained off the road for 13 months when my wife said I am okay, your job isn't helping us anymore, why don't you try to get back into trucking OTR and I begun the process.

First call was to the pumpkins, Schneider. They said we can hire you right now and have you on the road in a few days. They asked me can you drive a manual truck and I said yes, but I may need to refresh my shifting skills. The gal their said we don't offer that, and then said most drivers can shift, its easy. I asked her if she ever drove a manual semi truck, and she said no, and then stated, my personal car is not a manual either. Next...

I talked to everyone and one company Transport America told me that I was essentially damaged goods because I've been off a truck more than six months and informed me that I should reevaluate my life, trucking really is a young mans game and it will be hard for me to find anyone willing to hire me, unless I return to truck driving school and start over. Next...

So my son said, dad don't you know a few people at that company in Nashville West trucking or something. I said yea at Western Express. He said why don't call them and see what they have to say. I did that and those few friends all said this is really a good company overall, they do have some people that are rude and could be jackholes at times. They also said to me that the boards are full of a lot of negative comments, but then again there are negative comments about every company. I was told not to expect the perfect job here but there are miles and if I keep my nose clean and just do what I need to do, I should be okay.

I called and spoke with a girl, who also told me that there have been issues in the past that have caused a lot of negative comments to be made and she even stated that I may here things that are eye opening and she suggested going to a truck stop or two and talking to some drivers and get their take on things. I did just that and I liked what I heard. All of them said that this is a job and that it is hard work and if I get to the mindset of I am here to work, service the customer, I can do well and admitted that some drivers should not be here because they are idiots.

I then called back the recruiter and we discussed pay, company driver versus lease purchase driver, we talked about equipment, costs involved, orientation and load securement training. We discussed in the greatest detail, what I needed from them and I disclosed this and why and she said that is easily accommodated. We also discussed home time and I was told straight out and I mean straight out that there will be times when I won't get home at exactly the day and time I need to, it depends upon the load and the companies needs. I accept that things don't always go as planned in this business or any business.

What they have to offer, again, works for me and I am not going into this relationship blind as I did in the past where I ran 2800 to 3100 miles and had checks that at the end of the day, left me with $30.00 to feed myself on the road for seven days. I spent three days as a truck stop guest in Illinois due to a major snow storm, only to be told that I was getting no layover pay because it was an act of god.

 

You're in the hiring area in Georgia. Make note of it for the future when your obligation is fulfilled.

 

After you get your CDL and get 3 years clean experience under your belt Wal*mart. I should have done this many years ago. Yes you have to still deal with issues of driving a big truck, but the way you are treated, compensated and appreciated are like nothing I've ever experienced. Honestly Can't really think of anything bad to say

 

They have about 400 trucks now, I believe. But it feels like a much smaller company than it actually is.

 

I've worked for Averitt Express almost 20 years. They have treated me fairly & they have great benefits. As a company with 5,000 drivers about 1,000 are 20 year veterans with company. I've been lucky to be Dedicated and not OTR.

I've been researching other companies & I'm impressed very much with Jim Palmer Trucking of Missoula, MT. Long miles, good trucks & equipment & not a lot of micro-managing. If I left my current job, that's where I would go.

I've been researching Danny Herman Trucking. Long miles, good equipment & mostly drop & hook. Dry van.

My favorite company was a sister company to Big G Express & neighbor of Titan Transfer. Those are good companies as well. Long live Goggin Truck Lines, formerly the oldest trucking company in TN. I think they were founded in 1898, IIRC.

 

Check Continental Carbonic. They have a Nashville terminal. Dry van hauling dry ice or tanker hauling liquid dry ice. $70K - $90K per year. Nashville terminal probably doesn't have tankers. You'd need to pull tankers or the 53' dry vans to make the big bucks.

 

Thanks China, will do.

 

Bulkmatic in Clarksville is a good outfit and they have a facility somewhere in Nashville; maybe at the railhead.
A&R Logistics is good also. They have a facility at the rail yard also. Can take truck home.