Looking for company suggestions.

I'm a new driver, obtained my CDL class A by means of a trucking school on 2/28/14. I have no endorsements as of yet. I've done a great deal of research on regional haul and local companies (Louisville, KY). Home time is important to me as I have a wife and child. I'm not too worried about running as hard as I can because to be honest I only plan on sticking with one of these starter companies until I gain the experience needed to move onto greener pastures (like a local company). I'm looking at Boyd Bros because of the weekly home time and I don't mind flatbed as I already have cargo securement experience strapping and cargo netting freight for Boeing 747's. However, Boyd is lacking in terms of a pet policy. My dog has been part of the family for some time now and I would like to do everything possible to keep her. I am also forklift certified if that makes any difference at all (probably not I'm guessing).

Things I'm looking for in a company: weekly home time, pet policy (dog), electronic logs, manual or automatic transmissions doesn't matter to me, is there such a thing as a rider policy for a child as young as 7?

So far I can't find a starter company that meets these criteria, but then again I'm new to the industry and my knowledge of companies is lacking. Any help or suggestions from someone who has been out there for a while or who has been in my shoes at some point would be very deeply appreciated.

 

I understand that I am a new driver, I was only asking for company suggestions in case there was a company I overlooked. I mentioned that I was looking for a starter company and that I plan on moving to a better company later on. I was simply trying to take the dog with me not because of companionship, but because if I'm gone through the week there will be no one to take care of it. My wife works long hours through the day, and my kid is at school, then sent to an after school program. With all due respect, I'm already aware of everything you mentioned. I thought it was worth a shot to ask around if someone knows of a company with weekly home time and a pet policy before I give up the pet. Thank you for trying to help, but to be honest your reply sounds very condescending.

 

Well I think he was actually trying to help, it's just the way people word things on the internet that gets under your skin sometimes. Yeah it's a wonderful site, I've been using it for a while now for company research and trying to get an understanding of the industry beyond all the smoke and mirrors from recruiters. I've applied for Conway LTL, but they don't have any immediate openings for my area. As far as US Xpress, even my driving school has told me to avoid them if I can. Just too many complaints coming back I guess. I will look into them a little better though. Thank you for your suggestions and encouragement. Good luck to you on becoming a driver if that's what you really want to do