looking for starter company that might be a bit more selective

In that case what makes you think you could get hired by a company that is "more selective." Right now,you're no different than anyone else in your class.

 

What makes you a better new CDL licensee than any of the 10,000 other new drivers companies have to choose from? With no driving history under your belt, exactly what parameters would a potential employer use to pick you over anybody else? Few trucking companies hire based on personal appearance or work history that didn't involve trucking. They want a new recruit that will work for peanuts and not wreck their trucks.

 

Here's a few thoughts you might want to consider when shortening the list.
If a company is not providing trainers whose experience spans many years, pass on that company. Any driver whose experience can be described in months is not ready to train anybody, they're still learning themselves. That's just asking for trouble. This alone will shorten your list by a whole lot.
Any company that is going to pay you less than .40 per mile once you complete training is a definite ripoff as well.
No APU combined with a no idling policy is just plain cruel. Avoid them.
This is a dangerous job at best, give yourself the best chance of success that you can. Read about companies in these forums and learn from those who went before you. The average stay in this business for new drivers is six months. Bad companies are a large part of the reason why.

 

@Chinatown May be able to help you out.

 

I know this is a relatively old thread, but I have to say that if you're still looking for a good company to start with, look into Prime. I'm still new to trucking, but I started at Prime and haven't seen a reason to leave yet. It's a big company, but everyone I know at Prime is happy to be there. They certainly take care of drivers better than the other large companies, based on what I've heard from drivers at Swift, CRE, Werner, and the like. From all I've seen, they care enough to spend the money to get good equipment and keep it in good shape. All of our trucks have APUs for example. I also haven't heard of the other big companies paying any more than they pay us, and generally it seems like they pay us better. I'm glad I started at Prime and I always recommend it to anyone wanting to start out.

 

So you've worked for one company and everyone that works there says it's the best. I was just checking indeed and everyone says the same about CR England. Who do I believe?

I am not trying to be rude but these training companies need fewer fanboys and more constructive criticism. My point is that all training companies are the same and when you speak well about a company it is more an indicator of you, the driver being above average than it is anything the company had to do with it. A good driver can make prime work and a good driver can make cr England work. It takes work and the company has little if anything to do with it. Good luck on your journey!

 

Halliburton and Schlumberger are pretty selective