Need to make a decision.

With 0 experience, you aren't gonna make "good" money and be home every weekend. Try Swift. Werner seems decent (for starting out). Most important thing is right now is to get trained right and get your year in. After 1 year, there's tons of trucking companies out there that'll hire you!

 

One more thing, if you watch YouTube videos, subscribe to "TheLittleGuyTrucker" he just got done with training at Werner and he likes it over there.

 

Wrong, wrong, wrong.

There are plenty of companies not named Werner or Swift that will hire new drivers. And you can make decent money too. You are a wannabe and you already know that only Werner and Swift hire new drivers?

Do yourself a favor and stay a wannabe. With what you think you know, you are already destined to fail.

Lots of companies will hire new drivers, you just have to get off the couch and find them. People shouldn't make broad general statements about areas they know nothing about.

 

I had zero experience, hired in as a newbie, made over $45,000 first year and home every weekend but two..... So..... I know that it can be done. And I did not go with either of those companies (not saying anything good or bad about them). There are others.

 

Bite your tongue! There are women flatbedders out there.

And I wouldn't go so far as to say TMCs trucks are fast

 

You don't necessarily have to even use the Hazmat part. Consider food grade tank or pneumatic tank. There are lots of smaller outfits that do pneumatic tank that will take on a limited experienced driver. Some simply because they want it done their way and they don't want to put up with some idiot that seem to think he knows it all and ends up turning over a tank wagon. Those jobs are not half bad either. Hauling bulk food product into bakeries or other food processors is good study work, usually within a reasonable radius to allow a driver to be home regularly. Time critical sometimes, but not like some automotive production type of time critical scenarios. There is always food grade liquid tank. Fewer options for getting on compared to pneumatic, but it may be possible to find a food grade tank carrier that will take you under their wing. None of these types of jobs are bottom of the ladder on the pay scale.

 

i am in the same boat i live in north new jersey can't decide to go with flatbed or tanker any help out there....

 

To the OP, Con-way Truckload has a terminal @ Taylor, Mi. If you have a passport or can get a passport, and don't mind running Canada check them out. They require Hazmat also which you already have. I'm not sure they would be cool with a 160 hr course but they might. Seems like you are in the ideal location for them. $40k+ first year is easily doable with them.

 

Go tanker. That's where the money is, especially tanker/hazmat. Once you get CDL, Schneider will send you to their tanker school; but, don't stop looking there, there are many good tanker outfits. Within 12-24 months you should be making over $60K in tankers. I'll list a few :

Clean Harbors
Foodliner (3 divisions)
trans-system
Miller Transporters
Thyssenkrupp Steel
Tankstar
A&R Transport
Quality Distribution
Indian River Transport
CTL Transportation
Tribe Transport (tanker division)
Bulkmatic
Superior-Carriers
Pyles Transport
Groendyke
Prime (tanker division)
Schneider (tanker division)