new cdl grad what companies to go for & who to stay away from

Empire Express out of Memphis, TN. Its a dry van hazmat company that has under 300 tractors. Its who I'm thinking seriously about going with. http://www.empireexpress.com .34 starting off, .36 after 3 months, and .41 after 6 months plus performance bonuses. You'll need your hazmat though. They reimburse for the background check.

 

You will get some physical activity with tanker also, hauling around hoses and such. It is a good job, and I think you will be happy. Flatbed is not bad, and many shippers and receivers are good. But some of the steel mills are full of A holes and long waits to get loaded. Never seen much issue with tankers for that. And OTR tank you basically make your own schedule. Much more relaxed than grocery.
Trimac is a very good company for that. CTL/ Coastal is not as good a choice. But that is just what I have heard from allot of drivers in the Southeast. They could be wrong.

 

How much did you pay for school and was it an accredited course?

I chose my first company not only based on pay but also tuition reimbursement. Just another factor to consider.

Mikeeee

 

Check out trucking truth.com and click on their Ivan " companies that hire new grads without experience" they give you a list and compare companies pay, benefits, home time, truck type, area , etc. very helpful site.
From what I hear Conway and prime drivers average 50,000/ year. But there are other factors to consider.

 

my thought at first was any company that would have me wasn't very good

 

tuition reimbursement is the myth like buying a car
they give you more on a trade in or lower the new car price
these companies give nothing away for nothing

sign on bonuses are paid over the course of time to lock you into staying a while

to me the first company is to get some experience
you never really know what you want to do until your out here

 

If as you say, you want pay/miles and you don't mind flatbed, I would think you should go flatbed. With that in mind, I would recommend Maverick.

I have never worked from them, or worked flatbed for that matter but they do GENERALLY have a good reputation, decent equipment, they pay a good rate, they seem to have loads/miles and they hire newbies. Good luck!