new driver here.

Attitude is a BIG part of all of this... We started with and are still with a 'starter' company (3yrs so far)... However you also have to be aware of what you are signing, what is expected of you, what you can expect from the company... Don't take it 'by faith'... They are in the business to make money, if you get to make money in the process then it's a bonus for you. It costs to orient new drivers, but if you end up costing them money, they will boot you to the curb...

 

It really depends on what you are looking for. Some of the big companies, and in fact most companies, have some issues within the organization. You may find with family run business' that there tends to be favoritism to some extent. The politics within any company are something you will have to take into consideration, and unfortunately you will not know about them until you start. The information you can read on these forums will help give you some guidance, and can likely steer you away from the truly bad operators. One thing to consider is a bad operator can affect your status at some later date. If you have a company that insists on falsifying logs for example, you have to remember that you're the one signing that they are correct so while the company can be convicted, you are also at fault. In fact a company owner recently received a 7 month sentence for just this thing recently. Maintenance issues can also cause you grief down the line if not handled properly.

You have to read a lot of the forums to get a true picture of the company. Check the DOT sites to see what their status is and see if there are any issues. If you get the chance, talk to their drivers at truck stops. Some drivers have a real chip on their shoulder and yes, some companies are equally bad. Do your research and you should find a good home but don't get discouraged if it's not the first one.

 

I'd complain if someone gave me a wet $100 Bill for no reason, good luck and find out for yourself.

 

They are and they are not. I started with one of the big companies, Swift. I got my CDL training and OTR experience through them. Looking back the experience wasn't great, but not horrible either. The pay sucked, being referred to by truck number only was a bit dehumanizing. Trying to get anything done at the shop was a joke. A few times I got left sitting around waiting on the load, spreading the miles across 16,000 trucks this is often the case.
On the flip side. My mentor was pretty good. I learned a lot that first winter. I got to see the county at 65mph. And better yet I got my experience in and got on to a better company.

 

Much of the bitterness comes from drivers that didn't plan and took the first job offer. Many drivers on this forum ask for advice on their first job in trucking and then do just the opposite of what is recommended. A month or so later they're back on here whining and complaining and it's very predictable the companies they work for. The drivers that get all the endorsements, TWIC, passport and put those to use in their first job, you won't hear anything from again unless it's positive comments.

 

Here's some good companies:

Trimac
Superior Carriers
CTL Transportation
Schneider Bulk
SVTN
Melton Truck Lines
System Transport