New Driver with Family - Looking for a company with good hometime

At the end of this coming week I will be graduating with my CDL. I have several prehire from Swift, Werner, and US Express. I am also thinking about putting in an application with Schneider and TMC. I am married and have 3 kids which are still very young and I'm concerned about home time. Which one of these would be something to pick as a rookie and still see my family often? Any other advice about the companies would be greatly appreciated as well!!

 

Tmc would probably be your best option as far as home time....depending on where you live, they can have you home 46 out of 52 weekends a year...the pay isn't too bad either.

 

I live within Jacksonville, FL. I wonder if they would hire out of here?

 

Not sure about TMC, but all the others you listed will keep you out 2 weeks to get 2 days home, 3 weeks for 3 days, upto 4 or 5 depending on the company. If you can get on with someone offering you the hometime you want, then great, but it is hard to find fresh out of school. Get some experience and most LTLs can get you home more often.

 

Roehl has a good program if u like hometime...its basically an otr part time setup...

 

rhoel...whatever...lol prounced rail

 

The last I heard Rhoel wouldn't hire out of FL....

 

check out epes.....you're right in the bottom sliver of our hiring area. #### good company. they've produced on everything they told me they would. good equipment that is well maintained, good miles, above average pay for newbies and home every weekend. we do run frieght down that way and have a terminal not too far from you in valdosta. if you want specific details, pm me i'd be glad to talk to you about the company....i got a brand new truck right off my trainers truck and made mid 40's 1st year with them and only spent 2 weekends on the road, one by choice and one not. they''re picky about who they hire and don't hire from every school but if you can get in with them, you'll be glad you did

 

Sorry to be a bummer but if you are already thinking about how much you are going to miss your family, you are not going to like being a truck driver. I read a BLS statistic a few years ago about 80 plus percent of truck drivers are out of the business in one year and the biggest reason cited was family.

Its a double edged deal because you want to support your children but never seeing them just so you can mail home $400 a week doesnt make sense to most people.

Get a local job (YRC, or some other local delivery service), you may not be wheelin' the "big rigs" like a supertrucker but you'll end up with the same paycheck and get to tuck your kids in every nite.

Good luck.

 

Thinking about how much home time you'll have just starting out is a hard road to walk. Look into some sort of container work out of the port. The pay may be less but you'll get home more.