Newbie going to Schneider orientation/training.... Need some answers/advice

I've been thinking about going pumpkin too. What are you signing up for? Regional, OTR, Tanks?

 

Company deducted per diem is bad. Opt out if you can. Why? It lowers your gross on your W-2 which means lower 401K match, lower social security match and paid in, lower workers comp payments if you get hurt, lower disability insurance pay out if you get sick, lower unemployment benefits if you get terminated. It could even hurt you on a loan and what you qualify for.

It's beneficial to the company is why they push it. All them drivers they are saving millions on 401K, social security, workers comp and unemployment insurance payments.

You get your per diem anyways come tax time.

The only pro is you see a few more bucks on your weekly paycheck. But again you get that extra come tax time. The difference is the reduction in benefits.

There's at least four different common models of king pin locks. The most popular one runs about $30 at truck stops and starts at $20 online. Example... you take 10,000 drivers and they are making $30 off you equals $300,000. Companies use all kinds of tricks to make a dollar.

You want a king pin lock that is cast iron instead of cast aluminum which is easily busted. You want one that isn't keyed alike. The ones sold at Pilot are pretty good. Just google king pin lock and you find many online deals if you want to go that route. I would wait until you got your own truck. You won't be using one for awhile.

 

I left schneider 6 months ago. I was promised newer trucks since i had 15 yrs experience,a big ''bribe'' if you will, to get experienced drivers in. They stopped their driving schools and wanted experienced drivers. I worked for them for 4 years and i will say it is a great place to learn how to drive since you are new to driving. Dont ever expect a new or newer company truck unless you team. They downsized from about about 13000 otr trucks to about 9000 last i heard. My first truck had 475,000 miles on it and that was the lowest mile truck that i used. Most every one had 600,000 to 750,000 miles on them and my last truck had 950,000 miles. I have seen that they advertised lately that they are getting 3000 new trucks this year. Those are either new team trucks or solo trucks that will only go to long term seniority drivers...like 10 years' or more with the company unless youve got an ''in'' with your f.m. youll be stuck with learning the hard way about spending a lot of time at a shop, working on your truck, staying in hotels while you should be driving. I used up the last good ..lol...out of 3 or 4 of them and funny thing after i had to get into another truck i always got another one that was worse than what i got out of,especially after i got the problems fixed.I think they used my experience to fix their badly worn trucks and then gave me another one to fix . My friend who drives a new truck now at another company that ive just been hired at used to tell me that they should pay me for scouring all those trucks for problems that i turned in to fix. Thats over now and im walking into a brand new truck next week here. If youre not mechanically inclined then you will be after a year or two and if you think its just my bad luck on equipment...everyone there just laughs when the idea was mentioned that i was promised that newer truck. You need to talk to other schneider drivers and not the ones that want to grease their pocets with that 1000 dollar recruiting bonus they get if you are hired. I'm sure another schneider driver will chime in here to comment. Other than that, the 100.00 enforcer kingpin lock you get for 60.00 is a great deal. Its yours to keep and those free boots every year are too. They will come in handy when your truck breaks down and you have to drop your trailer while on the road.

 

i have to agree you.my bf used to drive for schneider till his accident in april.he told them his truck wasn't road worthy,and they just ignore him.now he is out of a job cause of them

 

It's not a horrible company to start out with, and it's not a bad place to build a foundation for a carer if you can get a good dedicated run.

I drove several brand new trucks working for them, I'm not sure how I lucked out. Maybe I'm better under the desk then most.

As for perdium that was well explained, don't do it.

King pin lock, your buying theirs.

 

If the trucks not road worthy park it and leave the keys on the dip stick. I did that twice and called the safety rep.I never got any fall out and the problem was fixed.

 

when i started with them you could choose to not have the per diem (not sure if you can still do that). You did have to buy the kingpin lock from them. When i left i was driving a brand new truck, when i picked it up at there west memphis oc it only had 350 miles on it. I drove for them for 4 1/2 years. they are not a bad company to work for, I would still be there today if i didn't get this local job I have now.