Ok Who Should A Newbie Work For?

Look, you've got to do your own searching and find a company that fits YOUR needs. Set some short and long term goals and go for it. Just don't look at what kind of truck the company has or how fast it will run. Check the benefits and the pay, after all that's why we're all out there. Just being an OTR driver is selling yourself short. You want to work where you'll be happy and the job will not destroy your homelife.

Your short term goals should include getting the experience you'll need to reach your long term goal. Keeping your record clean is PARAMOUNT. If you start to get hits on your driving record then you'll be stuck in the low paying jobs getting the worse runs.

Here's kind of an example. Say your long term goal is to work for a company that pays good has great benefits and treats their drivers with respect. I'll use Tri-State for an example just because they were on a segment of the History Channel for hauling hazmat. They will have plenty of work due to their close relationship with the government. They will be hauling alot of the highly radioactive waste that will go to Nevada among other things. So because of their scrutiny that they will be under they will be forced to have the best drivers money can buy. I would say to get into a position like that will take some time because the drivers will only retire or get fired. Being persistent shows the company you really want he job. After you fill out an applications you can check back once a month or when any of you information changes. I've heard management say that driver really wants the job.

You'll have to take the lousy jobs to start with so you'll need to find the company you know will treat you right so you can gain the experience you'll need later on. Look at that company's turnover rate. Do the drivers bail as soon as they can or do they have some drivers with time in? There's no doubt you'll starve for awhile and get nothing but the cr-p loads. We've all been through it.

I just used Tri-State as an example, I don't know how they operate but judging by what was shown it would be a company worth looking at. Any specialized driving will pay you more and your training will be in demand. And that's what you want in the long run, a company searching you out.

My last job I ended up hauling gasoline for a major oil company. The waiting list was 5 years because every driver wanted to work there. I worked there for 12 years when I was offered the "Golden Handshake" and took the early retirement. The benefits were like no trucking company I ever saw and the pay made you feel guilty. The company would go through a hiring process that would take weeks and would only take the best applicants. They would even check the applicants credit report (which I didn't agree with) to make sure the driver might not be tempted to steal.

But to get to that job I had to take the worse jobs to build up my record. I pulled doubles, triples, flatbed, and semi's. My first job was team driving and I got paid 12½¢ a mile. And I rarely got the same driver twice. But I stuck with it and was very lucky.

I should make this point clearer about your driving record. You should have a spotless reputation along with the clean record. Word of mouth will help you more than anything else and when the dream job calls your last employer you want them to say they're sorry to see you leave. You don't have to kiss a-- to accomplish this either. Having a good attitude and a clean image goes along way. Be polite and learn all you can because nobody knows all there is to know. Good Luck to you and I hope this helped.

 

Try superior carriers. They have a terminal located in Lakeland.

Kinghunter

 

Good post, GasHauler.

 

I started a thread in the "Eperienced Truckers" section called "how to be a successful trucker" and I have had some people that have responded with very good advice. So check it out.

 

My bad. The thread I referred to is called "whats the secret to successfull trucking". A guy posted a reply on what to look for in a company. I hope it helps.

 

+1... well stated.

 

I say believe most of what is posted here. What reason on earth would anyone have to just run down a company. I have driven for a few of them,and then there was a short stint with Swift.I have owned two trucks and pretty much done it all over a 15 year period.No on second thought I have not done it all.I always pulled dry vans,no reefers,tankers,or flats.I spent a lot of time with the old MS Carriers,which is now part of Swift.As an experienced,and retired truck driver I have posted many negative posts about Swift,but in all fairness I believe they are the bottom of the barrel.My last job was a company driver with Roehl,and I found them to be a way better than average company. The only true bad company I drove for was Swift.My advice stay away from Swift.I have also heard bad things about JB HUnt,but I cannot verify that,cause I have never worked for them.One thing you gotta remember is that driving a truck is a job and not a vacation.And when you start out you gotta pay your dues,drive safely,deliver the freight on time,and chances are you will start getting better dispatches and things will be much easier.Oh yeah in todays world you gotta run an honest logbook,even with the bad companies.It aint like the old days when I used to do a lot of creative logging.

 

Boy are you wrong to tell someone to believe most of what they read here and follow it with the statement, "What reason on earth would anyone have to just run down a company." That is really all this site is for. If it was looking for the real truth why is the first section entitled "Report a BAD Company..."? People have thousands of reasons to run down a company. The biggest is, that individual really didn't have a strong work ethic, they wanted to hold a steering wheel and see the sights, they want to make the big bucks driving big trucks and when the company expected them to work and make a good representation of the company to the customers and the public they couldn't do that and the company kicked them to the curb. When that happened, rather then picking themselves up, dusting themselves off and trying to figure out how they could do things better the next time, they decided to blame it all on the company and found this place (probably through talking to others just like themselves) and so they come here and tell how "bad" the company is without giving the details of how bad an employee they really were. Just look at how many of them speak negatively about so many different companies. If they truly drove for them, like they say they did (and we kno that no one would just run down a company), then it is time to bring back an old math process of looking for the common denominator. If you drive for three, four, five or more companies and they are all "bad" could it just maybe be you are not cut out for this industry and that YOU are the problem?

See people today do not want to take responsibility for their own actions and so they come places like this to "show" that company. "I will tell others of how rotten this company is," is their thought. Do you think it hurts the company? NO! They will go on and hire other people. Many of those will turn out to be good drivers who want to be professionals in this industry and others will turn out to be like the people who write bad stuff about companies on sites like this and continue to bounce from one company to another not ever seeing that THEY are the problem.

Best way to find out the truth about companies you are looking at is to spend time at the truck stop and talk to drivers who are driving for them. Will you find ones who have issues with their company? Of course. I have been doing this over the past few months as I have researched who I want to drive for when I return to OTR driving in a couple of months. I have drivers say they are dissatisfied with the company and others who love it. You weigh those comments from people who are trying to make the job a positive one, no matter what they think of the company, and you will find these to be your most reliable source of help in the decision process.

You may ask why I come to this site if my feelings about it are the way they are? Well, I come a lot for the entertainment value. I cannot believe some of the goofy things that are said here and the commonality of the problem throughout those who can only talk negative. Second, I hope to give people who are looking here for real answers help in knowing that this is NOT the place to get them. The best place is to talk to real drivers that you know are working for the company. You see that is the other problem here. I could come here and write up real horror stories of companies I have never driven for and decide I don't like, for one reason or another, and who can validate the reality of what I say here? NO ONE!

On another note, Swift is not the best of companies but they are a good starter company and many have made it a long-term company because they are that good. If you decide on them, look at the hundreds of items in the training manual for the 42 day training you will go through. Make sure you keep on your trainer to follow that as that is part of taking adult responsibility for your life. Swift has detailed a plan of what is to be done each week of those six weeks. If YOU do not stay on top of it the trainer may not cover everything and you will miss out. They may sign it off (and both of you are supposed to sign it) saying it is done and no one will ever know. It is YOUR responsibility to make sure those items are taught to you because you are the one who will need those skills in the future. That is why the training coordinator gives YOU the booklet for YOU to give the trainer and have them sign things off. Best of luck to you!

 

Disclaimer, lol:
First off, I am not a driver. I am looking in to it, as many who visit this forum are, so I guess you can discount my view as just my opinion from reading this and other forums.

Okay, IMHO I see alot of the posts in this forum that have a negative tone as being a reflection of the Trucking Industry itself in its present state. The way the business of moving freight is run today, well, It doesn't look like it is very "friendly" for the drivers. I understand its not a perfect world, and there are many variables that help make it this way.

Alot of the problems are industry wide, not just this company or that company. Sure some are worse than others, and you may even find one you can trust, but look at the big picture.

This business is unique, the circumstances that are involved are very different from most other jobs. Its hard to compare the companies one to the other because they are doing alot of the same things. The Indians are restless! But what are ya gonna do, is it gonna change, no probably not anytime soon. So you have to just try to pick a company, "the lesser evil" if you will.

That is why we alot of us come here and read and post, to at least know what is involved, what we are getting into, what the state of the job is today. If you dont like it, it may not be for you, but sharing information, even negative is better than going into the whole thing blind and thinking its just like your "regular" job. Its not, its not run that way.

Thats what I see, said the blind man, .

 

... Very good advice from both of you. Makes sense too! Not everyone makes sense anymore or is very logical about anything. Most people just develop an opinion and stick with it, being closed minded and not listening to anything different than what their views are.
... If you use logic, all companies that are operating normally, have something good going on or they would not still be in business. But there will still be those companies that I do not want to work for, but you may like to work for them. Similar to food, I like foods that you would not even consider eating and vice versa. Not necessarily bad overall, just not good to both of us.
... It is fun and entertaining to come to this site and read what is written, fact or fiction. Kind of like waking up and thinking to yourself ... "Gonna be a good day!" or as some decide right after waking up ... "Gonna be a crappy day today"
...To sum up my thoughts, Somethings are what We as Individuals make them to be. Good or bad by, definition of what we decide they will be!