Passionate about driving & REFUSE to be enslaved via mega-carriers

You... there are always two sides to every coin... my experience was just the opposite... I started off with an O/O and it was not a good start or experience.. I then went with a small family owned company.. the equipment was old and had many issues as the coompany need to save pennies wherever they could...
I finally took the plunge and went with a "bottom feeder" company... Werner..

However... I do not find it to be a bottom feeder company.. I got good training.. including the Smith System.. after training I got on a dedicated account.. they keep me moving and making money Monday through Friday and I am home on the weekends for my reset... I get paid a couple pennies less per mile than I did with the small company or tne O/O... but I run more miles in the week and get accessorie pay.. like on time delivery bonuses, safety bonuses, mpg bonus as well as stop pay, layover pay and such.. this week just my accessorie pay was just over $300.. and I got paid for the 22678 miles I ran... there were bumps in the road.. had a trailer tire blow, but werner got someone there to put on a new tire... got stuck at a shippers waiting to be loaded.. thought it was gonna be just drop the trailer.. but ended up a live load.. but they paid me extra for the time and miles lost..

I am sure that you all knkw that there are some not so good O/Os out here and some not so good small companies...

For me, being with werner works.. they have the loads and miles to keep me running all week, they also have a lot of support 24/7.. which I like... I didnt ha e that with the O/O or small company.. but in fairness to them they just do noot have the finances or resources to offer that kind of support...

 

What if your friend were to teach you the ropes to get your feet wet you drive solo with that truck for a few months or so then you buy the truck from your friend on payments. Then have an agreement that once you paid the truck off that you find a new home for the truck this would help not only him but you also at the same time, by time you have the truck paid no accidents / tickets low csa score you would be able to move truck to a company of your choosing? This would seem most logical and beneficial to both in the long run from what I have been reading

 

Totally agree with 883. I also worked out of a 6 truck shop for awhile as well as Jb hunt. JB was my first otr gig. Equipment was decent at Jb as were the miles. Always paid on time. Never expected to drive in unsafe conditions or dodge scales. This was not the case with the small company. Yes I made more per mile but life was more stressful. I guess everyone has their own terms for what makes a good job. I'm pretty happy where I am now. 300 truck outfit that runs me solid, isn't micro managing me, and has great equipment. I hear from dispatch when I get my load and when I drop it off. Most of my loads are 1500 miles plus. Yes I get short ones occasionally, but not the norm by far. Stress free and decent money makes me a happy camper.

 

There's your first mistake. Most of what you think you know about driving is very probably wrong.

All that really matters is your glass and lights and reflective tape are clean.

Then do it by the book, pay your dues.

 

I appreciate all of the replies/information.

GPSman - What leads you to believe that everything I've learned thus far is "wrong"? Let's be honest here, operating a tractor trailer is far from rocket science. I'm by no means an expert and UNDOUBTEDLY have a lot to learn, that's for sure. However, people like yourself insist on belittling individuals that refuse to "go with the grain " in terms of their initial training. Save me the "pay your dues" comments, for the love of god. I owe nothing to anyone in this industry, with the exception of my future employer. Once a driver understand the principles of backing a trailer, conducting pre/post trip inspections, and operating the vehicle in general he/she is more than capable of safe operation. If these 160 hour programs are the optimal method of training g for new drivers why are so many graduates of these programs backing into other trucks at rest stops? Why are images flooding the internet on a daily basis of Swift, Prime, USA truck, and all other mega carrier drivers doing things like failing conduct THE VERY BASIC inspections and pulling away from their trailers prior to checking the 5th wheel? I spent 6 days in the truck this past week and, in all honestly, feel that I've already surpassed the abilities of more than half of the drivers that are a part of these carriers. The ability to safely drive these vehicles is the very beginning. Things such as weigh procedures, proper positioning of your load in relation to your rear axles, and conducting preventative maintenence is where the little amount of brain power needed in this career comes into play. Hellen Keller could effectively keep one of these rigs between the yellow lines.

I AM confident in my abilities thus far, take that however you'd like.

As far as your comment regarding only the windows, lights, and DOT tape being a necessity? No kidding, thanks for the intellectual advice, I'll make a mental note.

My point was this; I take pride in my work, and it's evident that the vast majority of new drivers in this industry don't posess such a trait. Taking the necessary time to keep your tractor AND trailer looking spotless will translate towards increased customer satisfaction. As in nearly all occupations, the publics perception of your organization will dictate your success.

 

I would look into Millis Transfer. I have a friend that works for them and he is very happy there, and he went in as a fresh student from CDL training. They aren't one of the "big boy megacarriers".

http://www.millistransfer.com/

 

You can find a job without signing on to a mega carrier. The real ticket here is to show up in person, usually in the afternoon. Feel it out, if the place looks busy and you overhear people calling for wreckers etc... come back another day. Present yourself as a pro, willing to go the extra mile to learn. Truth is there are many things the carrier can do to get around the insurance deal with a newbie, but they are taking a chance on you. Look at several web site on how to present yourself well in an interview. Meet the boss briefly... Fill out the application, then do a followup call... IT WILL WORK.

 

I spent 2 years working in the office for Schneider as a Instructor, before that I spent 2 years as a OTR Training Engineer. I still work for them, I have been at this game since I got out of the Navy. While there are some things that could be better, I find that the things that are annoying with SNI exist everywhere. I won't bore you with the "Oh SNI is the greatest" crap, they are far from perfect. But what I will say is that they always have freight and having freight keeps the truck moving, which makes you money. They have rules, like every other major corporation, but coming from the military you should have no problem adapting. Since you live in the Chicago area there are many opportunities with SNI. Intermodal comes to mind first. You could run a regional route (300 miles out) and be home every weekend. OTR if that's what you want to do.

Don't knock the mega carriers just based off of others complaints. It is very difficult to understand both sides of a story when all you read is how a driver says they did this to me and they did that. What did that driver do? So many people will get online and throw the carrier under the bus without accepting any personal responsibility for what happened to them.

What I have found in my time with SNI is a genuine desire to help you succeed. The training program is unlike any other carrier out there. They have a simple 3 week training program that consists of 5 days classroom and yard/road instruction, followed by a week on the road with TE, followed by 3 days of classroom training with a little road training. The 4th day of the third week you take a final test and when you pass they assign you a tractor. Their pay is fair for the time you spend training. You will spend a couple months making mediocre pay, but based on your performance you can get a raise in 60 days. You are eligible for a safety bonus from day 1 of being on your own and you control earning it.

Overall, my experience at SNI has been a pleasant one. I came to SNI as an experienced driver and made my way through the ranks very quickly because of my work ethic, pride in what I do, and my professionalism. You seem to have those same traits and in the end any carrier is only as good as you make it. If you show up with a positive attitude and a desire to do your job you will succeed.

Note that what I have described above is the Van Truckload side of things. Bulk is different (Ethos can explain bulk), and Intermodal is different. Whatever you decide to do Good Luck and thank you for your service!

 

Fantastic information, chicknwing. Whether I go with SNI or not, I truly appreciate your post.

 

You mean your friend won't allow you to purchase the truck from him, if he wants out of industry seems logical to me he gets the truck leased onto a company who pays most of everything sell truck to you then you operate truck and pay him