Please share your thoughts

Howdy and welcome aboard. To make an accurate suggestion, we need so much more info. Such as, do you have a CDL, looking for schooling, location, what type of trucking, and most importantly today, how's your record, both driving and criminal? Quite frankly, I'd choose neither company, only because of what we see coming through here. Some may disagree, but both carriers you mention would be considered the lower on the list of carriers, but many start out with them, and do okay. Many companies will help with schooling and have a job waiting, the preferred method, I'd say. A private school, not so much, in fact, we've heard horror stories of companies not accepting certain schools AFTER the money was spent, so choose wisely. Good luck.

 

Knight, if you live far away,will make you park your truck at the terminal I was told one thing by the recruiter that I could take my truck to nearby truck stop no the company said no I had to park at the terminal. I lived 250 miles away from the terminal you tell me if that wasn't a pain in the butt just take home time. Unfortunately, by the time I understood I messed up I was already in the doors and leaving even in orientation meant it was like having another job so I stayed a year of that. Sadly the worst part wasn't even that I missed appointments for hometime was on the west coast when I told them I needed be home for an appointment that took 6 months to get, I missed it and next time was another 6 months for the same appointment. The truck would constantly break down. First time I understood, I hated internationals, almost every week my truck breaks down. They eventually got me something other than an international I threaten to leave after they gave me 2 other internationals The third died on the highway in front the shipper I couldn't even move the POS off the road, they got a tow truck from another state instead the closest to take me to the terminal not a nearby truck stop to be worked on.

I will say the last straw was when he threatened to not let my dog stay in the truck. To me, the dog was family and that dog had nowhere else to go, no relatives, so I left because that was the main reasons I joined them because they let dog in the truck. that was because he was mad I wouldn't grab a load from a state that I specifically said from the start I will not enter under any circumstances.

As for Stevens do you have a CDL already or you thinking of getting one Stevens has some of the best on-site trainers at the academy but the trainers OTR training are horrible people and have no business training anyone. As for miles and pay I wouldn't know I left and went elsewhere due to a bad OTR trainer.

The one at swift was a better alternative, and I have many nice things to say about Swift and it's a much better experience in my opinion I would recommend it over Knight and Stevens. Swift maybe under a knight, but how they treat drivers is much better and would let me take my truck home.

 

If those are the only two choices I’d go with Stevens. I base this choice only by what I’ve observed on the road.

Stevens has nice looking equipment and it seems like they have a good training program.

 

I second that; go Stevens Transport.

 

Driving for Premier Refrigerated Transport

• Dedicated Routes with Consistent Home Time
• Local, Regional and OTR Routes
• Weekly Pay
• Paid Comprehensive Training Program
• Location Transfer Opportunities Available

 

Since you live in Houston -- hometime will be much easier for you if you went with Knight -- or Swift.

Why?

Both have terminals in the Houston area.

This would give you a very short commute home from terminal to your residence; the company can also do truck maintenance/repairs during your hometime.

Also: both Swift & Knight have more than one type of freight to get different types of experience.

Meanwhile -- Stevens is a "one-trick pony" (reefer only).

Knight & Swift have multiple terminals & dropyards across the US...for multiple overnite parking options -- great thing to have...especially as a rookie.

Stevens....well...not so much.



-- L

 

Shipping between Houston, Texas and Alaska | Lynden Transport
1417 E Richey Rd, Houston, TX 77073
Lynden Transport is the trusted leader for shipping freight to, within and from Alaska. Our network of service centers is the largest in Alaska, and we offer extensive coverage across the entire …