Question on job switches first timer

Worse job I ever had was with a small company. I prefer medium to large companies.
With those small companies I'm familiar with, you work for years fighting the office personnel, then one day you look in the mirror and see those gray hairs and wrinkles forming and realize you have nothing to show for those years of aggravation and no retirement in sight. Remember, you're just one DOT physical away from unemployment.

 

Ignore anything a recruiter tells you. Talk to current drivers at any company BEFORE you work there. If necessary make the company have current drivers call you. You have no leverage after you hire on. The company will not change because a recruiter "promised" you something.

 

I would readily echo the advice given above -- especially in the current overall freight environment.

You'll get better feedback past that if we also know:

• How much CDL driving experience you already have
• What CDL endorsements you already have (if any)
• What is your residence city/state -- or zip code
• What type(s) of freight you want to run
• How much home time do you need -- daily, weekly, or less often (specify)
• how clean is your driving record

-- L

 

Based on all the info given above -- you could always check out Marten Transport:

Home - Marten (drive4marten.com)

You have enough driving time to qualify for them.

With more endorsements -- you'd of course have more options.

A co-worker of mine drove for Marten for several years -- he had no complaints.

-- L

 

Since you need local/home every day work, check on "intermodal" with CR England.

 

Call and ask where the terminal is.

 

There's a way that you can vet any company. You're on the right track by expressing what your needs are. It's been advised to talk to drivers at whichever company you apply to. In my opinion, that's overrated. Truck drivers embellish all the time, and either they oversell, or they over-complain. Very rare you'll find a middle ground. You've said you need local. That's the first step. Then you have to ask yourself does it have to be local or would you branch out to regional if necessary? When I went to look for a company, I was only worried about freight and equipment. You need freight and functioning equipment to make money in this industry. Accessory pay is nice, but sometimes it ain't always worth it, and if a company needs to cut costs, that'll be the first to go. A company that tried to sell me on their perks, amenities, or anything else that has nothing to do with the day to day running of the loads, I tend to be hesitant to go there. If a company can talk about running lanes and their customer bases, I'm all ears. I want to know how much drop and hook. How much live loads/unloads. Regular freight or irregular freight? Can you run me 2500 to 2700 miles weekly or more? Does your dispatch team actually understand how this industry works? That's one of the biggest advantages I have with my current company. Everyone in dispatch has been a driver. The safety manager was a driver. Even if the folks in the office weren't drivers, do they have a willingness to learn and understand? That's how you vet a company. You want to get the vibe that they are more concerned with making their business stronger by getting the best. By saying the best, that means drivers who are safe, reliable, amd available. You don't the vibe that the company is just trying to put ##### in the seats. So in closing to my long winded piece of advice, you're on the right track to figuring out a company that works for you, since you've established your needs.