QUESTIONS ABOUT SELECTING THE RIGHT COMPANY TO SELECT.

I'll answer this as if it were me in your shoes.
1. The most important thing is, can that company keep you busy. If you're not moving freight, you're not making money, regardless of cents per mile.

2. You don't have to live in the state your company is based out of

3. That's a tough one to answer. You never really know until you get through orientation and your out on your own. A typical OTR company keeps you out anywhere from 1-4 weeks, or more at a time. It depends on the company. As far as traveling lanes go, you can put it requests, but it's not a guarantee they'll run you according to requests. Same with dedicated routes. Some companies make you put in time, and sometimes you get lucky.

4. As long as you don't hit a blizzard, you should stay running. The Northeast has given me the most problems weather wise. You don't have to live there, you can live where ever you want though. There's local gigs everywhere. They will be hitting you with that info on here before long.

5. Your insurance is like any other job. The company covers the bulk of it, and the rest is deducted from you check.

6. If you're a company driver, then the company pays for fuel. Some companies allow you to take the truck home with you. Others say park at the terminal.

7. I can't speak on Sysco or any food distribution. I only held one local job.I did drive for 7up/Snapple and it paid well and I was home daily. It was some hard work though but I didn't mind. I liked working there. Me personally, I like being OTR better.

8. Hailing tarped loads isn't really difficult to me. You do have more responsibility with a flatbed, because you have to check your load periodically.

 

Search "Bellevue, WA truck driving jobs" on indeed.com.... there's tons, including home daily. Abf and fed ex hiring and training new CDL holders. Xpo and others, too. Get all of the endorsements.

 

I'll let the others answer the bulk of your questions, but one important aspect to really check on is the cost of your benefits. Since you have a wife and kids your costs will vary greatly depending on which company you decide to go with. Ask them EXACTLY how much will be deducted from your weekly paycheck to cover employee and dependent insurance. Some companies pay most of it while others pay almost none of it. If you're starting out with a low cents per mile pay and they charge you a lot for benefits, you can make almost nothing on your paychecks. If you have a breakdown in your truck and don't drive many miles in a week, you can wind up with a negative paycheck. It's happened to me.

 

As a company driver you don't pay for any fuel or repairs on the truck.
When you go to a catscale.. you will pay cash but turn in copy of receipt and you will get reimburse. Same if you pay for oil, lightbulb, fuses, act. Hopefully you get extras st your company shop so you won't have to pay and get reimburse later.

 

Food delivery companies like Sysco, are good jobs.
Local, you probably won't be cents per mile.
You never pay for repairs as a company driver. You get into that stuff as a Lease or Owner Operator.

 

You don't "pay" to fix a company truck, but a breakdown still "costs" a driver.

 

the reason he owed the company money after a break down is he was paid by the mile .
No miles means no pay deductions keep rolling on even if you don't .
See how that works ?
No work = no pay .

 

@Chinatown