Not sure if this is the correct place for the question but i couldn't figure out how to word it to get results in the search bar. Sorry. Anyways, looking to get back into driving commercial vehicle. I'm gonna have to start from the bottom again as I let my CDLs go and its been like 6yrs since I held them. Owell, live and learn. My question is, what should I be looking for and writing down for questions when it comes to looking at potential employers? I know the basics, average miles, pay per mile, idle policy, pet/rider policy, asking region they run(not fond of NE lol), I know some pleaces are picky on equipment you can have in truck(fridge, microwave, inverter in general), but what else are some questions? I'm sure stuff has changed in the last 6yrs.
This is the basic question list I compiled when I first started out. All this is crap you probably have remembered or is not going to be relevant to your situation but just in case. There's more but without being able to get on the computer with the doc I can't remember the rest. In no particular order.... Company smoking policy in truck? With Hazmat load? Will it cost me to go to their school? If so, how much? How is it paid back? Will I have to sign come type of employment contract? Where will training and orientation be held?How will I be brought to same? How many students to a class? What happens should I fail school or trainer time? How long would I be out with a trainer?Will I get hometime at all during my time with a trainer? Average miles per month? Experienced and new drivers? What will I get paid while out with a trainer and orientation/schooling? Practical miles or HHG? How many drivers per dispatcher? Load/unload pay? Bonus for safety? Breakdown pay? Detention pay? All miles paid or just loaded? Extra Stop Pay? Tolls paid? Pre Pass? Governed truck speed? Fuel stops by choice or assigned? Automatic or manual transmissions? Driver/outside facing camera? What happens if camera goes off? Medical insurance? HMO or PPO available? When does medical insurance start? Short and long term disability available? Vacation? 401K ? Chaining required?
My set of thinking would be different. If I get back into trucking it will be specifically with medicine. Things like driver facing cameras and so on, are no go zones for me. I would have to change employers if I discovered such a monstrosity inside the truck. I have not forgotten the actual driving and so forth with a 18 wheeler. That's not the problem. It's going to be the ELD, technology and transmissions that are going to be a problem because I am set in my ways. If for example the transmission relies on sateliite to downshift at a upgrade, I would not want it. If it does not have a manual mode for mountain work, I would not want it. Etc. It's very difficult to make me happy and at the same time It's really easy to make me happy. Hand me a 1975 tractor with nothing in it except AC/Heat and a 18 speed. Fuel mileage would be crappy anyway. Forget the disability within a company. It's either workman's comp if you can get it or Social Security when your body is too disabled by the trucking to continue. The older you get the easier that will happen. Forget the medical insurance. If 10,000 dollars is your deductable and you just pissed 8000 dollar billing in a ER forget it. Might as well get a bottle of strong drink, find a hotel room for a few days until that Ow stops hurting. It's cheaper.
I think the best information you can get on a carrier is already on most of their websites. However if you want to get real everyday information on what to expect speak to their drivers. I know it is hard to do sometimes because of the hermit nature today's average driver seems to have. I advise talking to 3 drivers. Recruiters are actually not a good source of information because they are just trying to get your information down for HR then will give you a few minutes for "questions". Its been 6 years for me too. However, I'm not ever going back.
I generally talk to drivers at the Petro. Nothing too invasive once I buy their coffee for a few minutes to pick their brains. Once in a while they are happy to give me a tour of the rig to update me on the technology etc. It's quite something. If you can totally eliminate the paperwork...
Most questions were answered by others but for me, I'll add this one: If using auto shift transmissions, has the company disabled the ability for the driver to put truck shifting in "manual" mode? I will never work for a company (again) that has disabled this ability.
