Schneider or Knight (Ref.): Who would you choose to go with, and why?

I had been attending trucking school since June, at American Institute of Technology in Fontana, CA. Just finally finished up earlier this week, successfully passed my DMV tests for my CDL, all on my first try, with high scores on all 3 tests!
I had been entertaining job offers all along the whole way (since they encourage you to try to get at least one pre-hire before you ever even start school), after talking to all the companies, listening to what each has to offer. I've narrowed it down to just the two of Knight (Refrigerated)/Squire (Ref.) and Schneider. Actually Schneider was only recently added to consideration, since even though I had the pre-hire with them all along as well, their recruiter would only start talking to me about details of the job and their company, after I finished up school and got my license.

From what I've read on here, I'd say both seem to have pretty good reputations among the community. I haven't really read anything horrible about either one, maybe some slightly unflattering things here and there about Knight, but all in all, I'd say it seems to be mostly positive. I don't think I've seen much if any Schneider bashing, at all. Not that I'm looking for any negative responses or want to hear any of that anyway, but I'm just letting you guys know, that I've been doing my homework on all my prospective employers on here, and everywhere else I can dig up any information on them, for the past several months.

So here's what each company is offering me.....

Schneider: 11 Western States position, 7 days of paid orientation - $300 for that, 7-14 +/- days of driving/training, at $300/week. After I solo out, I'll start driving (Western regional), at .28/mile, after 6 months, I'll get bumped to .29/mile, then after my first year to .31/mile, and every year there after another .02/cpm raise. I forget what she told me is the cap, but I'm sure I'd have to drive for a long time to ever reach it anyway, whatever the case. Their benefits are all pretty reasonable, they have three packages of medical, dental, life, and vision...the medical ranging from $16/week to $26/week, the dental from $4/week to $8/week, and I don't remember the other rates, but you get the gist. I live in Ontario, California, and the orientation is only about 7 miles away from me in Fontana, so luckily for me, I wouldn't have to leave home for that, and be stuck in a hotel room with somebody I don't know and would rather not be stuck in a room with. She did tell me that they don't offer tuition reimbursement for the position they're offering me, although if I were applying for a team position, then it would be available, but I'm not at all interested in driving team. So that's kind of a small downer to me for them, although every other company I had talked to has told me that they reimburse at a rate of about $25/week, so thus for my student loan of $3,800, would mean that I would have to stay put with any of these companies, for better or worse, for at least a little over 3 years, in order to ever get fully reimbursed. Also, in a way, realistically, I can see how I might wind up in a position of having to pay off the majority of my tuition, out of my own pocket anyway...should the first company I sign on with and agrees to reimburse me, not work out how I hope, and I find myself looking for greener pastures. So maybe the thought of a company not offering to pick up the tab for me right off the bat, in the first place, isn't such a big deal to count against them after all. The one topic I wanted to ask my recruiter about, that thus far I have forgotten to get around to is the matter of Schneider's pet policy (or lack thereof), I do have one medium sized, 40 lb dog, a 3 year old Chocolate Lab, named Ricky, who I would really, really love to bring along with me! So I'm definitely gonna have to get back to my recruiter about that matter.

And on the other hand...

Knight Ref./Squire Ref.: 48 States OTR position, 5 days paid orientation - $150 for that, 4-6 weeks of driving/training at $400/week. After I solo out to Squire Ref. at first for my first 3 or 4 months, I'll be on their sliding pay scale of .27/mile for trips over 500 miles, .29 for 301-500 mi., .33 200-300, and .36 0-200 for my first month; second month with Squire Ref. I see a one cent increase to all the above of .28/.30/.34/.37, and for my third and or possible fourth month, another one cent increase to .29/.31/.35/.38. Once I move up to Knight Ref., I'll start with them at a sliding pay scale of .33/mile for trips over 500 miles, .35 for 301-500, .39 for 200-300, and .42 for 0-200. Recruiter told me I will be getting a raise every year after that, however I don't remember whether it's a .01 or .02 cpm raise every year. Recruiter told me they have "basically a salad bar of benefits to choose from, medical plans ranging from $15-$65/week, as well as lots of dental to choose from, and vision and life, etc, etc." She couldn't really tell me any specifics, since there's so many options in that area to choose from, that it was too much to get into. I would unfortunately with them have to take a short bus ride out to Phoenix, AZ for orientation, although if I were being hired on for their dry van division, I'd be able to attend orientation out here in Fontana, CA, except that they were only hiring for their Ref. division at the time that I applied. Kind of pissed me off that I could be staying home, but instead have to travel out to Phoenix, but I guess I'm okay with that; at least my recruiter did say that I will not have to bunk with somebody in my hotel room and will instead get a room all to myself, thankfully! Recruiter says they offer tuition reimbursement, and they pay it off at a rate of $25/week, I believe that is starting once I solo out for them with Squire, for the duration of my employment with Squire/Knight. However, as I said before, I figured out that in order to get them to fully pay it off, at that rate I will have to stay with them for a little over 3 years...which I have no problem whatsoever with, I would just really hope that it turns out for the better with them, so that I would want to stick around for at least 3 years. I asked them about their pet policy, and was told they have none, meaning no pets allowed, and the way she said it, it sounded as though this is something they're pretty concrete on, and I might be able to expect to keep on getting the same answer to that in the future, with no plans of change to this policy; which I've gotta admit, did certainly count pretty heavily against them.

So that's what I've found out about them so far. I know I still have much more I still can learn. Both companies say I can probably honestly expect to run at least about 2,500 miles/week. Right now, Squire/Knight Ref. has me tentatively scheduled for orientation starting on the 25th, giving me a little bit less than a week to weigh my options, and should I decide to go along with Schneider, to let my KR recruiter know, so that he can cancel my bus ticket and hotel reservation, so as to not unnecessarily cost their company any money they don't need to be wasting on me. Schneider on the other hand currently has me tentatively scheduled for orientation on the 23rd, but they won't have to buy me a bus ticket or put me up in a hotel room, and thus won't have to spend any expenses on me other than possibly a few lunches and lots of paperwork.

Aside from of course all the countless hours of mind-numbing safety videos and paperwork, which would probably be considered a given for just about any company's orientation, what each recruiter has told me about their orientation is this: My Schneider recruiter has told me there will be a road test involved, but she wasn't sure what it might include, or whether or not any backing/skills tests would be included along with the drive. So to anybody who has recently attended orientation with Schneider, particularly anybody who has attended orientation at their Fontana facility, if you could give me a little heads up about exactly what I should expect to be in for regarding their road test, I would much appreciate it! I did just perfectly fine on my first try at everything when I went to the DMV earlier this week, but I'm wondering if their road test would be as extensive, spanning as many areas as the DMV test, or perhaps something as simple as just a short drive around the block, come back and pull the truck into a parking spot...as I have heard before that some companies "road tests" are known to be as simple as something like that. My Knight recruiter told me that they have no road test during their orientation, but that there might be something along those lines when I complete training and before I solo out.

So that's just about everything I've got on the two companies for the time being. I know I'm asking all of you for your input on these companies, but if I had to choose one right now, I think I honestly would be leaning just ever so slightly...like I'm really talking about 51.1%/49.9% here, towards Schneider. If for nothing else, probably just for the opportunity to drive Western regional, and be able to stay a little bit closer to home. I know the Knight pay scale would seem to be a little bit more favorable, but I'm also taking into consideration that I'd only be hauling refrigerated loads, which I'm merely taking a wild guess that perhaps may happen to be just a little tiny bit further and farther between than dry van loads, so maybe my mileage with Schneider might be just a little bit better. Again, not that I have anything to base that off of, it is just a guess of mine, that I would tend to think there's probably more loads to be found and hauled out there in dry van than in refrigerated. I also do realize that both companies recruiters talk to me about being able to count on at least 2,500 miles a week, but on the same note, I also do realize that I'm talking to company recruiters here, who may and probably are in fact very willing to tell me almost anything they think I might want to hear, if they believe it will get me to come in for orientation with their company.

I've done my time in school, and now I'm finally ready to get this new career rolling! I'm ready to be the best #### company driver for whatever company I go to that I can be! I know what to avoid and not to do...I'm not gonna sit around on my hands, turning down loads, then hop on to thetruckersreport.com to piss, moan, and ##### about my company not giving me sufficient work to support myself...that's for #### sure!

So...anybody out there who has attended Knight Refrigerated/Squire Ref.'s orientation in Phoenix, AZ (or anywhere else) and driven for them, at whatever point in your carer you're presently at with Knight (past or present, hell even future for all I care! LOL!)...and anybody out there who has attended Schneider's orientation in Fontana, CA (or anywhere else) and driven for them, at whatever point in your career you're presently at with Schneider...PLEASE, feel free to share with me whatever knowledge you wish to pass on about your experiences! It would be extremely helpful to me, towards possibly helping me determine just which company I should start out with. Thank you in advance! ...And hope to see you out on the road soon!

 

Yeah I know. This one is obviously aimed more at Knight drivers over here. Since I figure Knight drivers aren't likely to bother with the Schneider board, and didn't figure Schneider drivers would be bothering with the Knight board. But thanks though man!