Schneider Question

Where is your location?
Schneider is ok to get started.
Some schools are in cahoots with Schneider to pay the tuition. Nothing wrong with that to get the career started.
If you pay your own way there's other companies that will reimburse the tuition.
The federally funded school is a good route to take if you can hold out until January.

 

If I was just now starting, this is having 14 years worth of knowledge, I'd go to Schneider to get training and a year of experience, or start in the ware house or on the docks at UPS or Fedex or an LTL company.

 

Currently with Schneider. New to the industry. Training is what you'd expect. Boring and very corporate.
Get out with TE (training engineer) and you get a sample of the reality of the occupation. They'll put you on Goldilocks routes for a bit, then start hitting you with the Dallas/Jersey/Detroit stuff during first month on road without trainer. "To test you". In reality, its the ######## runs no one wants and you're the expendable FNG. Just reality.

Past that, you get the grind. Short 200-300 mile runs, often with multiple drops. And you have to be very vigilant on delivery appointments, hours of service, and giving enough time for the unforseen. Been screwed quite a few times by having runs drag into the 1700-2000 time frame, and guess what? No where to park and sleep that time of night. If you want to find a parking hole for the 10hr, best to get in a decent truck stop around 1500 or sooner. Meaning you have to start your day around 0400. But guess what! Schneider forbids new drivers from starting that early due to it being a safety risk.

###### if you do, ##*ked if you don't

 

Good points and infor on Schneider. I almost went with them but ended up passing.

As a new driver myself, I can't stress how important starting early is. I get out every day between 0230 and 0430 unless it's impossible due to HOS. Trying to find parking at most truck stops late in the evening sucks. All that is left typically are narrow spots, maybe with the nose of the truck next to it sticking out. No thanks. As my backing improves in the future, maybe. Now, it's get up very early. Less traffic, better parking options, less stress getting the last miles to consignee.

 

1. get them cdls
2. hammer down
3. ????
4. make dat cheddar

 

Here is the truth and the answer you were looking for.
However, truth is, it's not any different anywhere else and sometimes much worse.
I started with Schneider 8 years ago and am still here
Would I recommend them?
Sure
Is it pretty
No
Good luck either way you go

 

And i forgot to mention, pay varies. There's no set in stone figure to give. Might sign on at .26/mi, or .45/mi.
I've been told a time or two that OTR (over the road) gets capped at .55/mi, but i don't know either way.
Doesn't honestly matter much, depends entirely on how many miles you get in.
Also, Schneider OTR pays by household-goods-miles. Meaning zipcode to zipcode.
So if you have a pick up at one side of a zip, have to drive 15 miles to get through it, you don't get paid those 15 miles. Sounds minor, but it can add up and sucks if you have an LTL (less than truckload) run in the same zip.

I've had runs net $450ish for the week (maintenance issues and cosignee delays are a major bummer) and I've had close to $900 for a week.

Best way to figure pay is to get their offer on cents/mile do your math and figure in a bad week as 1200 miles, a good week as 2500 miles, average the two and you've got an extremely rough (and potentially wildly inaccurate) idea of what pay would be like.
Figure in breakdown pay is like $80 for the day (and you HAVE to be on your manager (Driver Business Leader or DBL) to make sure you get paid for problem days) and detention pay (which doesn't begin until you've been held up at live load, live unload, cosignee for two hours and i don't know what it is yet) and you get an idea.

Schneider isn't a bad company at all, i might come across as disaffected but i just appreciate brutal honesty and wish i had been informed properly instead of being given best-case-scenarios. And it's really easy to get starry eyed with the potential earnings. But it is ~NEVER~ perfect runs. Just doesn't happen. You get lost, miss an exit, the GPS is off by miles on destination, rain, snow, stupid drivers, anything almost. And your best case scenario earnings just took a hit.
Main thing is to be aware of your surroundings, situational awareness must be high, and always! always! always! assume someone is going to do something mindnlowingly retarded in front, beside, and even behind you. Drive your trailer around turns, know where your trail is going to take it, do not rush, and be extremely careful at truck stops. Last thing i ever want is to be responsible for destroying someone's livelihood due to my negligence. GOAL. (Get out and look) it doesn't matter if you're holding up traffic at a delivery or truck stop, especially if you don't GOAL and rip someones bumper off or crush the side of the tractor/trailer.

Additionally, like this reply hasn't gotten too long already, take the no-cell-phone policy serious. I'm personally sick and tired of seeing other truckers bobbing and weaving and almost sideswiping me or someone in front of me (which could slow you down for a while if they wreck).

There's so much that goes into doing this job, you literally canmot explain it all. If you want to be in the industry, pick someone that gives you the best benefits, doesn't sugarcoat the mundane bull, and doesn't promose you guaranteed mileage/pay. They have no control over either. Doesn't matter if it's Swift, Covenant, Steven's, KLLM, US Xpress, or anyone else including Schneider. Get in. Keep an accident free record for at least 6 months to 1 year, then decide if you want to stay, move on, or find a local/dedicated company.

Much luck and best wishes, homie.

 

Schneider doesn't allow intelligent life forms in the trucks.

 

was @Dave_in_AZ the exception? lol