Small companies or Mega carriers?

I think it depends on the company. Some small outfits are great some are horrid. Same goes for larger companies.

 

It all depends I work for a pretty good size company doing east coast runs the only bad thing with that was everyone clock out at 5 and if you need anything good luck getting ahold of someone.
Right now I'm working for a guy with 7 trucks if anything happens all I got to do is call the boss 24/7 and if need be I can be left alone as long as I do my job I get my schedule Friday or Saturday and only time he call me if there's an extra load going out or the cancel load for tommorow.
Haven't had a problem getting paid yet and hopefully it stays that way

 

To me, they are all pretty much the same. At the end of the day, getting the wrong DOT violation will get you fired anywhere. The pay is about the same on average. There are good and bad to every company. The one thing that can set companies apart is the way they move loads and the staff at the terminals. The daily operations are better if you have workers that have been in the industry and know how this works.

 

I've worked for Big and Small. Small is better, but you have to work for the right companies and that's trial and error. For big companies, you are a number. You make them money, period. If you don't do the job, on time, or without complaining they can get another driver. It's very impersonal. Yes, they more than likely take good care of their trucks because it makes them money. You have dedicated fuel stops. You can't go out of the route they tell you to drive. You are stuck at 63 mph....Come on a grandma can walk faster. Big companies use the DAC report. Once you have a bad mark, it's hard to get it off. Now there are some good things about big companies that stand out. You get your paycheck usually on time. They teach classes to make you a safer driver. You use a gas card at the pump and you are in and out.

With smaller companies, truck maintenance isn't always a priority. Fuel can be a challenge depending on how they want to pay for it. Smaller companies generally don't use the DAC report, so if you have some bad marks it won't necessarily disqualify you for employment. Getting your paycheck, ha you may have to track down your boss in a different city to get paid if you don't have direct deposit. ELD's, usually smaller companies have older trucks so they are not necessarily on ELD, which makes it nice because you are on paper logs. If you don't know what that means ask some older drivers. Smaller companies give you a little more flexibility. If you say I have a doctor's appt on this day, then they will try and work with you so you get time off.

All trucking companies are run by their insurance companies. If you have too many moving violations, the insurance company will tell the truck company you can't be hired. Every trucking company has to be a part of a mandatory drug testing program at random. When your number is up, it's time to pee in a bottle. Use your brains you are a Professional.

Every company is different. Every driver has different requirements. No company is going to be the pie in the sky. It is trial and error. Ask around. Look for someone who is leading the trucking lifestyle that you would like to lead and ask them about their company. Then ask someone else because you know no two people are the same!

 

Many drivers don't have the proper perspective as to where they fit in a company.
Many have an inflated view of their importance.
They're a small cog in a big wheel that helps make the business work and profitable.
Plenty more ready to take their place if they get "uppity" and are fired.

 

In the case of the average medium to the large carrier, they don't use insurance this way. Most of these carriers are self underwritten and the insurance company handles only the administrative things like insurance cards etc. Standards on what they will allow and reject are set sometimes at the governing board level.

You're mostly correct otherwise.

 

The thing I like about big companies is they have a procedure for everything. Nothing you face hasn't happened dozens of time to other employees. The only issue is finding the right department or person and getting them to tell you the procedure or to handle the situation. Big companies best fit employees that work within the system. I call those people Boy Scouts. Having said that, there are usually "blind spots" in the system and you may be able to use them when necessary.

Big companies have help and benefits that small companies may not be able to provide. Small companies can be great places to work, but they can also screw a driver as bad as the worst big company.

There are 2 types of people.
1 wants order & stability
2 wants creativity.

You need to know you and then find where YOU fit best. A good big company is no place for "cowboys". A bad big company is no place most people.

 

tuesday i was driving my car to work on an untreated road at 3am in the morning....... the roads were terrible. i spun out and ended up hitting a guard rail. while i source parts and repair my car, my boss is allowing me to drive the T880 daycab to and from work, even if it takes me a couple of weeks to get the car done.

i highly doubt any large company would allow me to do this. i am grateful.