Starting out

Schneider seems to have the best reputation so far, and I hear their training is quit good over most.. If you want to jump right in then there is no reason why not to go to their school, unless you want to go to a private school for your CDL prep.. Look to see what schools are offered in your area, and check to see what their rep is maybe through the better business bureau..

 

check out USA also. there is a driver here who is happy with them and seems to be doing very well for himself and his family. just do your research and don't sign along the dotted line til you are sure that it is right for you.

 

There are some good blogs on the web from new drivers that give a good idea of what life is like for individual drivers, from the first day of training to get their CDL, to present. I just finished reading one from a 1+ year Schneider solo driver called "A Truckers Journal" and was moved to e-mail the author. I got a quick and I think honest reponse to my comments, as he happened to be online and at home. It's obvious from reading some blogs that many drivers still have misconceptions about driving and are still very much in the learning process, but they answered a lot of questions for me without my asking (Of course, you don't have the input of malcontents to counter any good points made, either!)

As far as pay, it depends mostly on you and how many miles you're willing to drive in 10 hours! Read the blogs to see what I mean. Most companies start you out at about the same pay, and I don't think a pennie or two a mile difference to start will make any difference in the grand scheme of things. It's not starting pay that's important. Getting paid without hassle is important, and pay raises as you progress are important, and a good attitude towards the future is important. Look at the pay scales to see where you should be in a year.

Schneider is still one of those on my short list, if a private venture I stumbled on doesn't pan out for me.