Starting with Port work? Oakland

Chinatown mentioned Button. They're a good outfit but a lot of their work is agricultural based hauling and is seasonal.
At the end of the fertilizer season they might put you on an OTR truck but you'll be competing for the opening against all the other hopeful seasonal drivers looking to get on full time.
Royal and Conti have both been around a long time. They both have a good customer base.

 

Yeah, it's a dead end from the start if you go haul containers. You have to position yourself for success. Look at the highest paying job in trucking, by job postings, and then find what you think you could put up with for 60 hours a week. I found a sanctuary in hauling fuel because of the predictable schedule. $1500 a week is going to be 60 hours a week no matter where you land, on the best of days unless you have some special circumstances. A good company to get on with is Williams Tank Lines, I suppose FDS too if you can handle their strict culture of ever-watching paranoia. Camping out in the bushes watching you with binoculars in full camouflage and then swarming in on you because you failed to stick the tank with ####ing water paste. great times . horrible green shirts.