The lesser of all evils

Very true Nik. Excellent post.

Christiana: Most of the major companys require new drivers to complete 4-8 weeks seat time with an experienced driver (mentor/trainor) riding shotgun. His job is to polish up your driving skills and to help you learn the trucking world and company policies (load/unloaded calls, etc).

OP: I did well with Swift as did Nana and Injun. AT is correct as well, May and W/S are decent companies too. I'd advise you to figure out who has terminals near your home, keeps the rigs in good shape and has shipping lanes you're comfortable (IE: no NYC etc.). See which one will take you on for experience, get a year or so under your belt and find someone who fits your needs after that.

 

we have a denver terminal too, and we also do Vans and Flatbeds...just sayin lol




American Trucker

 

Bucking for the $50 refferal? Heck, I'm local now, so I get nuttin... LOL.

Jynxx: Key thing is to get hired, get rolling and gain that year or so experience. Oh for sure, make that 1st year as painless as possible, but then be prepared to find a company that will suit your needs for the longer haul. Good luck, sir.

 

If we had a refferal bonus I'd be rich and never have to drive......I'm just trying to help new guys find the few and far between good companies out here



American Trucker

 

Yes I'm 99% happy here! (i say 99% because no company is perfect and OTR isnt a perfect world either)

Our "Training":

You would go to Missoula, MT for a 10 Day orientation, during that time they would test your abilitys to drive, City/mountain driveing and backing, shifting, and so forth during mulitple road test. During which time you'll pull both MT and Fully loaded trailers. They will also Teach you some shifting techniques and backing techniques. And when you do the Mountain driving they will teach you how to shift a fully loaded truck while climbing and decending a 6% grade. Then you'll watch videos and do some paperwork.

Orientation Pays $400, $100 on the first day, $100 on the following Monday, and the last $200 on that Wensday (the 10th day)

Then on the last day they hand you the Key's to your Very own Truck! and you go out solo.


They do not expect you to be a perfect driver but, to at least be somewhat good and confident in your abilitys (that said if you are struggling with something like shifting or backing they will take the extra time to make sure you understand it)

If they dont think you can handle it they will send you home and will pay for your ticket home for you. But most people make it through just fine.


The benifit of this is instead of haveing to live with someone you dont know for 4-8 weeks while getting paid $300-$500 a week GROSS you can be running 2500+ miles a week at .25cpm + bonuses and accesory pay...

Pay scale is:

first 90 days = .25cpm
3-6months = .275cpm
6-12months .28cpm
1 year= .31cpm
and a .1cpm Raise every year there after

We also get $20/per stop
$5 for bumping a dock at a terminal
$50/day layover pay
and reinbursed for school
Fuel bonus
local work pay by Hour


We can have anything we want in the trucks, no inverter limits, we have allot of trucks with APU's and 99.9% have Wabasto Bunk Heaters, all 10 speeds. Freightliners (Century Class, Columbia, Cascadia) and Volvos. Volvos have Either Cummins or Volvo engines, all the FL's have Detroits.
We also have no idle policys so idle when your hot/cold.

You can also bank your hometime for longer times home, we get 1 day off for every 6 on the road. No limit on how many days off at a time.

*note some big companys like swift have a 3 day limit anything more then that and they will take your truck away and give you another one when you get back. Moveing trucks is allot of work...




any other questions feel free to ask, all of us W/S drivers are more then happy to help and theres tons of info on them in the W/S section





American Trucker

 

Thinking its a bit more than $50 even at that, him, the werner and the swift recruiters found out were the money is (with the bottom feeders they all work for in aint in trucking). All they got to do is get 10 people per week to sign on and they double there paycheck, screw driving for a living, go on the internet lot easier.

The Original Poster is fresh meat, the recruiters can smell there prey, a mile away and are letting him have it full throttle, lol.

Taking bets on which recruiter will win, I pretty sure injun, nana or red is PMing the poster incognito to go to Swift, Watkins recruiter seems kinda week to assertive, my money is on the Werner recruiter. Any takers?

P.S. My opinion is the Watkins wages stink, pretty sure you can do better. Was actually thinking of working for them till I found out how little they paid.

 

why would you think Im a recruiter????

Why dont you try useing your head and looking at my YouTube channel....Do i look like a recruiter???? and like I said we dont get a penny for refeering people...


and IF i where I recruiter I would tell you straight up, If they would pay me to be a recruiter I might just do it lol but until then I'm just a driver haha




American Trucker

 

Who are you calling a Werner recruiter?