What are your thoughts on this...

Many veteran drivers would dispute that Craigslist jobs are representative of the industry. It's like equating a Tinder "Date" and the Mayor's daughter. For certain definitions of "date" those 2 people are equal. For other definitions of "date" they are as different as night and day.

 

You seem like you have enough experience to make an informed choice.
How is their safety score?
SAFER Web - Company Snapshot
Don't forget you'll also be 1 or 2 weeks behind on paychecks. Potentially several thousand more dollars they will owe.
Good luck with whatever choice you make.

 

In many respects each of us is somewhat responsible for what we don't know. The purpose of this forum is to provide a place for those that want to know and those that are/were doing this job to communicate. In my long experience using this forum and the Usenet trucking group about 90% of newbies enter the field with little or no research. The information is available but not as often sought and many of those newbies then blame "the industry" for not forcing the info into their head or for not preventing the shady companies from taking advantage of the ignorance of newbies.

 

Nevermind read that wrong

 

If you do not mind Flatbed as long as you have a solid work history TMC would consider you. Since you do not have recent OTR history they will require a paid training period with another driver for a few weeks then into your truck. I read a lot of driver reviews from various sources only a few unhappy drivers, but that should be expected from any company not just CDL companies. The rest provided middle of the road to good reviews. I have seen thier trucks/trailers in my area all were clean and appeared to be newer models. Trailers all looked to be in good working order too. I personally have an application in with them. It can't hurt to drop an application and call to talk to a recruiter. If they say yes at least you have another option.

 

To the OP are our trying to do your job search ONLY online? I've fallen into that habit before and it gives a false impression of your real opportunity. Focus on the biggest nearby city or focus on the are where at least 2 Federal interstate highways cross. There are usually a hundred or more trucking companies in those areas. You can use the internet to find the name of every trucking company in a city or region. Call each one ans speak to Safety Dept, Risk Management, or Driver Recruiting. There is hardly a trucking company in the country that doesn't need more drivers. The bigger the company the more likely that company is to not hire someone with your lack of recent experience. Requiring drivers to pay escrow is not common and neither is requiring drivers to pay the insurance deductible for an at-fault accident. It seems a little like you are more trying to justify working for THAT company than a different or better option. The biggest companies have the most online presence and because of this they have the most applicants. With too many applicants they are more selective than other companies that don't have dedicated online assets helping them recruit. There are other companies and people willing to help you find them. Please don't rush into a mistake. If they are good for you, they will be good for you a few days from now.

 

Thanks. It was a rhetorical question. I just wanted something else for the OP to mull over.

 

Well good for you. Hire whoever you want. I didn't say that I was hiring job hoppers. I could expand but I have no desire to put up with any of the aggravation that comes with it. And yes some still use the bus. I also never said an escrow account was the right thing or normal , just that I have seen it happen and I understand why.

 

Sorry, missed that. I need to recalibrate that I'm talking to an "adult, mostly rational except for delusions of being a mountain goat with a cdl". An hour ago I answered the question "if you're empty to do you need to into the weigh station?" for the 9th time this week. Today's other highlight was letting the idiot get 90 degrees to the trailer while backing before stopping him. He was two inches from crunching the bat wing while doing a straight line back.

 

I could swear I've been trying to do this with rates. As you said, noobs come here and read. Well, if they read that they should be getting $3 per mile for a lane because 72 O/Os shared lane rate data with one another...think of how that would effect us all down the road. The "Noobs" can negotiate better and I believe keep the rates much tighter.

But NOOOOOO...too many fragile egos to handle constructive criticism. Not all folks around here want to see a lowly noob succeed from the get go. No, they should struggle and learn the hard way and get no support from the "elders." More like Karens.