Which starter companies suck the least?

Averitt is regional starts you out at .37 goes to 40 after one year
Crete has many options but OTR starts at .34-.35 and goes to .43-.44 after one year

For a training company you can start with doing Van, can't do much better than that

 

ChinaTown our resident expert on trucking companies.

 

Hi youngclarkh, 1st of all, I wouldn't start a new career thinking all companies suck. That's not the best way to start. You have to remember, due to the extreme driver shortage, companies have no choice but to hire new(to the industry) drivers, and are taking a big gamble with you(not personally) and have to pay huge insurance premiums to do so. It's like anything else, you have to start at the bottom, and work your way up. When you hear that a company sucks, I think the bad companies usually fail, and the companies that are still around are pretty good, and when you hear they suck, is probably someone who is unhappy with the decision they made, and therefore the company sucks. When I 1st started, I was making crummy wages, driving Mack R models, long hours, but never said the company sucked.(boss was great guy, but took a chance with me) I knew I had to start out at the bottom, and eventually worked my way up to a union job, that was the zenith of my career. Pick a company that suits you the best, (location, type of work, etc) and you'll do fine.

 

Don't fool with the so called starter companies; go right in with the big boys:

Central Oregon Truck Company
Melton Truck Lines
System Transport
Navajo Express
Mesilla Valley Transportation
Groendyke Transport
Pan Pacific Petroleum
Celadon Trucking
Pride Transport
Southern Refrigerated Transport
ABF Freight System

I may catch some grief on a couple of these companies, but, trust me, I didn't list the worst.
Submit as many applications as you want, then sift through the job offers & there will be several job offers. Ignore "experience required" and apply anyway. Groendyke, Pan Pacific, and ABF are the best 3 on the list.

Do the online applications on each website.

 

The attitude that "all starter companies suck," goes right hand-in-hand with the way troops used to consider being transferred to another duty station. The folks who all started off with such 'n such a base totally sucks went there, had a piss-poor attitude and invariably hated where they were at. Those with a slightly more positive attitude and an open mind generally had a good tour of duty and a much better time at the same place.

...just something to consider.

Most carriers who include your residence in their hiring area commit to the fact that you'll be expecting to take home time there, although some are much worse about actually getting you back there than others.

 

I agree that it is all about attitude. Having a great attitude and patience and dedication to what you are trying to accomplish for yourself and your family goes a long way regardless of where you wind up. Just do your research and make sure it's the right fit before you commit to it. And once the choice is made work hard to succeed at your newfound career. It pays well.

 

Filling out as many apps as you can is a smart strategy, I commend you for that. Keep in mind that some of these starter companies have drivers that have been with them for years, apparently for those drivers, they are happy and wouldn't say their company 'sucks.' I do know what you're getting at though. Just keep in mind that having a great attitude will go a long way with your new employer, and for your own well-being. Having said that, here would be my suggestions:

Crete, Prime, May (since you're in the west), and Schneider. Each has their positives and negatives.

I'd also suggest that you get all your endorsements, e.g. tank, hazmat, and doubles / triples - you'll have more opportunities. Hazmat clearance can take up to 90 days after fingerprinting, mine took shy of two months. Personally, I'm probably hiring on w/ a LTL company in my area, signing up for a linehaul gig as my first job. It's also a company I could stay with long term. If I wouldn't have gotten all my endorsements, this particular company wouldn't be interested in hired me. You might have opportunities in your area for jobs other than OTR. Depends on your location. Of course, if you want to go OTR, nothing wrong with that! Depending on your location, you don't have to sign on w/ an OTR mega company to gain entry into the industry, unless if that is what you'd like to do. Keep in mind that if you do want to do OTR long term, some companies only consider OTR experience, not general tractor trailer experience (if you only had local P&D experience).

Best of luck!

 

Navajo has a terminal in Tolleson AZ by Phoenix. Google the rest and check.

 

It is not how much each company sucks, but your attitude, and what are you willing to endure to make your dream come true. Which one will meet your personal needs, get you home?, run you hard? good solid training? or throw you to learn on your own? Do you want to do dry van, refer, tanker, flat bed? Do they require you to run team? for how long? how long is the training?

They all pay about the same, many will dangle a lease purchase infront of you, stating how many more pennies they pay per mile, but neglect to tell you all the facts. Learn the business first, at their expense, not yours.