QuestionDear Bob,
For the last 10 years I've been a police officer. I've recently gotten in some trouble at work and am being forced to find other employment. However, I've done some research and will soon attended a driving school to obtain my CDL. Could you please advise me as to what to look for in a "GOOD COMPANY" to drive for being that I know very little about the industry.........
AnswerHi Craig.
First off, take everything you hear about companies with a "grain of salt". Some drivers will have had bad experiences (and bad attitudes) with former employers while trucking schools favor other companies. There is no single "Number 1" company. There are a lot of great companies, though.
The first thing I would do is write down on a piece of paper all the companies your interested in. Write this on the far left in a vertical row. Next, at the top, make horizontal columns for all the criteria in a company that is important to you. For example, you may put rate of pay, average mile per week, average home time, benefits, equipment run, type of freight hauled, percentage of drop and hook, etc. You'll probably have a few more but list everything you want. Then, start filling it out with companies. This will help you a lot. It will help narrow down your search.
I went to work for Southwest Motor Freight (now US Xpress) back in the early 90's. I had so many doors open for me that I didn't know which way to go. Southwest ran all conventional Freightliners with a 70" sleeper. That was a big selling point for me since so many companies still had cabovers and if a company did have a conventional, it usually was a 48" sleeper. Sounds minor, until you realize how many hours you spend in there!
The next selling point for me with Southwest was that it was all "dry" freight. Anything in a dry van trailer. On the other hand, I could of drove a refrigerated trailer and made a couple of cents more a mile. I have hauled "reefer" (which is a refrigerated trailer). Never cared for it. It's loud, you always have to watch the temperature and worse yet, you'll spend a good part of your life at grocery warehouses. With dry freight, you bump the dock and are usually out of there within an hour (depends on the shipper and receiver of course). I've spent 12 hours at a grocery warehouse before and to get out of there in less than four is a miracle. Also, they are driver unloads! Now, pretty much all companies will give you money to hire "lumpers". Lumpers are any guy or gal that unloads your trailer. They hang out at the warehouses like vultures. You pay them, they unload your truck. It's a pain in the neck and you will wait. That being said, I prefer dry freight. Many dry freight companies have "drop and hook" loads. You simply pull into a shipper/receiver, they ask you to sign the bills and your loaded or empty trailer is ready for you in the yard. Do an inspection on the new trailer and your gone in 15 minutes! Nice!
Other things to find out with a company are "How long will a ride with a trainer?" Some companies are a few weeks, some are a few months.
How often do they pay and how? Many companies use a system called "Comcheck" which almost all truckstops use. It's very handy and you don't get hit with ATM fees on the road.
What benefits do they offer and how soon are they effective?
What states will I be running? What is your average length of load? A company that pays you a penny or two less a mile, but has a long average length of load may be a good deal. If another company pays you more, but the loads are short, now your screwing around at docks. The golden rule in trucking is "If the wheels aren't turning, your not making any money!"
If you have family that may want to ride with you, find out what their rider policy is (this also goes for pets if you have a dog).
What kind of truck will I get? When I went with Southwest, the recruiter promised me a truck with less than 50,000 miles. I had him fax me that promise before I would commit. He has a quota to fill, so he did it. When they gave me a 200,000 mile truck, I took out my fax. It took them an extra day to find a truck, but it was worth it. Companies are desperate and it's ok to make demands, the worst they can say is "no".
Now the final piece of advice is, whatever company you go with, stay with them at least one year. Guys get mad sometimes and want to quit right away. If you stick it out for one year, many doors will open for you that are not available out of school. Try and stick with it.
Some good companies that you should look at out of school are US Xpress, Werner, Heartland Express, CR England, CFI, TMC, Covenant, and Melton Truck Lines. These are only a few of many companies you can look at. These are companies I like. JB Hunt and Schnieder are two of the biggest over-the-road companies out there. My own opinion, I would look elsewhere.
When your farther along in school, and have narrowed it down, I would be happy to help with a decision. Or, if you have any other questions, feel free to ask.
Good luck in trucking, once you get the bug, you'll have it forever!
Bob Stephens
