Good Starting Company?
DXer
Elmer
DXer wrote:
> Just graduated from school...whats a good company to go with?
Uncle Elmer Said:
One word "SWIFT"
http://www.bubbajunk.com/articles/Swift_Transportation_Company.htm
I drove for Swift for about 3 years. It was my first driving job and
the first 7 months were very difficult for me. Seemed like I spent most
of my time at some warehouse waiting to be loaded / unloaded and not
making any money. After 7 months they gave me a dedicated runs for
Fleming Foods in NorthEast Maryland. I could go home on weekend ,120
miles to home, or make weekend runs and get $100 per run extra pay. One
could maybe run 3 extra runs on a weekend. A $300 bonus on top of the
$850 a week regular pay. I usually went home. A Run was anywhere's from
2 hours to 12 hours, the average was about 6, since there were
more short runs than long ones.
Then a year later Swift bought Cardinal Carriers and I was able to
work dedicated out of the Lowe's Pottstown Pa. Warehouse, only 30 miles
from my home in Ringtown pa.. The runs were a lot longer but I got home
after ever run. The problem was the off time wasn't necessarily on a
weekend.
I had already met another over the road driver named Linda. We spent
a lot of cell-phone time together but our different schedules kept us
from see much of each other in person.
Linda belonged to a organization that does hauling for Waste
Management. We both quit our jobs at Swift a started hauling trash from
NYC to Coal Township for the BWAS. A BWAS tractor and a Waste
Management trailer.
Conditions at Swift have really improved considerable since we left
the company. Now they have $20 per hour detention pay after 2 hours and
a much better per mile pay for experienced drivers. The dumps they
called terminals have been replaced with much nicer facilities We are
considering going back to Swift as a driving team, if the offer is
right
There is a lot of opportunity at Swift, especially for a newbee.
Regards Uncle Elmer
Elmer
Pottstown...Elmer
Elmer
you.
tscottme
news:6tH0f.166841$p_1....@tornado.tampabay.rr.com...
> Just graduated from school...whats a good company to go with?
>
This is like asking "who is a good person to marry" or "what is a good meal
to eat." A good company for me; won't go OTR for multiple weeks, pet must
be allowed, no reefer or flatbed, weekly pay via direct depost, terminal
near my house, etc., etc. might be prfectly unsuitable for you.
You need to be able to choose between companies in light of your priorities.
Before I mention some priorities some of us consider, I'm not asking for you
to tell me if you value regular home time above long duration home time
which comes less frequently. That's just one example among hundreds of
others. Some priorities would include a strong desire to work in or to
avoid certain areas/regions. A strong desire to haul or avoid types of
freight with or without driver load/unload. Another priority would be pay
and benefits and possiblity of them allowing riders. Some drivers wouldn't
haul Hooter's waitresses for a $1,000 per day if they had to drive one type
of truck or another. Some drivers might not even know what make of engine
is in their truck. The hard part is your tastes are different from others
and you won't find a company that provides the optimal choice in every area,
so you will have to weigh an OK factor with lots of othet good points at
company A versus several really good factors and several really loust
factors at company B.
It's my impression that new drivers grossly underestimate the importance of
home-time whenlooking for their first job. If you are married or have kids,
this is an even more important factor to consider. You can expect to get
the home time the company usually provides to their current employees that
live in your region, regardless of what some recruiter tells you. It's easy
to think I don't care about home-time before you've been OTR and had to cope
with lots of medium-level stress about problems at home that you can't help
with. If you're single with no home-time considerations don't ignore the
fact that you will need time to unwind or you will burn out more quickly.
BTW, consider yourself pre-hired with every trucking company in the country.
There is no need to pursue or consider any pre-hire agreement. Not one I've
ever seen does anything but promise to hire you if you check out and they
need drivers. Well duh, that's the same offer I can get from the NFL or
NASA. If I'm qualified and pass all their requirements and they need me
they will hire me.
Your best options often happen if you are fortunate to live near an
intersection of major interstate highways. That's usually a good predictor
of numerous trucking companies and easy access to home. If you live in a
rural area hours from any company or customer you will have to look farther
afield.
If you have to have names and won't do any research on your own, I'd offer
this. Avoid flatbed or refrigerated trailer companies unless that's the
only way to get all the other work factors you think are important. That
type of freight demands more of the driver and you will have a full-time job
just learing how to live and work as a driver your first year. After you
have proven you can live and work as driver then you may want to consider
something besides dry van freight. Avoid Swift unless you personally know a
long-time Swift driver and that driver is happy. Swift goes through rookie
drivers like bad Mexican food goes through a tourist. Ditto CR England. If
their work culture is compatible I would consider Schneider National. If
you can fit in they will provide you with a good work routine and good
training. The truth is that you may not know until you have begun working
as a driver what factors are important and which factors you find are less
important.
--
Scott
By pretending that all cultures are equal, multiculturalism doesn't
'preserve' traditional cultures so much as sustain them in an artificial
state that ensures they'll develop bizarre pathologies and mutate into some
freakish hybrid of the worst of both worlds.
Mark Steyn
topper
> Just graduated from school...whats a good company to go with?
this is a message that I wrote back in July to someone else on this
exact subject. I think it covers the answer to your question perfectly,
and also gives some sound advice on finding your "perfect" trucking company.
-=>Topper<=-
--
In 1896 50% of ALL registered cars in the U.S. were wrecked in ONE DAY!
On that same day... there were NO reported Truck Accidents anywhere.
Odometer Keeper 3.0 now available at http://clik.to/topperware
The Email address attached to this post is NEVER checked. Reply in NG
Karen
DXer wrote:
> Just graduated from school...whats a good company to go with?
Karen's Reply,
Scott and Elmer made a lot of good points but I don't agree with Scott
in reference to Swift. When you join Swift, or any company you have
very few options on what you will be doing when you first start out.
After only six sucessfull months, working for Swift, you can become a
trainer or chose a dedicated run, like Elmer above did.
I became a trainer for Swift after only seven months of service. Then
I became involved in a Pa. DOC program while working for Swift and when
Swift withdrew from the program, I moved on to another company.
I still believe Swift is a good place to start a driving career. There
is a lot of oppurtunity in a large and ever growing company like Swift.
Karen...A company trainer but not for Swift.
DXer
Werner. And a friend of mine from trucking school has nothing but good to
say about CR England, except that he is being pressured into a lease program
that he doesn't want. If it wasnt for that tidbit of info I'd be on a bus to
SLC right now. Schneider seems ok but they dont pay you for training and I
would lose my butt doing that. If I go out there and sit around and dont
make at least 400 a week I will lose my house. Two people from my class went
to Werner and lasted about 4 weeks each. Some real horror stories from
there. I will have to decide soon...and I'm so undecided hah.
"Elmer" <elmer_...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1128484656.5...@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com...
DXer
they pressure you into a lease program. If you dont do that, what happens?
The recruiter says you can remain a company driver...?
"DXer" <nos...@tampabay.rr.com> wrote in message
news:6tH0f.166841$p_1....@tornado.tampabay.rr.com...
tscottme
customers you will visit with "reefer" freight are among the very worst in
the industry, grocery warehouses. The stories are legend of them rejecting
loads and being completely unreasonable about driver unload. Second, CR
England pay is low. There are many messages in the archive of this
newsgroup about England. It would probably be faster to read those messages
than hope to get a comprehensive answer written fresh.
Here's the link:
http://tinyurl.com/9s8lc
--
Scott
I am always ready to learn although I do not always like being taught.
Winston Churchill
"DXer" <nos...@tampabay.rr.com> wrote in message
news:s9v1f.1743$ae....@tornado.tampabay.rr.com...
DXer
options down to Schneider and JB Hunt. Really hard to pick a company without
knowing someone who works there for firsthand information. Thanks again for
the info.
"tscottme" <blah...@blah.net> wrote in message
news:EvGdncOrIaV...@comcast.com...
tscottme
Karen
Would you like to get home some weekends? They are a fast growing
company as well as the largest FTL hauler. What is your objection to
Swift?
....Karen...Company Trainer
DXer
folks about this, and the majority (and most are seasoned truckers) advise
to avoid Swift for various reasons. I am talking to Schneider right now, and
JB Hunt, and leaning more toward Schneider. Will know more after Monday. I'm
not liking what I hear about Swift. Thanks, anyway.
"Karen" <LibTruc...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1128794594.5...@g44g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
Troublemaker
> Overall opinion is negative when it comes to Swift. I have talked to lots
> of
> folks about this, and the majority (and most are seasoned truckers) advise
> to avoid Swift for various reasons. I am talking to Schneider right now,
> and
> JB Hunt, and leaning more toward Schneider. Will know more after Monday.
> I'm
> not liking what I hear about Swift. Thanks, anyway.
I've been with Schneider many years - if you have any questions, feel free
to e-mail me and I can try to answer them.
Roger Shoaf
> Overall opinion is negative when it comes to Swift. I have talked to lots
of
> folks about this, and the majority (and most are seasoned truckers) advise
> to avoid Swift for various reasons. I am talking to Schneider right now,
and
> JB Hunt, and leaning more toward Schneider. Will know more after Monday.
I'm
> not liking what I hear about Swift. Thanks, anyway.
One thing that you might consider is that Schneider has a skid pad and a
special training truck to learn real skills for controlling a truck in
really nasty weather. All other things being equal I would opt for
Schneider.
--
Roger Shoaf
About the time I had mastered getting the toothpaste back in the tube, then
they come up with this striped stuff.
tscottme
might. But it's a good place to start if you don't assume they will turn
into the How Can We Make the New Guy Happy Today Trucking Company. If you
learn what they have to teach you, do things their way until you leave, and
not assume their job is to drop everything and make you happy, it should be
good.
I'm not sure of a trucking company that does a better job of training new
drivers than Schneider. Sometimes in the past it was compared to the Army.
If you do things their way you'll have a good opportunity. If you go in
trying to "rearrange all the furniture and dictate to them" you'll never be
more unhappy.
Whitelightning
> I agree. Schneider might not be the place to work your whole career, or
it
> might. But it's a good place to start if you don't assume they will turn
> into the How Can We Make the New Guy Happy Today Trucking Company. If you
> learn what they have to teach you, do things their way until you leave,
and
> not assume their job is to drop everything and make you happy, it should
be
> good.
>
> I'm not sure of a trucking company that does a better job of training new
> drivers than Schneider. Sometimes in the past it was compared to the
Army.
> If you do things their way you'll have a good opportunity. If you go in
> trying to "rearrange all the furniture and dictate to them" you'll never
be
> more unhappy.
>
> --
> Scott
>
Scott, aint much different than any other company or any other job in any
field.
Whitelightning
linda...@truckersmail.com
probably going back as a team in the very near future. Swift is a much
better place to work, than it was only a few years ago.
Why not stop in at a Swift terminal and talk to some drivers? Check out
the pay and benefits. Mostof all, the vast opportunity in a large and
growing company like Swift is almost unreal! Linda BWAS
http://www.swifttruckingjobs.com/terminal.html