regional or over (truckers only damn it?

Question

I just got my A and I am looking for a company to work for.

I perfer regional (weekends home) but OTR is my last last option.

what should I look for in a company>

Answer 1

My husband works for a great company. CRST Malone If you go to my profile and email me I can give you a # for the recruiter so you can talk to them and make your own decision. My husband is home almost every weekend. When he isn't it is his own decision. I love his dispatcher cuz he works with my husband on loads and gets him home when we need him to be. I hope you find a company you love.

Answer 2

No matter what they promise, you may end up doing some OTR - which pays better. Sounds like what you want is a dedicated local run, but these don't often go to new drivers. You have to earn your stripes. Once you get some experience under your belt, you can demand a more steady run, or switch to another company - but around here they hold back about $3,000 for about 90 days.

There are advantages to both small and large companies. Large ones will never bounce a cheque on you, for example, but small ones are more willing to work with you to keep you happy. Decide what you want to haul - livestock, reefers, dry bulk, LTL - and find a company that has that. Take all the training you can get! Even if you have to go on Saturdays, that training is real important and helps when you change companies.

Trucking can be great, but the first couple years you have to start at the bottom of the ladder. Try Trucker Classifieds (online) for job ops in your area. Good luck, and Shiny Side Up!

Answer 3

Put all the companies in a brown paper bag and shake it up. What is important is what do you want?? To make the most money or to get home weekends. If the wheels are not turning you are not making any money. The bigger the Co. the more apt you are to stay busy. It is hurry up and wait. Do you want to drive alone or as a team? Do you want to drive a Co. truck or for a owner operator? There are a lot of jobs out there and some have good benefits and some just do what they have to do. The best way to decide is go sit in a truck stop and talk to drivers.

Answer 4

Most companies only make false promises. Once they get you out on the road, good luck getting home. Find something local. There is nothing like sleeping in your own bed. Yea, you make more money over the roa, but the cost of living is high. Most truck stops overprice the merchandise. They know drivers need supplies. Never abandon a truck, it will be costly, plus you will be reported to dac. Over the road driving is a big stress. You have many dangers. The greatest being fatigue. Stay local.

Answer 5

Look for a company that keeps their equipment in top shape, and treats it's employees well. If you are just starting out, it will be hard to get regional unless you are willing to put up with with lesser companies. I don't want to mention the company I'm talking about here, but find a trucker board to sign on to and get more info there.

Answer 6

I don't really know. Most companys suck. That's why OTR is sometimes better. But if you can't or don't want to be away from home for days at a time, try bulk delivery for a beverage company. Budweiser, Coke, Pepsi, etc. You just delivery to grocery stores. Most are drop and go. Some require you to work the load, but not the bigger companies. Or you could do convenience store delivery...but it's harder work for about the same pay.

Answer 7

first which region ,western 11 is vastly different from north east,some wont run cali,some hate new york .are you going to go reefer,tanker or dry van.is unloadind the truck a big deal?I drove food grade tanker and never got out of the truck during loading or unloading,never even SPOKE to a LUMPER,never had to shift the back axle to get load right(you load right on the scales so there is NO DOUBT YOU ARE LEGAL!) tankers dont have back doors to open.Now everything is a trade off and food grade tanker is famous for low pay but there are some drop-n-hook deals out there-another thing is actual access to your dispatcher,there are some companies that actually have BULLIT PROOF GLASS protecting the dispatchers and it aint the mechanics or the shippers they are worried about-lol your dispatcher can make or break you.I drove for INDIAN RIVER out of Florida hauling OJ to cali and canada.sometimes we haul wine from calif to ky or tequeila from mexico(food grade is anything you can put in your tummy) another thing is equipment,and now the big deal is idling restrictions find out about those in your choosen region they can be ROUGH(100 degrees 100% humidity and no A/C cause its ILLEGAL to IDLE-new york state,houston tx ,im sure there are more now-good luck

Answer 8

I have been getting offers from Swift, C.R. England, and National on the web. Go to career builders, monster, hot jobs and other websites and post your resume.