trucker only can aswer this....?

Question

I am looking into trucking companies to work for. My list are the following: 1 Werner Enterprise 2. JB hunt 3. Falcon. I plan to work for the chosen company for ay least 6 months then resign. (To gain experience) However, I am skeptical about these companies or others after visiting this website
www.thetruckersreport.com

This site contains a lot of stories (Trucker being ripped off by the company they worked for)

Is trucking industry corrupted? Do you have any advise for me on what to look for in a company and what company do you prefer? ( I am a recent graduate)

Help if you can..

Thanks

Answer 1

I am an owner operator, 6 years experience, currently earning 85% of each load (avg $1.33 per mile).

I started by going to a driving school and getting pre-hired by Swift. I worked for Swift for 9 months, and they paid my student loan payments as long as I worked for them. My experience with them (and probably the same at all large companies) is that you are just a number. You can never count on being home when you want, the money is crap (even after the initial training period) and you will be treated like a human being only when they need a favor from you.

I then worked for JB Hunt as an over the road driver, but since they send much of their freight by rail, most of the loads I received were short runs (500 miles avg). One week I almost quit when I was only given 1100 miles for the entire week. Fortunately, I was able to get on a local dedicated Wal-mart account, which paid really well. Unfortunately, I burned out on the hours.

I think that as a beginning professional driver, it is almost a prerequisite that you work at one of these companies, because they will hire a newbie, and you can get your 6-12 months experience. Once you have that initial experience (and a clean record), you can get hired almost anywhere.

Ultimately, the way to go is to get your own authority and work completely independent. Although I still broker my loads through a large company (Interstate) and there are benefits to that, you will never reach consistent $1.60-$2.00 freight until you have your own authority, own trailer and a thorough knowledge of how rates work and how the big companies do it. Check www.smarttrucker.com for some good information on how to do it right.

BTW, never, ever sign up for a lease-purchase program. These programs are set up to benefit the company, not you! A company can run owner operators much more cheaply than a company driver because they don't have to pay for the truck, insurance, workers comp, etc. If you're going to be an owner operator, find a cheap used truck and go that way. Any questions, write [e-mail].

Answer 2

well from what i have heard Werner is the best company to go and drive for if you are just getting started DO NOT DO J.B. HUNT and dont know much about falcon . lol and truckreport is an opion there are gonna be some drivers that are not happy were ever they go so when they blame there problems on the company rather then looking at them selves . i drove for Arrow Trucking they are a flat bed carrier but i dont recomend them un less you are just gonna use them for a few months and if you do go drive for them be a company driver not an L/P driver (Lease Purchase) and the trucking industry is just like any other out there , there are good 1's and bad 1's i do not drive Over The Road any more i do local ( Kansas , Oklahoma, Missouri )

but what ever you do dont drive for
schneider,swift,J.B. Hunt , CRST, they are no good werner is a good company to use not to stick around with si use them for about 6 months to a year then ditch them and the smallers companies are the better 1's cause if they know your name thay are more likly to treat you like a human not a number .

Answer 3

If you plan to make any money, you have to stay longer than 6 months. When you start with any big company, you have a driver trainer and you get paid salary, not by the miles. Choosing a company doesn't depend on the name, it depends on what you are looking for, as they are all in business to make money. You have to work your way up the the good runs and the good trucks. In the big companies you are just a number. Just remember , there is going to be alot of b.s. so be prepared for it. You're going to have to put up with dispatch, customer service, traffic, weather and law enforcement. The law will pull you over quicker than a 4 wheeler. Figure out what you want, home time, good equipment, benefits, etc. Good luck and shiny side up.

Answer 4

Not sure! Try Schneider; The Pumpkin Trucks! They seem good, you may have to ride with a Training Driver for a while to learn their ways, but, they seem to do well with their employees.
We had our own Truck, so, went with Companies that pay much more for Independent Drivers and we also knew several Brokers who could hook us up. But, for a start you may try Schneider, IF, you want. I mention this one because I have a few buddies that drive for them and they Happy!
Check their link; http://www.schneider.com/
BUT, I not pushing this company, I just telling what I know. There are others, especially if you have your own Truck!!! Heck, one guy bought an old Freightliner with a small sleeper for $3,500 from a guy on Terms!!!! He Drove the Heck out of that Rig. It was funny, but, he made his runs as good as anyone. He said he had to hammer to the floor to make 70 mph. Had a Cummings 300. I think that truck had over 800,000 miles on it, may have been more. Later he bought something a little nicer as his money saved up.

Answer 5

Ok, so I'm not a trucker, but my boyfriend is...he has worked for c.r. england (SLC) for a while, and has recommended this company to friends, so i guess they can't be all that bad?
Of course, maybe he's just been lucky so far. o.O He also says definitely not werner..
I don't think the trucking industry is more corrupt than any other industry, lol.
oh yeah, congrats for graduating! :)
Feel free to send me a message if you would like to talk to him, k?

Answer 6

GORDON TRUCKING IS THE BEST. Good pay and they can get you home more than any other company. I worked for them and they treat you right. Talk to any person that works for them and they will always usually say good things about G.T.I

Answer 7

I DON'T THINK ANYONE SHOULD ATTEMPT AN ANSWER TO THIS UNTIL WE KNOW -HOW COME ONLY 6 MOS.? WOULD YOU LIKE IT IF YOU HIRED SOME ONE AND YOU GOT THEM INTO THE WAY THINGS WORK AND THEN THEY QUIT ON YOU ??-'O'

Answer 8

my husband is a truck diver. j b hunt dont go there. he would not. good luck