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What do you guys think of Stevens Tranport?

Davezilla

Well-Known Member
Looking around for some schools and considering some of the "free" ones first.
What do you guys think about Stevens Transport?
I understand that as an unexperienced driver Im not going to make $50k a year staying near home and working 8 hours a day, I have to pay my due.
Im willing to be away from home for long periods of time if that makes any difference on getting a job.
 
anyone drive there reefers? I received my cdl at the end of sep. and thinking about going to work for stevens. Im a rookie so im really trying to get my experiance. I already have my cdl so i wouldnt need the schooling. They train you on how the reefer works and ect?

Thanks Mike
 
They have a reputation for having the industry's unhappiest drivers.

Beyond that I have no idea.

They are a starter/mega-company which means they have a high turn over and no one cares about you, nor will they take the time to get to know you.

If you want to do reefer, Central has a better reputation.
 
Yes they train you and also give you a book on how it works and a book where to go if the reefer unit goes down.Trust me it's a piece of cake.
anyone drive there reefers? I received my cdl at the end of sep. and thinking about going to work for stevens. Im a rookie so im really trying to get my experiance. I already have my cdl so i wouldnt need the schooling. They train you on how the reefer works and ect?

Thanks Mike
 
Don't most if not all have a rep for unhappy drivers?
They have a reputation for having the industry's unhappiest drivers.

Beyond that I have no idea.

They are a starter/mega-company which means they have a high turn over and no one cares about you, nor will they take the time to get to know you.

If you want to do reefer, Central has a better reputation.
 
patriciajnsn said:
Don't most if not all have a rep for unhappy drivers?

Yeah, but something about Stevens. The OP needs to find a Stevens thread.

All the starter/mega companies are going to have mud slung at them. But it is evident that not all of them are equally as bad.
 
That's true.But no matter who your first company will be,you're not going to find that perfect company.I say put all the names in a hat and decide that way,lol.
Yeah, but something about Stevens. The OP needs to find a Stevens thread.

All the starter/mega companies are going to have mud slung at them. But it is evident that not all of them are equally as bad.
 
Here's a post from Cajun in another thread:

if he's going thru the stevens training program, then into the alliance lease program, he will be very lucky if he dosent owe THEM thousands of dollars after his first year. thats the most likely scenerio. and if he defies the odds and has a good year he might make 12 thousand his first year with stevens. he sure as hell wont make 25k in his first year with stevens transport. even an experinced driver is low balled to well under 30 cents a mile for the first six months with stevens. a lease driver gets just enough to pay his outrageous truck note, insurance and maintance costs and thats about it. on top of that they overload there staff with greenhorn government subsidy drivers (stevens transports main source of income) and you do alot of sitting. miss snowflake is correct when she sez check out all options before you make a hasty choice! good luck to ya! if you go with stevens your gonna need it!
 
Absolutely true that there is no such thing as a "perfect" company.

That being said... Out there, somewhere, is the worst trucking company in the USA and someone applied for a job with them today.

A company that might be bad for one driver might be a good match for another.
 
My own experience is a bit better than average, but their training really is thorough and deeply safety oriented. You never use chains for Stevens. If weather is that bad you park and do a 'running late' and a 'weather shutdown' on quallcomm. Do it when you don't have to and you will start getting talks or less and less miles. Or both. Often safety will contact you and tell you not to head into bad weather ahead anyway.
Any little repair needed and they are more than willing to get it done at a T/A, Petro, ThermoKing, or KW or Pete dealer/garage. Broke a pulley and lost serpentine belt. Went on reset and have appointment for 8am at local KW 41 miles away.
They use PrePass for AVI and scales, and EZPass for tolls except I44 in Missouri.
Training is 3 weeks in Dallas, then one month with first trainer OTR, then another month with a finish trainer OTR. Have to do mountain passes with load and most of country with both trainers. Then 90 days on solo in 3-4 year old Kenworth T2000 maybe with an APU, or a 3-5 year old Pete 379 most likely with an APU.
Probably 1500-2200 miles a week, lower at first until they see how you do. After six months was averaging 2,000 or a bit over.
On my second truck. First was a 2008 Pete 379 with 410,000 miles and sold at 449K, this is a T2000 with 430K. Both with APU, got lucky.
Cleaning supplies (windex, paper towels etc) up to $25 a month and truck wash once a month reimbursed.
Good health, dental, vision. Company is self-insured which has pros and cons.
Hey Smokr!!
I'm a new trucker old lady. My trucker is at stevens going alliance and just started the 1st portion of it. I am NOT happy because I didn't realize he was going to be gone always. Can you give me a better idea of what our future will look like? Will he be able to "pick" loads? Before you ask, he is a hard worker and will bust his ass to make money and take care of business. There is no quit, give up, or rule breaking in my guy. ♡♡
Please tell me I'm going to get him back soon. He was gone for training, initially, for 2 1/2 months when I thought it was a month tops, then only home for seven days with three of those spent getting him ready to leave me again. He is going to be gone at least a month as it seems now to get started for alliance. Please tell me it gets better. 🙏 Money is nice, but I just love him and want him home. How do I help him get loads close to home without emasculated him? 😆 Help!! I love my trucker and will support him no matter what. Ride or die...
Also, while I'm here. Can you recommend a decent and affordable freezer so I can make his meals ahead of time? Any suggestions for the truck are welcomed. Thank you for your help and positive feedback.

Respectfully,
HeyBoots!!
 
I truly can't give you an opinion on any other companies due to not being employed by them. Stevens is great. I have heard nothing but good things about Swift and Conway from friends of mine. The mileage depends on what you can handle in most cases. If you are the type to request home time every 21 to 28 days, they will not be able to rely on you for long haul runs which is where you make your money. It also depends on your driver manager. If your DM is on top of things, you will be running constantly. If this is the case, you can get over 3000 miles per week. If you are in the alliance program, you get fed more miles. If you are an owner op, you get even more than the alliance crew. Company drivers are the bottom of the totem pole at Stevens. You also make a lot more money in the other two areas.
I am devastated reading this!! If I would have known my trucker would never be home, I never would have suggested he do this. Home never??
 
This is a very old thread and I'm pretty sure few of these people are around the forum anymore but I know when I did a lease program I was never home so little except one other time at a totally different company.

I think it's probably safe to say that every lease program is designed to keep the truck on the road and the drivers quality of life is not even a thought to the company he's with.

He or she.

He, she, or shim.

They them.

The driver.
 
One company that I worked for offered a lease to never own deal. I was tempted by the idea of buying a truck with the "support" (buying power) of my company. I asked a few questions and it looked to me like a lot of risk and not much more earning than a company driver.

There is another place near here that offers lease to never own.
They have nice equipment that you can't afford and will never own and they will make sure of that!
I think they make more money from leasing and bankrupting 3 different drivers leasing the same truck than they make actually hauling freight.
Just read the reviews from former drivers/lease ops.
 
One company that I worked for offered a lease to never own deal. I was tempted by the idea of buying a truck with the "support" (buying power) of my company. I asked a few questions and it looked to me like a lot of risk and not much more earning than a company driver.

There is another place near here that offers lease to never own.
They have nice equipment that you can't afford and will never own and they will make sure of that!
I think they make more money from leasing and bankrupting 3 different drivers leasing the same truck than they make actually hauling freight.
Just read the reviews from former drivers/lease ops.
One thing they don't tell you about when you buy a truck vs lease a truck...

If you buy a truck and are just getting started it's a very good idea to in fact pay yourself very little and build business account reserves to a substantial level. Far too people come into trucking, place a down payment on a truck and still have decent size accounts for maintenance, etc.

That's exactly what many leases do with all the deductions. It's the same thing.

So yes, learn to eat leftovers and live on sandwiches.

In a lease as long as you have access to the money in your various escrow accounts at some point you're not being ripped off. In fact, it could be looked at that you're getting a lot of your banking done for you.

Also, not sure how Canadian taxes work, but lease payments are 100% deductible for the entire life of a lease whereas with a purchase you've got to wrestle with depreciation.
 
If you buy a truck and are just getting started it's a very good idea to in fact pay yourself very little and build business account reserves to a substantial level. Far too people come into trucking, place a down payment on a truck and still have decent size accounts for maintenance, etc.
People scoff at me for doing this very thing. As if you're gonna be ballin' right off the bat, before learning the real world fuel economy and reliability of your truck.

I don't think I could lease for the simple fact that I'm a light at the end of the tunnel kind of guy who doesn't want payments forever.
 
People scoff at me for doing this very thing. As if you're gonna be ballin' right off the bat, before learning the real world fuel economy and reliability of your truck.

I don't think I could lease for the simple fact that I'm a light at the end of the tunnel kind of guy who doesn't want payments forever.
When I was at ATS I was surprised at the number of people I met that actively seek out lease programs and won't do anything else.

I did one because I had to. I'd only ever do another one if I had to.

And somehow these people were still much less weird than the ATS company drivers.
 
When I was at ATS I was surprised at the number of people I met that actively seek out lease programs and won't do anything else.

I did one because I had to. I'd only ever do another one if I had to.

And somehow these people were still much less weird than the ATS company drivers.
I mean I guess I get it if you suck at budgeting and "always" want a new truck but I want to own something, even if it's not new, and I'm okay at budgeting sortof *cough* wheel covers *cough*

I see it the same as being a company driver. Did it, didn't like it, hope to never have to do it again, but push comes to shove I'm not letting my ego get my house foreclosed.
 

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