New To Trucking Yet another "what company should I join?" thread

moonbeast32

Well-Known Member
Ok, so I thought I was going to work for Werner Enterprises. However, Life, the universe, and everything disagreed. So much has happened in these last few weeks, that I've had to keep cancelling and rescheduling my employment date. During that time, I've began to think deeply about my evaluation of them as a company, and how much I trust their recruiters.

So I'm starting to reconsider working for them. Now I understand that as a new driver, I should just bite the bullet and get training before worrying about the best place to work. Still, my obsessive personality compels me to aim for the absolutely perfect training company (if such a thing exists).

So my conditions are as follows:

I have a class A license, no restrictions, T, and X endorsements.

I live in the Salt Lake City area of Utah

I have no experience outside of the technical school I got my CDL at.

Single, no children.

Additionally, I have an uncanny fixation with the pacific northwest, so if any company has Canadian or inland Alaska accounts,that ends up being a major selling point to me from any prospective employer.

You see, I've been looking up a lot of forums/comments/reviews/blogs, and the most frustrating thing about job searching in this industry is that there never seems to be a consensus on any one thing. There seems to be an equal amount of people who hated working at any given company as there are who loved it. Does it all come down to preference?

Well then, here's my preferences:

a salary anywhere near 50 k per year,

respected and reputable training program

has accounts in Canada

Obeys and enforces laws, does not gamble with driver health and safety.

Ok, so I would like to know if anyone knows of a company that at least half fits my conditions and preferences. My threads typically get off track after the first 8 or so replies, so I would appreciate if some of you post suggestions quickly before that happens.

Otherwise, I'm going to resort to my final method of research: visiting the closest truck stops and speaking with the drivers there.
 
Otherwise, I'm going to resort to my final method of research: visiting the closest truck stops and speaking with the drivers there.

Im really wanting to see the videos you take of this.

Any “starter” company is pretty much going to suck for a year or so. Then you’ll have enough experience that you can move someplace better or WHO KNOWS, you might find a home at one of the big box outfits, on a dedicated type accounts for example.

As far as Canada goes, it’s a bit of a different animal so I’d put that on hold.

But I was never a fan of border Crossings anyway.
 
Any “starter” company is pretty much going to suck for a year or so. Then you’ll have enough experience that you can move someplace better or WHO KNOWS, you might find a home at one of the big box outfits, on a dedicated type accounts for example.
I understand that, but do you have any suggestions on what starter company you think I'd prefer over the others? What company did you train with?
 
Ok, so I thought I was going to work for Werner Enterprises. However, Life, the universe, and everything disagreed. So much has happened in these last few weeks, that I've had to keep cancelling and rescheduling my employment date. During that time, I've began to think deeply about my evaluation of them as a company, and how much I trust their recruiters.

So I'm starting to reconsider working for them. Now I understand that as a new driver, I should just bite the bullet and get training before worrying about the best place to work. Still, my obsessive personality compels me to aim for the absolutely perfect training company (if such a thing exists).

So my conditions are as follows:

I have a class A license, no restrictions, T, and X endorsements.

I live in the Salt Lake City area of Utah

I have no experience outside of the technical school I got my CDL at.

Single, no children.

Additionally, I have an uncanny fixation with the pacific northwest, so if any company has Canadian or inland Alaska accounts,that ends up being a major selling point to me from any prospective employer.

You see, I've been looking up a lot of forums/comments/reviews/blogs, and the most frustrating thing about job searching in this industry is that there never seems to be a consensus on any one thing. There seems to be an equal amount of people who hated working at any given company as there are who loved it. Does it all come down to preference?

Well then, here's my preferences:

a salary anywhere near 50 k per year,

respected and reputable training program

has accounts in Canada

Obeys and enforces laws, does not gamble with driver health and safety.

Ok, so I would like to know if anyone knows of a company that at least half fits my conditions and preferences. My threads typically get off track after the first 8 or so replies, so I would appreciate if some of you post suggestions quickly before that happens.

Otherwise, I'm going to resort to my final method of research: visiting the closest truck stops and speaking with the drivers there.
Hanging out at truckstops is a good strategy. Most truckers will be up for a chat.

Stay away from reefer, containers, dry van etc. Specialized freight is where it’s at.

Want to be the best, be around the best. Want to be mediocre and a ho hum driver hang with the reefer yankers.

Set your sights higher than being a bottom feeder
 
Hanging out at truckstops is a good strategy. Most truckers will be up for a chat.

Stay away from reefer, containers, dry van etc. Specialized freight is where it’s at.

Want to be the best, be around the best. Want to be mediocre and a ho hum driver hang with the reefer yankers.

Set your sights higher than being a bottom feeder
Flatbed isn't particularly specialized. It's dry van with straps instead of walls. I mean, CRST is doing it...
 
Hanging out at truckstops is a good strategy. Most truckers will be up for a chat.

Stay away from reefer, containers, dry van etc. Specialized freight is where it’s at.

Want to be the best, be around the best. Want to be mediocre and a ho hum driver hang with the reefer yankers.

Set your sights higher than being a bottom feeder
:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:
 
Flatbed isn't particularly specialized. It's dry van with straps instead of walls. I mean, CRST is doing it...
Isn't flatbed easier than dry van? Flats don't back. The flatbed guys usually have a shorter one than the dry van guys too.
 
Isn't flatbed easier than dry van? Flats don't back. The flatbed guys usually have a shorter one than the dry van guys too.
My dad did flat bed for a while. I wouldn't say it's easier. It's just different.

He would pull the heavy equipment but not oversized. Ingersoll Rand Road equipment mostly. Before it was sold to Volvo. It wasn't particularly lucrative. No better or worse than dry van.

I pull cans with its own set of BS. And I'm making a relative killing.

I haven't been at this very long, but I judge success in trucking one of two ways and ideally both. The first is overall contentment and the second is money.
 
Prime would fit your bill with Canadian connections, a terminal in Salt Lake and an excellent training program. First full year solo qualified will be in your financial ballpark. They have a reefer and flatbed division - so you can pick your poison.

Don't pay attention to Skateboard Puller - he's not vey knowledgeable about how things work in the US.
 
Prime would fit your bill with Canadian connections, a terminal in Salt Lake and an excellent training program. First full year solo qualified will be in your financial ballpark. They have a reefer and flatbed division - so you can pick your poison.

Don't pay attention to Skateboard Puller - he's not vey knowledgeable about how things work in the US.
Investigated prime a little. Learned that their training is exclusively team driving. To be honest, I'm really not a fan of that prospect, at least not during training. Ill keep them as a card on the table, because everything else about them looks pretty good.
 
Investigated prime a little. Learned that their training is exclusively team driving. To be honest, I'm really not a fan of that prospect, at least not during training. Ill keep them as a card on the table, because everything else about them looks pretty good.
How else are you going to benefit from the experience of a senior driver when weather, traffic, unfamiliar operations, etc, gang up on you, unless that individual is with you? Throwing you in the deep end alone is the worst of situations you can be in during training.

It's only for 7 to 10 weeks depending on the miles and your progress.
 
You don’t need team driving. Trucking isn’t that hard. Keep your CB on 19 and key up if you have questions. I ran the Rockies and Snowqualmie Pass as a rookie no problems. And I never went to no trucking school neither
 
How else are you going to benefit from the experience of a senior driver when weather, traffic, unfamiliar operations, etc, gang up on you, unless that individual is with you? Throwing you in the deep end alone is the worst of situations you can be in during training.

It's only for 7 to 10 weeks depending on the miles and your progress.
Exactly. I want a trainer to, well, train me. I want to talk with them, ask them questions, and hear their advice.

How would I be able to get all that if my trainer is asleep in the sleeper whenever I'm driving?
 
And I never went to no trucking school neither
That's so obvious.

As I mentioned, this guy doesn't know how things work in the US. Insurance providers determine who gets a seat down here, and their statistics don't allow folks without serious training to be covered. No training, no seat. If you do find a shady operator who gives you a job, you can be assured that moving up to a real carrier isn't going to happen without years behind the wheel, if then. Rock hauler jobs are where you go when your record is so bad that no one else will hire you - that's not where you want to start.
 
You guys make it sound like trucking is hard. Don’t scare the new guy. You seriously think he needs to run team or with a trainer after he’s gone to school? Don’t they teach you trucking at trucking school? :confused-96:
 
You guys make it sound like trucking is hard. Don’t scare the new guy. You seriously think he needs to run team or with a trainer after he’s gone to school? Don’t they teach you trucking at trucking school? :confused-96:
Yep... otherwise we end up with losers that think running illegally is a good idea, amongst other dumbazzery.
 

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