Choosing A CompanyChoosing a trucking company is no small task because there are so many trucking companies to choose from. You should have already narrowed down your choices some by deciding on which type of truck driving job you want. For instance if you know you want to eventually haul heavy equipment, why not start at a company with flat beds. If you know you want to haul produce as an owner operator later, make sure the company you start driving at has refrigerated trailers.These small proactive moves help to turn your trucking job into a trucking career that makes you happy as soon as possible. Have a plan to get to where you want to end up and follow the steps necessary. What to look for in a trucking companyMake sure you look at many trucking companies that fit your needs and compare them to each other. A list of some of the things that may be important to you are...
There are too many truck driving jobs to start off at one that doesn't meet your needs and you end up as an unhappy driver. Some recruiters will lie to you, sometimes intentionally and sometimes ill informed of actual company operation or trucking life in general. (Other than trying to get you into...and them paid) Once you eliminate the companies by what they offer, (or don't offer) then you need to talk to drivers that work for the companies your are seriously considering. Make sure what they (the drivers) are saying about the company is the same thing the company recruiter is saying about the company. You know, the things that matter to you and your specific needs, pay, home time, lay over pay, etc. What may be most important to one driver, may not be important to another driver. If a retired vet wants to drive simply to travel the country and doesn't need good benefits, he may opt for a company that travel all states. A family man may need to get home every two weeks so the home terminal and travel lanes are important to him. Benefits may be more important to him/her than just pay for mile. On the other hand, a single young man, might care less about the benefits, instead the highest pay may be more appealing. So I have provided some things to compare company for company to see which one meets your needs the best. Remember, no company will be perfect for everyone and most likely not perfect for you. However, you are more likely to make a better decision is you put some type of system in place for choosing. Now if reality happens to work against you and you can't really get what you want in a company as a new driver, you will just have to deal with you options until you get that year in. You option after that point will increase dramatically if you keep your record clean. Note: If you bought the my little book "A Career In Trucking", at the back there are pages with these questions and room for taking notes as you talk to drivers for your convenience
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Trucking Jobs
If you have decided that you are ready for the road, find trucking jobs with trucking companies that drivers give you positive feedback on. Remember no trucking company will be perfect. If all the drivers you talk to only have negative things to say....that's telling you something.
Some trucking companies get it and some don't. You want a trucking job at a company that see's the driver as a person, not a robot or part of the truck. For new drivers, that is a little harder.
Once you get that year of experience. You have more options. Make sure you keep your license, safety record and work history in as best order as possible. Run legal and stay alert!
Types of Trucking Jobs