When it comes to a mega truck company most experienced CDL drivers will scoff and refuse to work for them however as a new CDL driver they may be the perfect place to start your trucking career. In this article on Truck Driver CDL101 we are going to look at all of the positive reasons why you should start your trucking career with a mega truck company
Top Ten Mega Truck Company By Number Of Drivers
- FedEx Corp.
- United Parcel Service (UPS)
- Knight-Swift Transportation
- J.B. Hunt Transport Services
- Schneider National
- Penske Logistics
- Ryder System
- Werner Enterprises
- R+L Carriers
- Estes Express Lines
What Defines A Mega Truck Company
Normally when we are talking about a mega truck company we are referring to a high number of tractors, trailers and of course drivers. Most of the normal suspects when CDL drivers are referring to a mega truck company are usually referring to Schneider National, Knight-Swift Transportation, Werner Enterprises and Prime Transportation to name a few
Of course when a video is posted online regarding a truck driver doing something stupid it tends to be a driver from a mega company but one needs to keep in mind that due to the sheer number of drivers that the company employs means the chances of one of their trucks being shown is much higher than a smaller company
Mega Truck Company Benefit: Training
Most mega truck companies have developed a training program for new drivers that is hard to beat. Yes you managed to get your CDL however you still need time behind the wheel with a qualified instructor to operate the equipment in the real world. Unfortunately most CDL schools only give you a limited time behind the wheel
With the megas they have a training program that has been proven over the years in order to set up new drivers for success. Companies such as Schneider National is known industry wide for having one of the best training systems for new drivers
Mega Truck Company Benefit: Terminals
When I was working for a mega one of the benefits I greatly appreciated was the sheer number of terminals that the company had. It seemed that no matter where I was going there was going to be a terminal in the area which means I knew I could grab a shower, eat some fresh food, fill up my truck and even do laundry. Of course it was great knowing that I did not have to worry about parking for that night
Mega Truck Company Benefit: Self Insured
One of the main reasons that mega companies are able to take on new drivers is that they are self insured. By doing so they are able to take on the risk of a driver with no experience whereas smaller companies have to deal with outside insurance agencies that demand that the drivers have at least a couple of years experience.
Mega Truck Company Benefit: Newer Equipment
The majority of mega companies lease their trucks through the supplier which means that they only hang on to the trucks for a three year period before they are exchanged for a newer model. Smaller companies tend to purchase their trucks and basically run them until they fall apart meaning you could get a truck that spends more time in the garage than on the road.
Mega Truck Company Benefit: Higher Levels Of Safety
Since most mega companies are self insured and tend to focus on hiring new CDL holders they tend to have a higher level of safety. From the latest in technology when it comes to safety features within the truck to setting standard operating procedures to ensure the driver is kept safe.
When I was working for a mega that had a company policy where if the driver did not feel safe in operating their truck due to weather that they could tell their dispatcher that they refused to run and the dispatcher was not allowed to say no which as a new driver was a huge weight off of my shoulders.
When a truck manufacture wants to try out a new safety feature for testing they tend to go to a mega truck company just due to the sheer size of the fleet. A ton of safety features that you have in your vehicle were first tested in a semi truck
Mega Truck Company Benefit: Security
The trucking industry goes through waves and it may be affected by diesel prices or a slowdown in freight. A smaller company is much more at risk if the wave is going down for too long than a mega will be. Where as a mega truck has thousands of trucks running routes there margin for success is larger than a smaller company where a sudden increase in diesel may put them out of business.
That being said over my trucking career we have seen large companies suddenly shut their doors with Celadon and Yellow being the first two that come to mind
Mega Truck Company: Route Options
When you are dealing with a truck company that has thousands of trucks they are going to cover a wide variety of options. Whether it is a dedicated route that takes you from point A to point B than back to point A or just a variety of locations where each new run is a surprise. If a shipper/receiver suddenly decides to shut their doors or no longer wants to deal with your company the dispatcher can easily assign the driver to a new route whereas a smaller truck company could end up laying off drivers or being put out of business.
Mega Truck Company: Conclusion
When it comes to starting your new trucking career a mega truck company needs to be considered and to put it quite bluntly it may be your only option in finding work as a new driver. It use to be that you would spend two years working for a mega driving Over The Road and then would move on to a smaller company for either local or regional work at a higher pay scale. With the demand for drivers in certain areas that has changed a bit with smaller companies requiring less experience in order to attract new drivers. Spending a year at a mega is a great way to start your career
When the mega that I was working for decided to close its terminal in Canada we had roughly fifty drivers left. Out of the fifty drivers forty of them had been with the mega for over five years. If you polled the mega trucking companies I would bet that they have a good percentage of drivers who have been there for years with no plans to move on.
Yes megas get a bad rap in the trucking industry however most of it is due to hating the powerhouse in the room
