Well you have gone through CDL school and managed to pass all of the tests to be awarded your CDL. Now it is time to put that CDL to use and the next step on becoming a professional driver is to find the right truck company to work for
In this article on Truck Driver CDL101 we are going to look at the factors that you need to consider in order to find that perfect truck company for you.
Before I begin this particular article we need to address the elephant in the room which is experience and as a new driver you have none of. The majority of truck companies out their want two years of experience before they even look at your resume so your option of finding that perfect truck company right out of the gate is pretty slim. A ton of drivers will head to companies that are willing to take a chance on a new driver however their pay scale leaves a lot to be desired.
Truck Company Factor 1: To Work For A Mega
A mega truck company tends to be defined as having a ton of trucks and are Nationwide. Drivers will scoff at the notion of working for a mega truck company but as a new driver you may not have a lot of choice
The positives of working for a mega company is they tend to be safe when the freight market is going through a rollercoaster ride due to the wide variety of routes that they cover. Megas are also self insured which means they can take on the risk of hiring a new driver right out of CDL school. Depending on the mega you may be able to explore other options than the typical dry van or reefer
The negatives of working for a mega truck company is you are just a number. When your terminal is dealing with hundreds of drivers it is easy to get lost in the mix. Of course the big issue when it comes to working for a mega is they tend to pay less than your average truck company. Megas also tend to be really safety orientated which is good on one side and horrible on the other. Drivers who are let go due to multiple safety violations is commonplace and sometimes the safety violations are the smallest on the list
Truck Company Factor 2: Age Of Equipment
When possible you should go for a drive to the truck company that you are considering to work for and take a look at their yard and more importantly their equipment
If you notice that the equipment in the yard tends to be on the older side than that needs to be a red flag for older equipment tend to spend a lot of time in the garage getting fixed. If the truck company only has a few trucks that could mean you are going to spend a lot of time sitting around and not earning any money
Another factor regarding equipment is how well do the trucks and trailers appear in term of condition. Does the truck company take pride in their equipment or can obvious problems be seen from miles away. Again if your truck is in the garage you are not making any money
Truck Company Factor 3: Where Do They Go
The majority of truck companies have areas that they service. If you are working for a truck company that is based in Ohio do you want them to be going to the Northeast or operating in the Midwest. Any trucker knows that if you can avoid the Northeast the better off you will be just due to the terrain and weather issues
If the truck company delivers to New York City are you going to be comfortable driving in that hellhole?
I work in Ontario Canada and when I was looking for a new company to work for one of the main factors is whether or not I had to drive in or through Toronto. If the company had to go through or in Toronto on a regular basis then I checked it off of my list. After years of driving in and near Toronto I know that a normal hour trip is easily tripled in the Toronto area
Truck Company Factor 4: The 1099 Scam
Do not under any circumstance take a 1099 job as a new driver. A 1099 job is basically a self contract position where you are responsible for paying your own taxes and take on all of the risk of driving the truck
The amount of stories I have seen over the years of countless truck drivers getting screwed because of a 1099 position is enormous. From not getting paid to getting sued for damaged equipment to being told to violate every trucking regulation under the sun
In the end a 1099 job is going to put your license at risk
Truck Company Factor 5: What Do The Reviews Say
Thankfully with the internet it is pretty easy to research most trucking companies.
Whether it is asking about it on Reddit, Truckers Report or where ever it is a good idea to get an impression from current and former drivers on how the company operates and whether it is worth going there.
If you are struggling to find information on a specific truck company online then it may be a sign to move on
Truck Company Factor 6: Retention Rate
Unfortunately unless you talk to a former or current driver finding out the retention rate is not the easiest number to find
To me a strong retention rate means it is a strong company. If they have more drivers going through their company than the local airport it is a good reason to move on
The current company I work for has about fifty drivers in the Ontario terminal that I run out of. I have been there for four years and the only drivers that leave are the new drivers who should have never been hired in the first place. The thirty drivers above me on the seniority list only two have left to go for a high paying union job and two more have retired.
When I was working for the mega in Ontario it was a different story. When I started they had over two hundred drivers working out of that specific terminal and by the time they locked the doors it was down to seventy five or so. My orientation class had ten drivers in it and by the end of the first year I was the only one left. Drivers would come in and get their year experience and leave
Picking The Right Truck Company Conclusion
Needless to say there are a number of factors that you need to consider when picking your first truck company or hopefully the one you are going to retire with.
