Choosing a company to get your start with can be a daunting task. Which company do I choose? Which one offers the best career path?
Well, that's not an easy question and it depends on a LOT of factors.
The first thing you need to do to make this path easier is to run a CBI Background check on yourself
If it's clean you have a good start to a good career in trucking. If it's not, this will unfortunately limit your options depending on how recent the charge was and what the charge was for. Many companies WILL NOT hire felons. Some will hire felons but require the charge be 5, 7 or 10 years old before they will hire you. Other companies will hire ANYONE. It just depends on the company you are trying to get on with.
The next thing you need to do is go get a copy of your Colorado Motor Vehicle Record (MVR). If it's clear and your background check is clear, you're gonna pretty much have the pick of the litter of who you want to work for.
You can request is here or go to the office in Lakewood, CO and get a copy (always get a CERTIFIED COPY which is stamped with the state seal).
If both of the above are clear, the only other thing that can really hinder you is an unstable work history. Jumping from job to job is frowned upon in any industry, but often overlooked in trucking with exception to the upper tier companies. They generally like to see stability and someone willing to stay somewhere for extended periods of time. If your job history is stable, well you're set! You can go to work for the best of the best right off the bat.
If you meet these circumstances I suggest applying to companies like UPS, FedEx Freight, Old Dominion, SAIA, Estes, XPO/Conway, R+L Carriers. You can also get company sponsored training with these companies under their Driver Apprentice Programs. (These are the companies I would make an exception to for going with Company Sponsored training because these are TOP QUALITY companies that care about their drivers and won't rip you off.) These companies you can expect to make $0.50 cents per mile or more, be home most every night and have a day or two off each week. Linehaul/LTL is in my opinion the way to go. It pays the best, you are home every night, you get two days off and you can still have a somewhat normal life and is less demanding on those of you with families and parental obligations.
If you have unstable job history, tickets, and/or criminal record or any combination, your option of companies could be severely limited depending on your circumstances. You'll end up working for what is commonly known as a MEGA Company (lots of trucks, lots of drivers, low pay) with sub-standard equipment, horrible company policies that are abusive towards the driver, terrible route options, low pay and crummy working conditions. Not every mega is a bad company. I worked for Werner and they were ok. I was treated like a human being and I managed to get on a dedicated route in Ft. Collins at the Budweiser brewery. I made $900 a week guaranteed, which for a beginner truck driver is pretty solid. That's $45,000 a year and very respectable for an entry level truck driver. However, Werner does micromanage their drivers. They watch fuel mileage, idle time, logbooks for errors or improper logging, and what not. But MOST major companies do this anyhow. I guess my point is if you gotta put up with being micromanaged, go do it for a company that pays very well so it's worth your while. When I worked for Werner in 2014, OTR pay was $0.26 cpm and I rarely got any load that were over 600-700 miles and when I did, they were intercepted by NetOps. I switched to that dedicated account and was much happier, I got comfortable with my truck, backing and my stops and enjoyed a steady paycheck.
Mega Company's (What I call lower tier companies)
Consist of Werner, CR England, Schneider, Swift/Knight Transportation, JB Hunt, US Express, Shephard and Watkins, Prime, Averitt, Roehl, CRST, TransAm, Western Express, Butler, Andrus, Covenant. These are the bottom of the barrel bottom feeders. These companies are known to prey on drivers, engage in abusive employment practices, use sliding pay scales, withhold pay, take advantage of drivers, use them and are known to abandon you on the side of the road with your belongings and no way home. You will usually make between $32,000 and $50,000 a year at best as a solo driver.
Middle of the Pack
FedEx Ground, Millis Transfer, Raines and Sons, Crete, Melton, JBS Carriers, Wal-Mart, Sealy Mattress, and I'll try to list others later. These are above average, usually good pay, benefits, home time and will take care of you, but you won't make more than $65,000 a year as a solo driver.
Leaders of the Pack
These are the big boys where you'll make bank. UPS, FedEx Freight, Estes Trucking, Groendyke, Solar Transport, SAIA Trucking, Old Dominion Freight Lines, R+L Carriers, XPO/Conway Trucking, Pepsi, Coca-Cola, Frito Lay, Budweiser/Anheuser-Busch, Coors. These companies usually start at $0.53 cpm (cents per mile) on up. UPS top pay drivers are making $0.73 CPM or more with a few years experience. Most, if not all of these jobs average about $75,000 a year up to $120,000 a year.
These lists are all inclusive of every company but it gives you a general idea.
Here's my pay scale as I progressed
Year 1 - $32,000
Year 2 - $45,900
Year 3 - $55,900
Year 4 - $70,000
Year 5 - I should be in the $92,000 range.
If you want to know more about each company I suggest you go over to The Trucker's Report and read up. Just remember, every company will have positive and negative reviews. Someone always complains about something, so take complaints with a grain of salt. Every company has their issues and problems. Good drivers can succeed at a bad company if they really want to. So keep that in mind. Don't let one driver's horror story scare you away from a company, but evaluate everything.
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