Hello everyone, I want to thank everyone for all the great info on here. I am finally getting ready to start CDL school after 17 years of installing alarms and an injury forced me to change careers. I have pre-hire letters from Knight, May, and Schneider, and it is difficult to sort out what is bs and what isn't from the recruiters. Does anyone have any feedback on which of these companies would be best to start off with. I know this industry is something not to take lightly and I need to make it work. Any info would be appreciated.
Here's my difficulty; I don't know where you live and what type of driving you're most interested in. That said, I drive for Schneider (over a year now) and everything they promised has been true. Here's my basic experience; I drive dry van. I get frustrated sometimes when I don't get 2,500+ miles in a week. However, I have averaged 10,000+ miles per month for the entire 15 months OTR. When you start with Schneider, you're making money pretty quickly because Orientation is only 17days long. When you start out, they usually don't send you into tough places. They let you get some experience before giving you those assignments.
While I'm always skeptical of bonus promises, I've earned the $.02/mile quarterly bonus every quarter since starting. So that's about $600/quarter extra. A nice chunk of change.
Here are the main reasons I chose Schneider;
1. Start earning quickly.
2. They're big enough that I can relocate or choose another line (e.g. tanker, intermodal , dedicated) without having to leave the company.
3. They're big enough that if they don't have freight, there's something seriously wrong.
4. I'm on an OTR schedule that gets me 5 days home time per month. I usually take this split with time off twice a month.
One of the biggest reasons I like Schneider is that we have Operating Centers (OC's) all over the country. All offer a safe parking spot (in addition to whatever is available at truck stops and rest areas), most offer showers, laundry and lounge (at no charge), maintenance facilities for express repairs to keep you moving and some have cafeterias (you pay for your meals there, but it's reasonably priced).
For me Schneider was the right choice and I don't have plans to leave. I wish you luck wherever you go and I hope this helps.
Steve L., I sent you a private msg a few weeks ago, but I don't think it worked?
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
Any combination of vehicles with a gross combined weight rating (GCWR) of 26,001 or more pounds, providing the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of the vehicle being towed is in excess of 10,000 pounds.
Any single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 or more pounds, or any such vehicle towing another not in excess of 10,000 pounds.
Any vehicle, regardless of size, designed to transport 16 or more persons, including the driver.
Any vehicle required by federal regulations to be placarded while transporting hazardous materials.
OTR:
Over The Road
OTR driving normally means you'll be hauling freight to various customers throughout your company's hauling region. It often entails being gone from home for two to three weeks at a time.
Intermodal:
Transporting freight using two or more transportation modes. An example would be freight that is moved by truck from the shipper's dock to the rail yard, then placed on a train to the next rail yard, and finally returned to a truck for delivery to the receiving customer.
In trucking when you hear someone refer to an intermodal job they're normally talking about hauling shipping containers to and from the shipyards and railyards.
Dry Van:
A trailer or truck that that requires no special attention, such as refrigeration, that hauls regular palletted, boxed, or floor-loaded freight. The most common type of trailer in trucking.
Pre-hire:
What Exactly Is A Pre-Hire Letter?
Pre-hire letters are acceptance letters from trucking companies to students, or even potential students, to verify placement. The trucking companies are saying in writing that the student, or potential student, appears to meet the company's minimum hiring requirements and is welcome to attend their orientation at the company’s expense once he or she graduates from truck driving school and has their CDL in hand.
A Pre-Hire Letter Is Not A Guarantee Of Employment
The people that receive a pre-hire letter are people who meet the company's minimum hiring requirements, but it is not an employment contract. It is an invitation to orientation, and the orientation itself is a prerequisite to employment.
During the orientation you will get a physical, drug screen, and background check done. These and other qualifications must be met before someone in orientation is officially hired.
TWIC:
Transportation Worker Identification Credential
Truck drivers who regularly pick up from or deliver to the shipping ports will often be required to carry a TWIC card.
Your TWIC is a tamper-resistant biometric card which acts as both your identification in secure areas, as well as an indicator of you having passed the necessary security clearance. TWIC cards are valid for five years. The issuance of TWIC cards is overseen by the Transportation Security Administration and the Department of Homeland Security.
HOS:
Hours Of Service
HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.
OOS:
When a violation by either a driver or company is confirmed, an out-of-service order removes either the driver or the vehicle from the roadway until the violation is corrected.
Steve L., I sent you a private msg a few weeks ago, but I don't think it worked?
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
OTR:
Over The Road
OTR driving normally means you'll be hauling freight to various customers throughout your company's hauling region. It often entails being gone from home for two to three weeks at a time.
Intermodal:
Transporting freight using two or more transportation modes. An example would be freight that is moved by truck from the shipper's dock to the rail yard, then placed on a train to the next rail yard, and finally returned to a truck for delivery to the receiving customer.
In trucking when you hear someone refer to an intermodal job they're normally talking about hauling shipping containers to and from the shipyards and railyards.
Dry Van:
A trailer or truck that that requires no special attention, such as refrigeration, that hauls regular palletted, boxed, or floor-loaded freight. The most common type of trailer in trucking.Pre-hire:
What Exactly Is A Pre-Hire Letter?
Pre-hire letters are acceptance letters from trucking companies to students, or even potential students, to verify placement. The trucking companies are saying in writing that the student, or potential student, appears to meet the company's minimum hiring requirements and is welcome to attend their orientation at the company’s expense once he or she graduates from truck driving school and has their CDL in hand.
We have an excellent article that will help you Understand The Pre-Hire Process.
A Pre-Hire Letter Is Not A Guarantee Of Employment
The people that receive a pre-hire letter are people who meet the company's minimum hiring requirements, but it is not an employment contract. It is an invitation to orientation, and the orientation itself is a prerequisite to employment.
During the orientation you will get a physical, drug screen, and background check done. These and other qualifications must be met before someone in orientation is officially hired.
TWIC:
Transportation Worker Identification Credential
Truck drivers who regularly pick up from or deliver to the shipping ports will often be required to carry a TWIC card.
Your TWIC is a tamper-resistant biometric card which acts as both your identification in secure areas, as well as an indicator of you having passed the necessary security clearance. TWIC cards are valid for five years. The issuance of TWIC cards is overseen by the Transportation Security Administration and the Department of Homeland Security.
HOS:
Hours Of Service
HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.OOS:
When a violation by either a driver or company is confirmed, an out-of-service order removes either the driver or the vehicle from the roadway until the violation is corrected.