Newbie

I am from the Northeast and am looking for a OTR job. Looking at Schneider. Can someone give some feedback on them. How are they to work for? What's the pay like? Any helpful comments would be great, Thanks.

Start here. A lot of questions answered in the pages of this site.

Most companies will be similar and the pay can vary depending on the work. The most important thing is to find one that fits your needs and commit to that company for at least a year.

Information

RC, welcome aboard!

You know almost everybody that comes in here looking for information goes way overboard in their research at trying to nail down just the right company to work for. It is understandable to me because there is so much misinformation online about trucking jobs and companies. One of the best things you can do is to ignore all the trash talk about the various companies you will come across as you are trying to do research. We have had people in here working like crazy with spread sheets and magic formulas so they can weed out all the "bad companies" and find that golden drivers seat. It is comical in a way because it is a huge waste of time and effort.

Here's the cold hard truth...

Getting started in trucking blindsides most people who give it a try. The 100% turn over rate in trucking tells a story of hundreds of thousands of drivers constantly searching for "greener grass." I learned from the good folks at this web site years ago when I was getting started in this as a second career that it wasn't the trucking company that made you successful and happy at this job, but it was the way you handled all the things that came your way as a new driver. I had to make myself follow their advice, and I proved it to be true. I got rejected and sent home from three different orientations, each of them being the company that I was certain was just the right place for me to be. You talk about frustrating and devastating - I was really having a tough time of it.

I stayed the course, and kept moving on to the next place that would take me and I finally ended up getting my start at Western Express. Now, if you have been doing much research, I'm sure you probably think they are some sort of evil empire which treats their drivers like slaves, cheats them every week on their pay, and never ever lets them take home time when they need it - even if your Momma is on her death bed, they wouldn't care or offer to help you get home! I'm not a recruiter for Western, but I will tell you that I discovered that all those things posted on line about the company were totally bogus, and the whole problem that each of those drivers had that posted such nonsense is that they had totally unrealistic expectations about this job, and when the reality of it all began to manifest itself they could only believe that this must be a terrible company - I've made a bad choice.

We teach people here to get on with a company that seems to suit you and stick it out for one year. There is nothing magical about that one year formula, but it gives you a chance to settle in and learn how things work out here. I don't care where you get started, if you have got a good attitude and a willingness to learn and give it your all, you will become a successful driver. The name on the doors of your truck has little to do with your success. Guyjax, one of our good friends in the forum has been away for a while and he just recently showed back up. I want you to look at what he stated in another post. This is an experienced professional who could make a phone call and have a job wherever he wanted. Look at what he said...

No matter which company I have driven for I have made good money. Be it large or small carrier

There you go - the reason he makes good money is he knows how to handle himself out here and he takes care of his business. That is what will make you successful at this - period. He said a lot of things in that thread, and Brett did a really good job of pointing out the highlights of the very important points Guyjax made. I wish you would take a look at it. Here it is, I think you will gain some insight into what I'm trying to say here by reading Brett's analysis in that thread.

Anyway, so many people think that getting a CDL makes them a valuable commodity and they expect all this really great treatment and a royal reception from these companies that are needing drivers so badly. The reality is that these companies usually don't expect any of their new drivers to last much longer than about 90 days! They throw out a wide net and hope to goodness that maybe 2 or 3 percent of their new hires will turn out to have some gumption to prove themselves worthy of the title "professional driver."

The key points to understand so you can succeed out here are:

Any major company can provide me with the foundation for success. I must build on that foundation.

The trucking career has it's problems and frustrations. Those problems are inherent to the business. They are not company specific.

It is my obligation to gain an understanding of how things work out here. Nobody is going to babysit me. I need to understand how my shippers and receivers operate, and I need to understand how my company works and functions as far as how I am dispatched work to do.

If you can master those simple things you can make a go of this just about anywhere, and you can be a top tier drivers who earns more than most by following those simple principles.