Deciding On Which Company

Rene, I want to try and ease your mind a bit if possible. You may think I'm crazy, but you could take both of those company names, put them on the wall and throw a dart at them, then go for which ever one the dart hits first. It wouldn't make a bit of difference in how your career goes.

Let me tell you about my personal experience in choosing my first truck driving job. I went to a private school because I thought that would give me more options. Well it did, the only problem was that the companies that I thought were the really "good companies" wouldn't hire me. I got sent home from three different orientations. The folks who are long time participants in this forum can confirm that this is all true because they all commiserated with me as I went through a great trial at the beginning of my career. I ended up having to have some surgery done which just delayed things further and then the only company willing to hire me was Western Express.

I challenge you to do a search for reviews on Western Express. Like Guyjax said about Werner, you will not be able to find anything positive about Western Express. I was so scared to get started with them because everything I could find on-line about them sounded just like the devil himself was running the company. Then to make matters worse once I got there to the main terminal , there were drivers there hanging out waiting on their trucks to be repaired who started bending my ear about how horrible a place it was to work, and the best thing for me to do was run while I still had the chance.

You absolutely can not put any faith in these reviews! Here's how this industry works, and we'll keep telling everybody who will listen until we can start making some headway. It is a performance based industry. Let me repeat it for clarity: It is a performance based industry. The people who write those stupid reviews didn't perform well - that is the bottom line. They didn't make any money, didn't get any miles, got treated like dirt, couldn't ever go home, weren't allowed to get a shower, and couldn't even afford groceries for themselves, much less their family at home, all because they couldn't handle what a true American truck driver does to make his living. We work really long hours and we skip meals and maybe work all night sometimes, we do stuff that most people wouldn't dream of doing just to get our jobs done. We do this because we love what we do - it's gotten in our blood and we relish conquering the new and various challenges that face us everyday. No one thanks us, and no one pats us on the back at the end of the day, we don't need it - at the end of the day we are satisfied that we managed to get it done.

I'm sorry Rene, I start getting carried away when I talk about this stuff, but what I want you to realize is that I had to settle for what I perceived to be not so great of a company for my first job. Surprise! I love it here. I'm doing really well here. My dispatcher tells me I'm one of the top drivers here. What? I'm a rookie - still in my first year. There are over 2600 drivers here - something doesn't compute. If you get into this career and you really like what you are doing and are creative about overcoming the difficulties and obstacles that everyone else in the business is also facing you will do well. It is such an insignificant decision at the beginning on where to work that I can't stress it enough to you. This job is tough no matter where you start, but if you enjoy being challenged everyday and are invigorated when you are able to overcome those challenges, then you my friend are going to make a really great truck driver. And if you make a really great truck driver it won't matter if you start at PAM, FFE, or even those slime balls at Western Express.

I hope you do really well at this, but I want you to know that you are putting yourself under way too much pressure over this decision. Make a choice and get on with it - you will be the determining factor whether or not your experience is good or bad. Most people are so accustomed to having a job where they are going to get paid based on how many hours they put into their work week that they just can't even get a grasp on this truck driving concept. In this job you are only going to get paid for what you accomplish, and it is the creative people who know how to face a challenge head on and vanquish it who come out on top, and I might also add that stay so busy enjoying their career they don't have the time to sit around in their underwear writing internet reviews like the unemployed truck drivers who are responsible for so much of the drivel that is found on the internet concerning this career.

Good luck Rene, you keep coming in here and we are going to help you get off to an awesome start.

Well put Old School.

I really cant believe what I just read.these questions about what company to go with are driving me up the wall.i have felt like a yo yo at times.I would like a company or a position(reefer, dry van ,flat bed).while I'am in the struggle of final testing in training .Once again old school you have put it all into perspective.You will be remembered I am in awe.thank you sir.

Mr. Old School Thank you

Mr. Old School, I really appreciate all your advice. What you said has made alot of sense to me. People like me that haven't been on this type of work really appreciate people like you, willing to help others and guide them through difficult decisions. It may sound ignorant of me asking these types of questions, but what better place to do it than here with all experience from all of you. "Thank You" All