I've Narrowed It Down To 2 Companies

Well this is a little unsettling, I just called to check in with my recruiter and the company noted that she no longer works there. I have also not gotten a call noting who the new recruiter is.

WOW!!! Could be KARMA?

Ok Mr. M - your last few comments sounded quite a bit better than the previous ones earlier in this thread so that's awesome. You're on your way to being rehabilitated from the tainting you received at TheTruckersReport. That has been a common problem we've had to help people with over the years. People come here cussin' and compainin' and ready to revolt but after a few days here they're smiling and optimistic and preparing themselves properly for a great start to their career.

For starters, I highly recommend you erase any "information" you received to this point about the trucking industry from your mind and start over because when it comes to having the right attitude and information it takes to get your career off to a great start you're waaaaay off base right now. Totally heading for a brick wall. But that's easy to fix in a flash. You just need better information and better mentoring and we've got it for ya.

What I suggest you do if you haven't already is go through our Truck Driver's Career Guide and read the free online version of my book Becoming A Truck Driver: The Raw Truth About Trucking. Make sure you follow every link you come across in the career guide also. Those two sources of information will help you understand the trucking industry, make the right choices for schooling, find the right company to work for, and understand what it takes to get your career off to a great start.

You said:

I didn't make any bad comment about any company merely asked what the forum thought about the two noting the good about each.

But you had said:

I'd be more scared about getting ramrodded by a slime ball company than a hooker

Sounds like two different people, doesn't it?

You didn't name a particular company, but that kind of poisonous attitude is not going to help a rookie get a great start in this industry. As I had mentioned, the only people who have to be scared are the people who will be taking their children to school with you or any other rookie driver alongside them. That is scary. You have a lot of challenges on your plate and nobody will be in a position to do more harm than you and your classmates. So focus hard on learning all you can about the trucking industry and how to handle that rig. You're going to need every bit of it and then some to survive out there.

With the bad on the other forum there is some good. When you get dozens of people noting they are barely able to eat and nothing more from the salary it becomes believable. When you get several people noting they are making 1-1200 a week it becomes believable.

The best source of information about life at any company is a face to face meeting with some of the company's current drivers. If you want to be successful at something then find the people who are doing it successfully and learn from them. If you want to learn about the inner workings of a company and whether or not you'd like it there, simply speak with some of their current drivers. Who would know better, right?

And most importantly - do it face to face. People have this odd quirk where they suddenly become monsters when they're allowed to speak anomymously. You see it in forums where people hide behind fake identities and you see it on the CB radio where almost nobody can tell who is talking. There are a lot of insecure people who will say the most insane things when they know they can do it anonymously. But when you can look someone in the eye and speak with them face to face they are a completely different person.

Go to a truck stop and speak with some drivers from companies you're considering. Either walk up to them at the fuel island or catch them as they're walking into the building. You'll learn a ton in three minutes. Drivers ask each other all the time about what it's like at their company so nobody will think anything of it. 98% of the drivers you come across will be more than happy to give you a few minutes of their time. Some of them will be so lonely you won't be able to get them to stop talking! You'll begin to wonder if you've adopted a puppy!

Adding an APU to a truck is a technology that pays for itself and reduces idling. I can't understand why any company would not have them other than greed on their part

That statement shows how confused you are right now because you're worrying about the wrong things. First of all, if they were greedy they would do whatever makes the most money. If it paid for itself they would do the greedy thing and have them on every truck. Unfortunately they're heavy and they're expensive to buy and maintain. They don't pay for themselves. They're an added headache.

More than anything we want new drivers coming into the industry to focus 100% on preparing themselves for the challenges that lie ahead. We don't want people wasting their time worrying about things like slimeball companies, greedy CEO's, and hookers. I know you said that was a joke and that's fine. But you see my point. You have a massive challenge ahead of you and it's going to take a ton of hard work and a great attitude to get that career underway properly.

DAC:

Drive-A-Check Report

A truck drivers DAC report will contain detailed information about their job history of the last 10 years as a CDL driver (as required by the DOT).

It may also contain your criminal history, drug test results, DOT infractions and accident history. The program is strictly voluntary from a company standpoint, but most of the medium-to-large carriers will participate.

Most trucking companies use DAC reports as part of their hiring and background check process. It is extremely important that drivers verify that the information contained in it is correct, and have it fixed if it's not.

HOS:

Hours Of Service

HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.

APU:

Auxiliary Power Unit

On tractor trailers, and APU is a small diesel engine that powers a heat and air conditioning unit while charging the truck's main batteries at the same time. This allows the driver to remain comfortable in the cab and have access to electric power without running the main truck engine.

Having an APU helps save money in fuel costs and saves wear and tear on the main engine, though they tend to be expensive to install and maintain. Therefore only a very small percentage of the trucks on the road today come equipped with an APU.

Some companies are buying trucks with epu's these days. Runs off. 4 additional batteries. They have an auto start system when the voltage drops the truck starts and shuts off by itself when the charge is back up. Alot of extra weight. Approx. 400 lbs on a normal size truck, not a lightweight. My current company quit installing them because drivers were not keeping them up and it cost more in repairs than by not having them. They even had a federal grant for a bunch. Again drivers failed to keep them up , tore them up and the company cut its loss 's. Drivers screwed themselves. I dont have one and idle when i need to in order to be comfortable . More and more truck stops are installing hookups with heat/ac being part of it. I have seen them but not used one yet.