Favorite Trucking Companies
Topic 7518 | Page 3
I'll put in my bid here also. Watkins Shepard!! Great company, treats drivers very well, pays actual miles driven, not the zip code to zip code scam many companies do. Mostly Dry Van , good long runs nationwide (and Canada if you like). About 20 terminals around the country. New trucks, upgrading trailers, good benefits.
They have treated me very well, and I love driving for them.
www.wksh.com or call recruiting at 800-392-2470
Tracy
How's the home time?
You accumulate 1 day per six out. The technical rule is that you have to be out at least two weeks to take home time. I usually roll harder, and rarely take home time, but that is because I often roll through my home town of Billings, MT as it is on a freight lane. I'm often out for 4 to 6 weeks at a time, but it is a personal choice.
Tracy
Terminal:
A facility where trucking companies operate out of, or their "home base" if you will. A lot of major companies have multiple terminals around the country which usually consist of the main office building, a drop lot for trailers, and sometimes a repair shop and wash facilities.
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.
I have to agree with Daniel on this...I choose the company i went to because it fills the needs i wanted the most.All companies big and small have good and bad..but everyone needs to choose based on what fits you the best.
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.
I have to agree with Daniel on this...I choose the company i went to because it fills the needs i wanted the most.All companies big and small have good and bad..but everyone needs to choose based on what fits you the best.
Yeah you should choose a company what fits your needs I agree with that but I don't think there is such a perfect company in any line of work you do.
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.
I have to agree with Daniel on this...I choose the company i went to because it fills the needs i wanted the most.All companies big and small have good and bad..but everyone needs to choose based on what fits you the best.
Yeah you should choose a company what fits your needs I agree with that but I don't think there is such a perfect company in any line of work you do.
It really depends on what you interpret as perfect. My company has a terminal in my home town, let's me bobtail my truck home when here (I've been home for three weeks now while my wife has an operation, and they let me keep my truck even though I'm just a company driver), I roll through here a lot as it's a major freight lane meaning I can overnight or 34h here enroute, they give me 20 miles per day Personal Conveyance, have paid me on time and without error every single paycheck, treat me like a human being and part of the team, pay actual miles driven, give me good loads with good miles (I always do over 10,000 miles a month), my fuel card always works, they fix stuff when it's broken and don't ask me to limp somewhere illegally, provide great equipment, have terminals throughout the country in really handy places and are just generally good people.
Now....I may sound like a commercial for Watkins Shepard, but I want to share with the rest of you my experience with a great company, and we are looking for people right now. We have more freight than we have drivers and we have some empty trucks waiting for drivers.
Will it be perfect for everyone? Nope ... but then, you just can't please some people no matter what you do. But it's sure been great for me.
Tracy
Bobtail:
"Bobtailing" means you are driving a tractor without a trailer attached.
Terminal:
A facility where trucking companies operate out of, or their "home base" if you will. A lot of major companies have multiple terminals around the country which usually consist of the main office building, a drop lot for trailers, and sometimes a repair shop and wash facilities.
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.
I am personally being sold on Old Dominion, not just by 6 string, although I like the information he puts out. I have heard numerous good things from other drivers and warehouse people who don't even work for OD. And in conversation when OD gets thrown out, someone always tends to further comment on the company.
My top two choices right now are OD and FedEx. (Also want to do linehaul. Want to get paid.) Just about any place has to be better than the BS I put up with now at my current job almost everyday.
Ultimately, I may have to take what I can get to get the experience coming fresh out of CDL school.
Does anyone know, does OD advertise driver training as a job? Or do you just apply for a driving job and if they decide to hire you, then they will train you? I have seen actual job listings at FedEx listed as "Driver Apprentice" which is a "get your foot in the door" opportunity.
I've also even thought about trying to get into the warehouse of OD to start that way. But don't really want to do have to do 5 years or so in the warehouse before getting a chance to drive. Or being part of a seniority thing behind other warehouse people if they are also trying to drive. In warehousing now and have been for the last 15 years, so I'm trying to get away from it and into a different area - driving.
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.
Linehaul:
Linehaul drivers will normally run loads from terminal to terminal for LTL (Less than Truckload) companies.
LTL (Less Than Truckload) carriers will have Linehaul drivers and P&D drivers. The P&D drivers will deliver loads locally from the terminal and pick up loads returning them to the terminal. Linehaul drivers will then run truckloads from terminal to terminal.
I am personally being sold on Old Dominion, not just by 6 string, although I like the information he puts out. I have heard numerous good things from other drivers and warehouse people who don't even work for OD. And in conversation when OD gets thrown out, someone always tends to further comment on the company.
My top two choices right now are OD and FedEx. (Also want to do linehaul. Want to get paid.) Just about any place has to be better than the BS I put up with now at my current job almost everyday.
Ultimately, I may have to take what I can get to get the experience coming fresh out of CDL school.
Does anyone know, does OD advertise driver training as a job? Or do you just apply for a driving job and if they decide to hire you, then they will train you? I have seen actual job listings at FedEx listed as "Driver Apprentice" which is a "get your foot in the door" opportunity.
I've also even thought about trying to get into the warehouse of OD to start that way. But don't really want to do have to do 5 years or so in the warehouse before getting a chance to drive. Or being part of a seniority thing behind other warehouse people if they are also trying to drive. In warehousing now and have been for the last 15 years, so I'm trying to get away from it and into a different area - driving.
Not 100% on this but I'm pretty sure you must work the docks at OD for a little before they consider sending you for training. I don't know how long for and it may have changed but all OD drivers I have talked to say you start on the docks.
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.
Linehaul:
Linehaul drivers will normally run loads from terminal to terminal for LTL (Less than Truckload) companies.
LTL (Less Than Truckload) carriers will have Linehaul drivers and P&D drivers. The P&D drivers will deliver loads locally from the terminal and pick up loads returning them to the terminal. Linehaul drivers will then run truckloads from terminal to terminal.
I am personally being sold on Old Dominion, not just by 6 string, although I like the information he puts out. I have heard numerous good things from other drivers and warehouse people who don't even work for OD. And in conversation when OD gets thrown out, someone always tends to further comment on the company.
My top two choices right now are OD and FedEx. (Also want to do linehaul. Want to get paid.) Just about any place has to be better than the BS I put up with now at my current job almost everyday.
Ultimately, I may have to take what I can get to get the experience coming fresh out of CDL school.
Does anyone know, does OD advertise driver training as a job? Or do you just apply for a driving job and if they decide to hire you, then they will train you? I have seen actual job listings at FedEx listed as "Driver Apprentice" which is a "get your foot in the door" opportunity.
I've also even thought about trying to get into the warehouse of OD to start that way. But don't really want to do have to do 5 years or so in the warehouse before getting a chance to drive. Or being part of a seniority thing behind other warehouse people if they are also trying to drive. In warehousing now and have been for the last 15 years, so I'm trying to get away from it and into a different area - driving.
I just started the Driver Apprentice program at FedEx Freight. If you have openings near you, you should certainly apply if you're interested.
About three weeks of books, working the dock, which you will do if you're not driving, then several weeks of driver training before you take the road test.
Pay is about $20hr working up to $25hr. If you become a road driver they pay $25hr and $.61mile. Over eight hours a day is OT and over 40 a week is OT.
Have a good driving record and good work ethic and you should get an interview :)
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.
Linehaul:
Linehaul drivers will normally run loads from terminal to terminal for LTL (Less than Truckload) companies.
LTL (Less Than Truckload) carriers will have Linehaul drivers and P&D drivers. The P&D drivers will deliver loads locally from the terminal and pick up loads returning them to the terminal. Linehaul drivers will then run truckloads from terminal to terminal.
I just started the Driver Apprentice program at FedEx Freight. If you have openings near you, you should certainly apply if you're interested.
About three weeks of books, working the dock, which you will do if you're not driving, then several weeks of driver training before you take the road test.
Pay is about $20hr working up to $25hr. If you become a road driver they pay $25hr and $.61mile. Over eight hours a day is OT and over 40 a week is OT.
Have a good driving record and good work ethic and you should get an interview :)
Good to see a Fed Ex Freight driver on here! The more LTL drivers the merrier!
LTL:
Less Than Truckload
Refers to carriers that make a lot of smaller pickups and deliveries for multiple customers as opposed to hauling one big load of freight for one customer. This type of hauling is normally done by companies with terminals scattered throughout the country where freight is sorted before being moved on to its destination.
LTL carriers include:
- FedEx Freight
- Con-way
- YRC Freight
- UPS
- Old Dominion
- Estes
- Yellow-Roadway
- ABF Freight
- R+L Carrier
I just recently learned that some OD terminals do require some dock work from their drivers. These tend to be the smaller terminals. But, as a general rule of thumb, OD drivers do not work the dock, especially linehaul drivers. Also, depending on the terminal , you may or may not have to work the dock as part of the OD training program to earn your CDL.
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.
Terminal:
A facility where trucking companies operate out of, or their "home base" if you will. A lot of major companies have multiple terminals around the country which usually consist of the main office building, a drop lot for trailers, and sometimes a repair shop and wash facilities.
Linehaul:
Linehaul drivers will normally run loads from terminal to terminal for LTL (Less than Truckload) companies.
LTL (Less Than Truckload) carriers will have Linehaul drivers and P&D drivers. The P&D drivers will deliver loads locally from the terminal and pick up loads returning them to the terminal. Linehaul drivers will then run truckloads from terminal to terminal.New Reply:
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That's cool maybe sometimes smaller companies are good too.
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.
Over The Road:
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.