[fireman932003]

I have a buddy of mine that is interested in trucking. I want to give him a list of questions to ask a recruiter and I know I have seen a list on here but for the life of me I can not find it. If anyone knows where it is please let me know! lol I am either blind, stupid or both!

[ibamars]

Top 10 Questions to Ask a Potential Trucking Employer



Your Benefits' Worth
What to Ask After the Offer


Great news: You've got what seems like a solid offer to drive for a reputable trucking company. But before you hop in the cab, you'll want to know certain details about the firm's policies to determine whether the job measures up to your expectations. To get the answers you're looking for, ask a potential employer these 10 key questions:

What Is Your Home-Time Policy?

Long-haul drivers put in long hours on the road, says Kelly Anderson, president of Impact Transportation Solutions. But if a company promises you one day off a week, clarify how it defines a day.

Anderson offers this possible scenario: "Here I am this morning arriving back to the terminal, unloading truck, going home. If I have three days off coming, then today is one of them -- I've wasted half a day (out of my three days off). A time-off policy means three complete days off."

What Are Your Major Lanes?

Find out what typical routes, distances and regions your prospective employer wants you to travel. Trucking career consultant Craig Robins says a driver who lives in a remote area may be better off choosing an employer with a nearby terminal location for truck fueling and maintenance rather than going with a higher-paying company that doesn't have any terminals near home.

What Type of Equipment Will I Have?

Particularly for long-haul work, "you want to be comfortable," Anderson says. Ask if the company will assign you equipment and what that will include. Will you get an air-ride suspension? A sleeper on the truck? What size? Since you will be spending most of your time with this equipment, make sure you can live with it.

Do You Provide Layover Pay?

Layover is the wait or delay a trucker experiences between scheduled loads. In general, a driver should expect to receive layover pay for wait times beyond his control.

Do You Slip-Seat?

When a driver takes time off, he may have to cede, or "slip-seat," his assigned truckload (and truck) to another driver, Robins says. If you don't want to share your truck, look for an employer with a no slip-seat policy.

How Much Do You Pay?

Check out Monster's Salary Center for current driver pay scales. Demand is strong, so don't let a firm shortchange you. Anderson recommends evaluating the pay offered in terms of cents per mile.

But do so with caution, says Mitch Bookbinder, recruiter for national firm L.J. Kennedy Trucking. For instance, getting paid 50 cents a mile might sound great -- unless you'll be driving and living in an expensive, congested region like New York City.

What Are the Benefits?

Benefits are closely linked to pay, so don't consider one without the other.
"If you are looking at employers, find out how many miles per month, cents per mile and what are (your) costs for benefits and road expenses," Anderson advises. Some companies offer full medical, dental, vision and short-term disability coverage. The less the coverage, the more cents per mile you'll want.

Do You Pay for Lumpers?

Lumpers are for-hire loaders at a warehouse. A carrier may pay you to load or unload the freight for your truck or let you pay a lumper to do it. Find out if your potential employer will pay or compensate for the lumper.

Do You Offer Bonuses?

Some companies offer bonuses for a good driving record and performance, so it pays to ask. Robins also recommends asking if the company offers sign-on bonuses.

Will I Get a Dedicated Driver Manager?

A driver manager is particularly important if you're just starting out as a driver. Having a direct manager to work with can foster a good company relationship, enhance your promotion chances and help you resolve concerns and issues quickly.

I got this off of monster.com

I would also ask a company about tolls and scales. Who pays for them? Do they allow riders and if so whats the policy (including pets). POwer inverters allowed.

[Roadhog]

Hey ibamars...post this up on my sticky...if you don't mind. It would lend well with the topic, and be good reference.
regards Hog

[Aligator]

Originally Posted by fireman932003

I have a buddy of mine that is interested in trucking. I want to give him a list of questions to ask a recruiter and I know I have seen a list on here but for the life of me I can not find it. If anyone knows where it is please let me know! lol I am either blind, stupid or both!

His best bet, IMO, is to pass up companies that have full time recruiters.

[Uturn2001]

1. What are your hiring requirements?

2. What would be my base pay per mile? How and how often do you pay? Do you offer direct deposit?

3. Do you have layover, breakdown, and detention pay and how much is the pay and what are the polices behind it?

4. What is the percent of No touch freight? How much do you pay for driver assists and driver unloads?

5. IS there extra pay for short hauls, city work, and muliple stops on a single trip?

6. Do you offer health and life insurance? What are the premiums for the driver? For a family? Any other benefits such as 401k, stock purchase, paid vacations, etc?

7. What are your rider and pet policies? Is there extra insurance or deposits I have to make to participate in either of these?

8. Is there any special clothing or equipment I must purchase myself? If so what is it and how much?

9. Am I required to have any type of escrow account? If so how much and how do I get my money back?

10. Are there any special circumstances that a driver can be held financially liable for, such as shortages/dmamges to cargo, late delivery fees, accdental damamges to the truck or trailer, etc.?

11. What is the home time policy and the policy for taking the truck home during time off?

12. How long can I expect to be away from home?

13. Does your company have 24/7 dispatch and driver support?

14. How are the trucks spec'd? What is the average age of the equipment?

15. How many miles can I reasonably expect to average each week and what is the average length of haul per trip?

16. Where does your company run at? Extra pay for NYC or Canada?

17. Do you provide transport to and lodging during orientation? What about meals during orientation? What are my options for transport to orientation?

18. Do you pay for the drug tests, DOT physicals, etc?

19. What happens if for some reason I am disqualified during orientation? How do I get home?

20. (For you newbies) What exactly is your training program? How much does it pay?

And then if you decide this is the company for you:

20 A. What exactly do I need to bring to orientation with me to make sure everything goes as smoothly as possible?

[Aligator]

Just for the heck of it, I answered these questions for my company.

Originally Posted by Uturn2001

1. What are your hiring requirements?
2 years...but they hired me as a newbie
2. What would be my base pay per mile? How and how often do you pay? Do you offer direct deposit?
33.5 CPM actual miles driven....weekly...yes

3. Do you have layover, breakdown, and detention pay and how much is the pay and what are the polices behind it?
Layover 50$, breakdown 7.50/hr, detention 7.50/hr

4. What is the percent of No touch freight? How much do you pay for driver assists and driver unloads?
We handle nearly all freight. We get paid 15$ per drop, including the first one, even if we never touch the freight.

5. IS there extra pay for short hauls, city work, and muliple stops on a single trip?
15$ per drop.

6. Do you offer health and life insurance? What are the premiums for the driver? For a family? Any other benefits such as 401k, stock purchase, paid vacations, etc?
Got all that stuff.
7. What are your rider and pet policies? Is there extra insurance or deposits I have to make to participate in either of these?
Family member OK, just let us know. No pets.

8. Is there any special clothing or equipment I must purchase myself? If so what is it and how much?
Uniform are provided. No charge.

9. Am I required to have any type of escrow account? If so how much and how do I get my money back?
No.

10. Are there any special circumstances that a driver can be held financially liable for, such as shortages/dmamges to cargo, late delivery fees, accdental damamges to the truck or trailer, etc.?
No.
11. What is the home time policy and the policy for taking the truck home during time off?
We come home every weekend. Most of us come home once during the week, too. Truck goes to the yard to be washed and serviced.
12. How long can I expect to be away from home?
2-4 days.

13. Does your company have 24/7 dispatch and driver support?
No. They turn into pumpkins at 5 PM.

14. How are the trucks spec'd? What is the average age of the equipment?
About two years old. Columbias powered by Mercedes, mostly. I went down to the yard and looked at them, before I applied.

15. How many miles can I reasonably expect to average each week and what is the average length of haul per trip?
Some guys go west, some east. There is no "average" that would make sense to qoute. Everyone makes more than 50K/year.
16. Where does your company run at? Extra pay for NYC or Canada?
48 + Canada. We don't go to NYC, but we do go to Newark. No extra pay.
17. Do you provide transport to and lodging during orientation? What about meals during orientation? What are my options for transport to orientation?
Must live in NE Mississippi. Orientation took 3 hours and then I left with my trainer.

18. Do you pay for the drug tests, DOT physicals, etc?
Yes

19. What happens if for some reason I am disqualified during orientation? How do I get home?
Get in your car and leave.
20. (For you newbies) What exactly is your training program? How much does it pay?
I got paid about 13 CPM, I think. That was for all miles driven. And they paid me for all the drops and stuff. It came to maybe 350/Wk.
And then if you decide this is the company for you:

20 A. What exactly do I need to bring to orientation with me to make sure everything goes as smoothly as possible?
Come to orientation ready to leave for a few days.

[fireman932003]

Thanks Yall! I will pass this on to him. I told him some things I asked but I wanted to give him more!

[Useless]

Originally Posted by fireman932003

I have a buddy of mine that is interested in trucking. I want to give him a list of questions to ask a recruiter and I know I have seen a list on here but for the life of me I can not find it. If anyone knows where it is please let me know! lol I am either blind, stupid or both!

Fireman,

Here are a few other questions that new drivers should ask.

1.) You guys don't check DAC Reports, do you??

2.) I won't have to take a drug test, will I??

3.) I need to be home on the first Monday of every month; that's when I'm due to report to my parole officer. That won't be a problem, will it??

Perhaps some other experienced drivers can help add to this list.

[fireman932003]

Originally Posted by Useless

Here are a few other questions that new drivers should ask.

1.) You guys don't check DAC Reports, do you??

2.) I won't have to take a drug test, will I??

3.) I need to be home on the first Monday of every month; that's when I'm due to report to my parole officer. That won't be a problem, will it??

Perhaps some other experienced drivers can help add to this list.[/color]

LOL!! Thats awsome! :lol: :lol: :lol:

[Roadhog]

:lol:
1. So how much can I make every day?

2. Can I get a pay advance?

3. Can I be paid in cash?...otherwise the State takes too much for child support. I don't know...I gots maybe 4 or 5 kids I think. But I don't think their mine, so I don't wanna pay for someone elses kid...know what I'm sayin'?

4. Can I hire my Homey's to unload the freight?

5. How often do you give raises each year?

6. How long in advance are you warned before a UA test?

7. Do you except Work Release? I have to be back to the County Jail by 10pm each night.

8. Do you pay for food and cigarettes?

9. How soon can I get my 401k ?

10. I hear I might be able to haul Reefer? Is there any extra bonuses for that? It's not that California sinse is it?

:roll: