It seems that every company I check out, I read so many bad things about them. What company is good for a beginner? I really don't know what to believe. I just want to get started and see if I like it, but I do not know who to start with. Is there a company that will take me while on probation? It was from a domestic dispute with my spouse. I have no felonies.

You will have to talk to a company directly for any type of confirmation about the probation issue, but more than likely most OTR companies are not going to want you while you are still on probation due to the extra legalities involved.

Thank you for the reply. They stop when they hear that I am on probation. I only have until December then I am done with it!

It is disappointing to read all the negative things about each company that I think may be good. I really want to try trucking but I am afraid of starting with a company that is bad giving me a bad taste for this career. I want to start off right. Do you have any suggestions?

I was in the army for 15 years, so I can pretty much deal with stupidness!!!

JB Hunt is the one you want. Just talk to my gooooood
friend, Dances with Sheeps, he can get you a position (doggy?)
with JB, and you can be on your way to becoming a
multi millionaire. :wink:

Thanks, JB Hunt looks good. I like that they have a program for vets. I will look into them!

Uh...err... multi millionaire?

Aolwoody, 15 years in US Army. Wow. You can get VA benefits up to 10 years service out of honorable discharge. You also get priority on WIA grants for a few thousand for school. Run your VA out first and then WIA since will have ceiling and VA has a time limit.

Its just hard earning while you are learning, but come way ahead than going with 'some' company or 'some' commercial schools. They don't make it easy to compare like used car salesmen, so sharpen your pencil and get your paper pad out.

go with a tanker company. You wont regret it. thats what i did after a lot of research(thanks to cyanides thread). If you were in the Army (me too) you will have no problem at all in trucking. Half the stuff people complain about wont even phase you. good luck

It's good to see other vets out there. I was beginning to think everyone was miserable in this field. I have seen my share of stupid things in management, so I have learned to deal with B.S.

About working for a tanker company, don't they require 2 years exp? Tell me about it.

Any company is going to have its mix of good and bad.

OTR your tradeoffs are going to be hometime, mileage/pay, Equipment quality and age.

You can drive a pimped out late model Paccar that will do 85mpg if you don't mind having no bennies, getting .20cpm and seeing home on a monthly basis.

Avoid CRE like the plague or anyone who who pushes lease/purchase.

Look for companies that actually train new drivers rather than pimp them out as team drivers for $300-400/week and call it "training".

While they don't pay much Schneider does have good training.

where do you live? CTL and Schieder are two that come to mind. they both have CDL schools if you need that. I work for CTL.