Most carriers will require from 6 months to 2 years experience in order to lease on with them. You will need to have a fairly clean MVR and pass a dot physical. You will go through a pre-screen and be invited to orientation. The larger carriers will usually keep you about 3-4 days. The first day you will take a drug test that will be sent to a lab for testing. Some may do it locally, but most will send it off. That is the main reason for orientation taking up to about 4 days. While you are in orientation they will begin your background check. A DAC will be ordered and they will either have someone on their payroll inspect your truck or have you go to a facility to have it inspected. If there are any problems with your equipment they will need to be repaired before you will be approved. During orientation you will be introduced to the company and perhaps some of the personnel with whom you may be working. Carriers have different things they cover, but most will cover the basics of how they want their paperwork done and logs. Much of what they cover is a way to kill time until your drug screen comes back. If your background check is OK and your drug test is negative you will be offered a lease or contract to sign. This will be the last day of orientation. You will not be offered a lease until they have the results of your drug test and background back. If there are issues about your background they will need to be clarified before you will be offered a contract. Once you have your lease in hand, you will likely be introduced to your dispatcher, either by phone or in person, and they will find you a load. If you don't have a trailer, there may be someone whom you will deal with first to get a trailer. While your dispatcher is finding you a load you will be given decals with all the company information and IFTA stickers to put on your truck. Some companies may do this for you. Most will probably have you do it yourself.
You can usually get your own base plates, but some carriers require you to use theirs. In any case, you will need to have your title or bill of sale in hand and a copy for them. You will be required to pay for your own workers comp or accident policy with most carriers. You will also likely be required to have either bobtail or unladen liability insurance. Some carriers will have that available for you through a company with whom they do business. I would have my own coverage. OOIDA offers both unladen liability and bobtail insurance as well as an accident policy. I prefer having my own insurance. If you decide to leave the company your insurance will usually no longer be valid.
A few other things. Once you have your lease and are ready to get your first dispatch, the carrier will probably offer you their fuel card to use. You are usually free to have your own, but most will encourage you to use theirs. It makes it easier for them to do your fuel taxes and some make a little off of your purchases. The larger carriers usually have some discounts on your fuel purchases when made at certain fuel stops.
Some carriers may handle some of this a little differently, but that is about all there is to it.
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