Hey guys,

I'm 27 years old, single, no kids, no house, no ties to anything, so I figured I might as well give trucking a shot.

I am starting a truck driving school soon to get my CDL, and it isn't through any specific company so I won't be indentured to any company when I start.

I am located in Michigan, about an hour outside of Detroit and would ideally like to get an OTR spot hauling Dry van loads. I have no problem being out weeks at a time seeing as I don't have anything better to do anyway.

My last job was stocking shelves in a grocery store where I made about $250/week take home, or about 13,500 a year, so I am thinking that the money might seem pretty good no matter where I go.

I have my potential company list narrowed down to a few choices. I understand it is a "pick your poison" type situation, but just wondering if anybody had any thoughts about these particular companies based on my info.

-Schneider - I've heard pretty good stuff about them
-Roehl - Also heard pretty good things
-Crete - Heard their trucks are junky, but the stuff they promise looks ok.
-Conway - Don't know much about them
-U.S. Xpress - Heard they only have auto-trans trucks (which I do not want)

Those are more or less in order of my first pick to my last pick.

All I want to avoid is a company that is going to force me to go broke right away by not fixing their trucks and not paying downtime. I want to run as many miles as I possibly can, preferably as a team driver to start, and possibly after that too.

Let me know what you guys think about any of these. I know recruiter promises are garbage, I just want to work and make a livable wage for a year until I can switch out to a better company.

*Posted this on another site too. Just trying to gather info.

Thanks.

why are you limiting yourself to just the mega's?

find some local outfits that you could go to work for. They are out there. just need to drive around or else talk to some of the folks in the local fuel stops who they might be. Parts houses for heavy trucks are another place to get good leads.

Doing that, also lets you check out who's got the better reps in the area too.

check with the local better business bureau and your state trucking associations too for local trucking companies.

Don't limit yourself to that list. With that said, Schneider has a great new driver training program, Roehl & I didn't get along at all. Been with Crete for seven years now and have been happy for most of that time.The other 2 I know nothing about. Have you ever thought about the oil fields? Most company's would want some exp. but you never know! If I were in your shoes I would apply for Schneider tank division, get 6-12 mo. in there and then head to N.Dakota and make some real money. Do that for a few years and thenfind something local and settle down.

Hey guys thanks for replying.

I did consider the oil fields briefly, but I was having a hard time making heads or tails of what was really going on out there.

Everything I read said that the really big money was being made a few years back, and now the money is still good, but not as good, and the work is the same (30 hour shifts, 80+ hour work weeks) plus everybody else out there got wise and started price gouging so cost of living is way up too.

I'm not afraid of the work, but when I picture ND I see some hellish, nightmare landscape where I'd be burning my fuse pretty short.

I am not really in a hurry to bank tons and tons of cash, so I'd rather do some OTR where I can see some of the country, save some money, pay off some debt from failing at college, and decide on a place to eventually live, and just maybe have a decent time doing it.

Who knows, maybe in a year I will see it differently and just go get all the money they are throwing around out there. I know some places out there will put you up for free so it might not be too bad.

Local sounds pretty cool too and I will definitely check that out. I hear you can make just as much money on local and dedicated routes, so I'm not counting it out, but I do want to get some OTR time in anyway, just to have done it.

Other people have recommended Schneider Bulk in order to get tanker experience and make a little more. Maybe I'll start there and get my hazmat, then my options will be fairly open.

Thats good, cause I'm still waiting for my FIRST TON !

Con-way Truckload does have quite a few teams, but I don't know how they pair up the team drivers.
USX was all automatic for a long time, but I met one of their drivers about 3 years ago who had a new truck with a manual 10-speed and he said they were starting to buy manual boxes in their trucks. How long that'll last, I don't know.

Being around Detroit, there should be a few outfits that haul auto parts. I'd take that over any OTR job if I were in the area (mostly for getting home regularly, but also for the lack of expenses that OTR drivers have).

Your situation sounds a lot like mine when I got my CDL six years ago (except I was 23 at the time). I came from stocking shelves at Kroger, which didn't end up leading anywhere. This job has its headaches, but at least the paychecks are better.

You need to go to Texas. Two major oilfields and a third getting big just north in Oklahoma. You can sign on right out of school with a lot of companies. You can do frac work, which is about 10% driving and 90% slinging iron, or you can just drive sand/water/crude. You will need to get a few months experience in tankers for the crude and water jobs, but finding jobs here is not a problem. Either go to Midland/Odessa or down to South Texas (Eagle Ford). SNI has an oilfield tanker division here, but you need six months tanker experience, which you can get in their OTR tanker division.

You can also go into fuel hauling here. A frac fuel hauler can make 100K plus with the right company. Be aware though that those guys also work 100+ hour weeks out on a frac site fueling the pumping equipment. But if you're young and energetic, ten years of frac fueling can get you retired before you're forty.

You do need to be here though. Oilfield companies like to hire face-to-face and not over the internet.

BTW, the weather in Texas is much nicer than ND.

I think you have all the chances to find such job. Starting as a team driver is a great idea because that way you'll get more experience and skills from other truck drivers. But you must know that it's a very difficult and challenging job. My dad is a truck driver and I can say this for sure. You need strong will and have stamina to work at this position