All,

First of all hello to all. I'm researching some companies outside of the ones that are at the school I am going to and was wanting to research some of the pay salaries of other carriers and I am having difficult times finding some information without having to call the carriers directly and getting the "call after you get your cdl" or "please fill out an application".

Even when I went to the locations some of them plain outright refused to address the questions when I even presented it.

Anyhow, does anyone have a good website or something that does show the average starting out pay in the southeast region of the US for truck drivers and the average mile for the OTR and Regional on the Dry van side. Also, what equipment the trucks are equipped with like cameras, satellite systems, ez pay, and any other equipment or tools the trucking carriers are using.

I currently reside in the Charlotte, NC area and I've narrowed down to two carriers but wanted some information on some of the ones that don't come to our school to recruit such as PAM, CRE, and maybe a few others. So far I've liked Rhoel , Knight, Schnieder, and possibly Maverick.

The main difference in ALL of the training companies is what color they paint their tractors.. and more and more often..they have just opted for white.. its cheaper. My honest opinion on this is that you'll end up chasing your tail and end up with numbers that are so close to the same that you'd have just wasted your time. Have or make a list of questions about what you want to know and call the companies directly. If the recruiter doesn't have the answers.. let them have the opportunity to get the answers. Most of these recruiters are not drivers and have never been drivers. They operate using a script of the latest information handed to them. I do not buy into the "the recruiter lied" stories. 99% of the time, the issue is that the driver never asked anything more that "how fast do the trucks run" and "can I bring my dog with me"...

Good Luck

CRE has a dedicated up in Mebane pulling out of the Wal-Mart DC they just opened. They typically operate within a 300 mile radius delivering grocery product to the stores. I'm on the Wal-Mart dedicated for Schneider up at Gordonsville Va. Easy work, extremely easy. It's no touch freight, Wal-Mart will get pissed if you unload your truck instead of the store. Your treated like a full Wal-Mart driver. Can't say on the pay, not sure if Wal-Mart has a certain standard required. Miles, you will get all the miles you can handle then some.

Most starter companies will start you in the range of .28-.34 a mile. If your OTR, 2000 miles a week is your goal minimum. I'm doing that some weeks in 5 days on my gig. We got some guys doing 2800 in 6 days.

Have you checked into JB Hunts dedicated account with Southern States? I've been told it's a decent gig, not quite as good as being on Wal-Mart. It's a Regional setup.