[greg3564]

If you are OK with being out 3-5 weeks at a time then go with Stevens. The are very up front in letting you know this. At least they don't try to hide it like some companies do.

You will also be out 3 months for your initial training if you go to school with them. Three weeks for school and orientation, five weeks with an OTR trainer and another three weeks as a student team driver. ELEVEN WEEKS!! :shock: At no time will you get home until you have finished all eleven weeks.

They state right from their website that a starting driver will AVERAGE $30-35k the first year. Most companies claim a much higher number than that and most drivers make half of that claimed total, so do the math.

With the exception of having really nice trucks, I do not think they have much to offer. Low Pay + No Home Time= Unhappy Driver.

[PackRatTDI]

Originally Posted by greg3564

You will also be out 3 months for your initial training if you go to school with them. Three weeks for school and orientation, five weeks with an OTR trainer and another three weeks as a student team driver. ELEVEN WEEKS!! :shock: At no time will you get home until you have finished all eleven weeks.

They must have changed policy. When I worked there it was 4 weeks with an OTR trainer and 3 weeks trainee-team. I went to CDL training in El Paso. I did get to go "by the house" twice when I was OTR training and I got to sleep/shower and do my laundry at home while my trainer slept stayed at the T/A here in Las Cruces.

I seem to remember they offered to let drivers take a few days off between training periods, but it may have been just for Dallas area based drivers. It's been a long time, lol. I still have my old training manual but I can't seem to locate it. Probably in the attic.

On top of that my first solo run was heading from Dallas to Las Cruces so I got to take a week off right after training, which was pretty cool.

[-FlyByNight-]

I lived in Olathe, KS less than 15 minutes from their terminal. When I got my CDL, the recruiter came into our class and pitched the company. I had already spoken with a recruiter and been given a tour of the terminal before I started my CDL class. The terminal is fairly nice. They have all auto shift trucks. The health insurance wasn't the greatest in 9/04. They primarily hauled meat to the east then carpet back west and never went west of Denver, CO. I needed better health insurance, didn't want to start out my driving career on automatics and wanted to run all 48 or else I may have hired on with them. I've not worked for Stevens, but other than decent trucks and long average lengths of haul, most of what I've heard second hand wasn't good at all. VERY low pay and near non existent home time is a few I recall hearing. Best of luck.