Schneider Facts for newbees
 

If you do not already have a CDL you will be asked to sign a training contract in the amount of 3500 dollars. If you should voluntarily or involuntarily leave the company before 12 months of continuous service you will owe the full amount. If you already have a CDL but you have no recent experience you will be obligated as stated above. If you are a recent driving school graduate with a certificate you will not be asked to sign..( Must be within the last 90 Days)
Pay base .26 mi account premium .04 geographic premium .04. They pay household mover guide miles. Also you only have a 10% window on those miles in regard to trip planning or you will be considered out of route. You will be required to purchase a King pin lock , 4 installments of 13.75. Get your CDL on your own, this training program is very fast paced and for many people it does not work out for them. They also don’t pay empty miles. In most circumstances you can only go through home under a load . You also must be able to accommodate the tractor and trailer at your home park location
You also must fill out a agreement in regard to your home park location with many stipulations. Such as who will you call for starting problems and freight security etc

If your new get your CDL on your OWN do not go through this program you could regret it. Have some start up money you will probably go 6-8 weeks with out a substantial pay check. I think you would have be able to cover your bills as well as have 150.00 per week spending money while on the road if you are very scrupulous with you budget. I wanted to make this post because you will not find out this information until you are on the property. Don’t trust anyone in this business. Remember business is business. You can probably make a good living but be careful starting out.

One good thing about schneider though is that they have the webasco bunk heater intalled on all their tractors. At least all the newer ones.

Hmmm I had a Webasco with Gordon and W&S. So I am not sure this is a unique plus for Schneider.

.26 cpm HHG and not paying for empty miles is highway robbery. I have heard of buying the kingpin lock rather than issue a lock as a negative but not paying for empty miles?

Could a Schneider driver verify this? Is this something new?

SNI does pay empty miles!!!! never heard of this one!!!!

I recant that statement about empty miles but there are some situation you may not get payed for empty miles. I left and may regret it but I have to move on. I live in MA and everybody from New york and PA got
NE regional runs not me though National fleet with no hope of a regional run. living in Ma no good trucking job avialable right now . Life goes on.

In July I will hit 2 years with Schneider. I went through their school and at that time it was only $3000. They pay was .28 plus for me .02 geographic premium living in MI. Now you get that or for the first 6 months you get a $500 minimum pay, which ever is greater. For a noob that works out good because then you don't have to run yourself ragged when you are not used to the lifestyle.

My first 2 trucks did not have the heater in it and we were allowed 20% idle time before it impacted your fuel bonus. Throw a C/Pap machine (100% covered by insurance as of 4/3/06) and you got 40% - 50% The only miles you do not get paid are the bobtail home ones. They try to make it so you don't have a empty trailer with you while at home and they won't bobtail you more then 150 miles. So basically if you get a job and it tells you how many miles away it is, you are getting paid for it. Going home shows up as unknown because there isn't a customer code for your place to park.

The parking agreement is for insurance purposes. If you have a big enough driveway at your house to park a bobtail at least then you can say you are taking it to your house. They would love that because you can plug in the engine block when it hits below 30. They would like you to park ideally no more then 150 miles from your residence and you can just get a verbal agreement from where ever. If you got a friend that is mechanic or a wrecker driver that will jump you for free, Schneider would love ya more for that. :lol:

The kingpin lock isn't that much of a bother to buy at all. I haven't had to use it yet as I've never been under a load going home. What I wish I could find is a cuff lock for the air break handles on the dash when I'm parked.

Schneider may not be the best company out there but then again there isn't one company that is perfect for everyone.

Dedicated runs open all the time. Just keep a good relationship with your STL and look in the dedicated runs book every time you stop through any OC. Only the major ones get sent over the Qualcomm.

NONE of the good dedicated ones are even posted in the book or the qualcomm, they are posted at your home OC, walk back to the operations area, and look for the "dedicated" sign, they will be posted up there.......... and not even some of those get posted, it just depends on who your ica/stl know and how good of a relationship you have with your ICA!!!!

schneider
 

have to tell ya, I spent 3/half years with Schneider, all on dedicated, with some truck/rail when dedicated ran slow....They pay empty miles, they allow you time to get used to trucking, ok, they might have slow trucks, but think about that part....Slow trucks? How many times going across I-80 does the same BIG truck pass ya? I've had the same truck pass me 3 or 4 times from Lincoln to Ogallala.... So speed is not always the thing to have!
Home time? That depends on how you and your STL get along....Webasco heaters? I ran trucks in Europe 20 years ago, that had webasco heaters.... Welcome to the future America!
Slow and steady....Have you ever counted how many Schneider trucks you see on the shoulders of America, with over 14500 drivers, a small percentage compared to most companies.
Even driving at 63, covering the Mid West, I still managed 2800 every week, out Sunday afternoon and home Friday morning/afternoon...
Not the best company, but better than others
I left them out of boredom of the routes....Now starting Monday for Koch trucking out of Minneapolis....Any have any thoughts on them?
Stay safe.... :D

Well if you go through training in Fontana, CA you wont have to sign a contract. Its the only terminal where you can get the training an quit 3 months later an not owe them anything. Also when i called to get a job i got on a local dedicated account hauling for RoSS. Monday through friday with weekends off and home everynight.

And this would benefit a new drivers wallet how? They're are on there for one reason and one reason only, to save "Schneidley" on idling costs. :shock:

Life isn't just about money in the pocket..... It's sometimes about driver comforts......and possibly helping out the environment by not idling so much!
Perhaps a small way Schneider helps the drivers...No one ever said the webasco's are there to put money in a drivers pocket.... But hey, think about it, if a driver stays under his idle allowance, and keeps his full bonus, then it actually does put money in his pocket!
I never had a bonus less than $600 a quarter..... Which I guess is keeping money in my pocket! :D

And now they are testing out APU's to see weither the cost to retrofit 1500+ trucks is benificial to the company. From what I have read in the news letters it seems like it's almost a done deal but it would take a lot of time and manpower. I'm pretty sure the team trucks would get it first even though they are the ones that need it the least.

A year ago, my old stl told us they would start refitting for APU's, as far as I know, not one has been fitted to any single pumpkin to date!
But hey, I don't drive a pumpkin anymore.... YEAH!

Nope the only APU's are either on the new Lease trucks or the 5 Pete 387's they specially bought to test them out. The last time I seen one of them was about early last year. Instead of going with Thermo King like most other places are, they are testing out Caterpillar's version at $8k a pop.

Come monday I'll shoot a message asking what's the deal with them.

I have never had to take a trailer home with me, and its rare, very rare you will ever have to do so, unlike some flatbed companies that require you to take the whole sheebang with you. The reason they want your address is if you are one of these doofs who decides to quit and they have to come to your house to get the tractor.

I get paid empty miles, I also get paid bobtail miles. I dont know where that above "fact" came from?


The contract isnt any big deal. If you dont like it, hire a lawyer for $250.00 and he'll find the loopholes to get you out of it.

A year sounds very long, but a year goes by really damn quick when you are on the road a few weeks at a time.

SNI is no better than any other company but their training program is probably better than most.

Also about 10% out of route. There really isnt any reason to go 10% out of route if you can read a map and understand written directions.

My only complaint was that the first truck they gave me was a rolling POS, but that was a couple of months.

First why not save the company money? Why is it all about your selfish need to somehow consume fuel because you can? This is the same wrong attitude I see when it comes to taking care of the truck. "Its a company truck. What do I care?" Well the truck is your livelihood. Any tool that represents how I live - I take care of it like it is my own.

Hmm I like to run a Webasco for the following reasons:

1. A quiet warm cab is a happy cab. :D :D

2. There are many areas in the nation that prohibit idling. Having a working Webasco means not dealing with the justice system. :x

3. There have been two times where the engine would not start and the heater became the difference between comfort and survival. A bad fuel pump and sheered fan bolts. :idea:

Being english and concerned about the thirst for fuel consumption here, I too, like the ideas of webasco heaters....
i have just road tested my volvo that I'll be driving for Koch trucking, after 3/half years in a pumpkin truck, I can only say....
1) the ride is quieter :D
2) The ride is softer
:lol:
3) The space is far better for the driver
4) Did I mention it has a rigmaster! 8)

Using fuel for the sake of burning it, will one day make people here think.... Hey, why do we have no more fuel...Oh yeah, we burnt it keeping warm :!:

I have noticed over the last couple of years....That drivers idle even when it's in the low 50's.....Are we all becoming "softer" human beings :?:

I don't know about you, but most people in America set their home/office thermostats at around 70 degrees. And when you’re a trucker, this is your home/office...

70 is a house/office is comfortable. 70 is a truck is too damn hot. Smaller space and not as much air flow. Currently 58 down here in Pharr, TX and I got my window open and it's comfy.

I'll throw my .02 in here....I am small fleet owner leased to Schneider, and a former company driver...

I personally have had nothing but positive experiances with Schneider. When I was a company driver for them (went to the school) I had a great experiance, I also worked truck-rail for them, also a great experiance. Now that I am an IC with them, and them being the 4th carrier who I have been leased to, I can say that they really try to make sure I am successful.

Trucking is what you make of it. Your carrier sets rules and regs, you want to fight the system and be a cowboy, go for it...You will have 20 jobs in 2 years. Roll with the system, become good freinds with your ICA/STL and recruiter at SNI and you will have a "easy" go of it... :P

Ouch, I work for swift and I even got better out of swift when I started. Got payed mty miles, and the only stipulation about bringing the truck home is that I could find a place to park it.

The best company to work for is Crete. They pay you a hell of a lot more as a new driver (.33cpm) for NO EXPERIENCE. .26 geez they are just using students. For 1 year of experience you get .41cpm. The big 5 are the WORST companies to drive for. you are just a driver code and truck number.

I was looking over Crete's site and they do look like they have something to offer. Yeah, they require hazmat but I'm looking to get that anyway. Just looks like with everyone dropping their endorsement it will be a valuable commodity even if I don't need it. As far as if I leave will depend on how much swift straightens up since Jerry is back at the helm.

Oh...thank you God......(that I never expiereinced life in a pumpkin wagon)....

I work for Schneider, been with them since December of last year. It is funny that someone can say something on these boards and many people actually believe everything they hear (or read).

Schneider pays empty miles....I pull Walmart trailers and I have triple checked my pay stubs and they pay all miles you drive.

Conversely, it's really no other person's place to comment on another's cab temp. Everyone has a different idea of what is comfortable for them.

Intersesting that some people that claim to know about SNI.........but never worked for SNI. Especially the .26 starting pay. Its .28 for new guys, and .29 for licensed but no experience drivers.

As for much revered Crete or CFI or any of the larger carriers I could go to any truck stop and find anyone who works for SNI, HUNT, Crete, CFI etc etc and will get equal amounts of praise and equal amounts of frustration.

Anyone who has ever asked "why do they do keep doing this?" about their company has never worked for the govt. before. Because if they did , it would all make sense, and you wouldnt have to ask. :P

Re: Schneider Facts for newbees
 

who told you that lie?

+3

i don't know who told yall that schneider wont bobtail you more than 150 miles....hmmm i bobtailed from uxbridge, mass to tunkhannock, pa .... look it up... he he he


no complaints from schneider...and i don't feel like a driver number and truck code, when my stl is in the office that is. if i deal with support in greenbay then yes....dealing with my stl and his team in my home terminal, no they know who you are and u go in and shoot this sh!t when you get in town and just all in all i don't have any complaints... it is annoying sometimes to listen to the computer....but on the other hand, it also makes sure that nothing in ur log book is gonna come back and bite you in the ass down the road. and as i said in another post with just under 4 months experience im turning 3-4000 miles a week and take home between $800-1000 which is not bad for a noob at 21 years old....and NO COLLEGE LOANS TO PAY BACK...now who's stupid for not going to college....hahahah.

Get back to us with that "Not going to college" in five years. See how you feel then. :wink:
I agree, you're not a number at Schneider. You're livestock.

Sitting in a truck for 9 - 10 hours a day, years and years, isn't gonna do your back and spine any favors. You'll change your mentality in a few years, and wish you did go to college. But, at 21 years old it's easy to see how you would think that way. At least you're having a good time while it lasts. At 21 you could be doing worse things.

A-frickin-men. You have no idea how right you are. I'm driving a truck cuz it's the only job i could find to pay back my loans.

"Get back to us with that "Not going to college" in five years. See how you feel then."
I personally went to college for 6 years. I think $3500 in and earning within 2 months is a pretty good investment.

And who cares if they treat you like livestock? They leave me alone and let me do the job I'm trained and paid to do. Easy money.

Besides, you're young enough that you could easily go back to school on down the road. Or, hell, you could buy into the business and become an entrepreneur. Or at least you could put money into a 401k or save up to pay for school.