Help please...looking for new job/company
 

Hi. I was hoping you fine people can provide me some direction/suggestions where to look. Here's my background info:

I graduated from SAGE at Isothermal Community College in July 2006. I worked at WH Transportation for almost 18 months (October 2006 until the end of March 2008). I logged almost 180,000 miles. I am looking to get back out on the road. I have no accidents, no criminal record, a clean MVR and no DUIs. Currently, I don't have hazmat endorsement (but have tanker and doubles/triples). I drove a Freightliner Columbia with an Eaton auto-shift (with clutch) because that was all they offered me. I hauled OTR 53' dry van the whole time. Basically, I left on good terms (as I gave more than two weeks notice and turned in the truck clean and in excellent condition). The company closed its van division.

I am looking for another dry van job. I live near O'Hare airport in Chicagoland. I'm single with no kids so being away from home isn't an issue...but I don't want to be away for an excessive amount of time. Typically, I was away 7-10 days and home for 2-3 days which was ok. I want no-touch freight and preferably a lot of drop-and-hook. I want a company that can keep the truck rolling with consistently good miles. I made .35 (all practical miles loaded and unloaded) there. I would prefer not to take a pay cut. I don't want to sit for an extended period in docks (and not get adequate detention pay). I don't want to sit in truckstops (and not get compensated with adequate layover pay for my time). WH never paid me detention pay for sitting over 2 hrs in a dock (even though they said they do). They also didn't do their job to book freight in a timely manner to keep the truck rolling. I don't want to sit in KC for 3 days for $140 again (or anywhere but home for that matter).

Thanks for your help!

I wanna win the lottery and marry a playmate too.

Sarcasm is as helpful...as say...no help at all. It's not like I asked for 3 days off every week...with 3000 miles a week...and .50/mile...with an ungoverned truck that does 90 mph! I have 18 months experience and a clean record (no accidents, no tickets, no DUIs, no felonies, etc).

I just want these basic things:
Company dry van driver (no lease/maintenance$)
No-touch freight (consistent freight to keep trucks moving)
Good weekly miles/good pay (35 cpm or around there)
NOT being out 2+ weeks at a time and then getting no home time
Actually pays you detention time after 2 hours in a dock
(doesn't just say yeah we will put you down for it then you never see a penny)

....Got it!What else would you like?To be friend with Hugh Hefner??..jk


But yeah,madaxeman, it's kind of hard right now on anything.I just heard yesterday on a report from the trucking channel that companies are flush with driver applications,as some of them have a hiring freeze.That means the end of the stick for drivers,since the economy and freight is pretty bad.BOL.

Thanks anyway...I just applied to these companies on here. I don't know if they are any good or not.

1. Crete Carrier . 1-800-998-2221
2. HEARTLAND EXPRESS . 1-800-441-4953
3. J & R Schugel Trucking . 1-800-359-0101
4. Millis Transfer . 1-800-937-0880
5. Southern Refrigerated Transport Inc. . 1-877-244-7293
6. FFE Transportation Services . 800-569-9232
7. WEST SIDE TRANSPORT . 1-877-524-2089
8. CRST Van Expedited . 1-800-929-2778
9. Melton Truck Lines . 877-462-3528
10. Celadon Trucking Services . 1-888-847-8364
11. deBoer Transportation Inc. . 800-825-8511
12. Prime inc . 800-626-1643
13. Landair Transport . 1-800-788-7357
14. Watkins and Shepard Trucking Inc . 800-548-8895
15. Safeway Moving / United Van Lines . 1-317-545-7533
16. C. Bean Transport . 800-581-4305
17. Transport America . 877-867-1212
18. McLeod Express LLC . 866-379-8377
19. Maverick Transportation LLC . 800-289-1100
20. Sharkey Transportation, Inc. . 1-800-354-8945
21. National Carriers . 1-866-232-8287 ext. 1411
22. Gordon Trucking Inc. . 888-832-6484
23. Barr-Nunn Transportation (Company Driver Recruiter). 1-888-999-7576
24. Texas Star Express . 888-299-8458
25. Core Carrier . 1-888-454-2673
26. Sisbro, Inc. . 1-800-571-0421
27. May Trucking Company . 1-800-547-9169 ext 3217
28. J.B. Hunt Transport, Inc. (ALL). 1-877-791-9458
29. Freightmasters, Inc. (Local). 800-288-0161
30. Van Wyk, Inc. . 800-245-8775
31. Schneider National (Schneider Recruiting). 1-800-44-PRIDE
32. Schneider National (Schneider Recruiting). 1-800-44-PRIDE
33. Mid-American Driving Academy . 877-668-0688
34. Western Express . 877-759-3835
35. Paschall Truck Lines . 877 764 0101
36. Smith Transport, Inc. . 866-451-2867
37. Total Transportation of Mississippi . 1-800-942-2104
38. Interstate Distributor Co. . 800-Drive 4 Us

Koch was looking for drivers. They sent me an e-mail but on their site it said you can only be out of work for a few months. I got a postcard from Knight. I've never had the chance to talk to any Knight drivers. If I relocate, will that help my job hunt?

I wanna win the lottery and **** a playmate too. If you marry her, she'll divorce you and take half of your lottery winnings.

You say you drove, and you don't know if these companies are good or not? Do some research. I'm not trying to be a smart***** but [if] you get offered any job you better take it and hold on tight. 2 years ago you would have had an excellent chance to find the job you were describing, but in this economic crisis you will be lucky to find any openings at all. If you live in the Chicago area there should be plenty of places to look, but they aren't gonna be handed to you on some message board.

i thought the response was good. right now is not the time to be demanding what you will or will not do. i would think that just shy of begging for a job is the best one can do right now. in response to the list you have applied to, i think the better question is who did you NOT apply to. 18 months is going to get you little to no respect with your attitude. reminds of a guy that told me once that he did his time otr and refused to do it anymore because of his experience....12 months and 4 jobs!!!!

That's hardly an accurate comparison! I worked one job (my first driving job) for 18 months...versus some idiot who quit 4 jobs in 12 months. He worked for four horrible companies in a row or the problem was him. I'll let you determine that. If you understood the full extent of what a crappy company it turned into (the last 6 months I worked there) you would not be so quick to judge me. The fact the company folded up its entire van division of 400+ drivers (and staff), and seasoned drivers were already quitting left and right, says all that needs to be said. I'm just stating the facts...call it "an attitude" if it suits you. I busted my ass and did my job in a safe, timely manner (despite all of the nonsense).

That list I posted is just the standard list from the application on this site. I was trying to get some suggestions as to good companies (that treat their drivers better than dirt) . People who beg for any jobs (no matter how terribly bad an employer will treat them) have no standards (or a horrible criminal record, accident record or MVR record)...and proceed to tolerate any sort of mistreatment a company dishes out. They are the reason, companies like that, treat drivers that poorly! They can just hire more new idiots to smash up their trucks and kill someone. I know there are decent companies out there! That is what I am looking for! I understand that the economy has been in a rut...but there are definitely decent jobs out there. I thought this was a good place that I could get some good, less-biased information...not be verbally attacked for asking for help!

wake up and get real. time are tough and you're a rookie, you should take any job that's offered to you.. P.S. change your attitude............