Profile For Herbie C.

I just completed my first week of solo driving for Schneider. The pay isn't the greatest out there by far, I am making .34 cents a mile, by the end of my first year I'll be at .41 cents. I have had nothing but positive experiences with everyone in the company that I've ever come into contact with. When I got my truck last week it was in shambles, not going to lie. I hated it, the previous driver was a smoker so it had that stale smell. It wasn't taken care of either by the previous owner. Its a 2012 Freightliner, but it's my truck and I have cleaned it up and gotten it into respectable shape. But I've already been told by my DBL that I will have a new 2016 truck by the end of November, my truck is already being appraised so they can sell it off. Once that happens, its a short time before you're given a new truck. I'm very happy with my choice to go with Schneider. With winter coming I want the control over my driving and if I'm not comfortable I can shut down and not worry about being threatened or yelled at. Not many companies offer that, and for a rookie driver coming into their first winter that is a big deal. Almost worth more than cents per mile for a rookie. Control is huge.

Hey quick question when you did your 18 day orientation did you have a private hotel room or did you have to share a room with someone?

Herbie if your still listening, just ask the recruiter what the pay is. If you're gonna be home weekly/regional driver, you'll probably be getting paid additional $ per stop.

You can read my Notes for Newbies.

I've made bonus every quarter since hired in January. Anybody who thinks $600+ per quarter is peanuts is welcome to send me $2,400/year. Oh yeah, they are putting me in a new 2016 next week too. Hmm...imagine that; I'm a rookie driver AND getting a new truck.

Many companies are good. I love driving for Schneider.

I will do that. Thank you sir.

A few thoughts on your evaluation of Schneider:

The drivers had nothing good to say about the company and nothing good about the trucks they were given to drive.

Schneider has well over 10,000 drivers. How many did you actually speak with? And none of them had anything good to say about the company and yet they all choose to work there?

They have very nice equipment. The average age of their trucks is under 3 years old.

The newbie sign on bonus is $1000 paid out over a year's time so let's break down down to about $81 dollars a month so an extra $25 bucks per week. WHOOPIE!!!!

How much of a bonus do you think a new driver should get coming out of school, and do you really think you should judge a company based upon the size of their sign on bonus?

And if $1,000 paid out at $25 bucks a week is peanuts, I can give you my information and you can start sending me that many peanuts each week.

They also have tuition reimbursement of up to $6,000.

You are not allowed much idle time and their trucks do not have APU's in them to give you better comfort and to run a regular mini refrigerator and regular appliances to fix your meals in and a microwave. All of those comforts really matter to a driver is is going to be out at 2 weeks or more at a time

Over 99% of the trucks on the highway today do not have an APU. I drove for 15 years and never had an APU. You can idle when you need to in order to be comfortable and run your electronics just fine.

Schneider is a great company but so are a lot of others. The biggest factors you should consider when choosing a job are:

1) Home time

2) The types of freight you'd like to haul

3) Pay & Benefits

4) Other opportunities the company may have in various divisions

Once you determine which companies offer the home time and the type of freight you'd like to haul your choices will be narrowed down considerably. At that point you can use other factors to determine which one suits you the best.

Don't worry too much about sign on bonuses or APU's.

Thank you sir I appreciate you taking the time to get in on my question I am sure your very busy with people wanting you to reply to them lol but for real I did appreciate it

Thank you for all of your valuable input in this I will write an update after phone call Wednesday 10am Eastern time. Once again thank you all and I am sure I will have more questions as I go along

Oh yeh, .37/mile once out of training with regular raises.

Also where are the out of Averitt that is I am out of NY do they have any locations close to me if you know that is?

Ok thank you for the help gentleman

I thought the same thing lol

Errol your new avatar is disturbing to look at. In a word, creepy.

I went through the entire process up to setting up a date for orientation. They offered .30/ mile to start. I looked at all they were offering and the training schedule. I went elsewhere and couldn't be happier. Personally I think the bonuses they are offering are just a carrot that in reality is what they should be paying from day one. An illusion if you will.

Where else did you go if you don't mind me asking? With no experience and what did they start you out at?

Right that's what I seen it was just the 48k-65k depending on exp and location I am reading it as no less then 48k and no more then 65k

Look carefully at Schneider's quote for $48,000. Do you see any "fine print", or an asterisk *, or does it say "the top 10% of our first year drivers can make ..."? Schneider's not a bad place to start, but, you know, you see advertising, and you get interested.

Here is the excerpt from Schneider's Regional Truck Driving Jobs page:

Bigger Money, Better Benefits

Consistent freight and predictable miles make for paychecks you can count on. You can earn $48,000 - $65,000, depending on experience and location. In addition to your base pay, you’ll have the opportunity to earn performance bonuses and have access to unlimited referral bonuses of $1,000. Schneider drivers also enjoy valuable benefits like medical insurance, dental and vision coverage, vacation days and a 401(k) program with company match.

Yessir I just looked again it gave the minimum of $48,000 to a max of $65,000 depending on exp being that I have none I assumed the least amount shown