Best Offer?

I'm finding picking the right company is a tough decision. Originally I thought finding the best school was difficult, but turns out that was easy. Home time is very important, prefer weekly but will accept every other. My location is another obstacle, Averitt requires trucks to be parked at terminal , closest is about one fifty. Prime only has reefer for my zip, plus expect to be out three weeks or more. Schneider only has team, that's OTR , dedicated, or regional. Swift, Crete, US Express, National and several others all are out the three weeks or more. All local are flatbed or at least nine months OTR experience. That pretty much leaves XPO, or Werner for now. XPO does sponsor for the school I've chosen. As for now since I've made arrangements to pay for training I'm going to go with it. The school has several recruiters that only speak to students that are not being sponsored. This leaves my options open, one never knows what the recruiters might have to offer.

At least I'm getting offers. I thought for a while I was stuck with being out three weeks or team. This site is so awesome, although you can't make my decisions, I see the decisions everyone has made. Its great to know very few regret that decision. Of course I'm going on the assumption the company I chose, I can also meet their requirements.

Swift is on your list of 3-weeks-out companies, but they actually allow hometime every two weeks. I agree with Eckoh though--it's hard to make much money when you take hometime every two weeks. Thing about Swift is that I've actually gotten home several times "unofficially" while I'm on a load going through my state. It's not scheduled hometime, so I can never count on it happening and it's usually only for a 10-hr reset, but it's something. Swift supposedly (according to their website) tries to keep their drivers in what they call "comfort zones" by keeping you in your general region of the country. The only time I've actually seen or heard this term used at Swift was on their website, but they really do typically keep me pretty close to home unless I ask to get a load somewhere else.

I did two week then home for Swift, then switched to three weeks out. I didn't see any change in dispatches or paychecks. In other words, no difference there.

Errol guess I wasn't. Very clear about the 34 hr reset day off. XPO has one day at home for every 7 out. This is how its stated : you never lose your days off with us, you earn a day at home for every 7 out and if you don't take them you keep them. You also have the freedom to take your days off anywhere within our hiring area. We respect your time off, we have an 8 day highlight policy to have you home or en route.

Eckoh would you please give me a list of company's hiring in zip 73521, students for dry van , with 34 reset at home, over .40 cpm. Rainy D your bf can only take days on a regional after being out for 4 weeks?

Bucket, I don't think you really understand what regional means. I serve a regional position that puts me in something like thirty eight states - it is a large region, but it is still regional - we just don't hit the far Western states.

I know you have all your reasons for choosing what you want, but you will serve your interests much better by taking an over the road job and committing to it for one year, then let yourself be all picky and choosy about how you want to do this. Not only are you limiting yourself incredibly by the way you are going about this, but you are most likely setting yourself up for a difficult path that could end your career in the first three months because of the difficulties of some of the types of jobs that may be available to you as a rookie.

Keep in mind that recruiters both lie and are misinformed as comp ay policies change. They work on commission and are like used car salesmen to get u there.

Ask other drivers for the company. Prime states "one day off for every week out" also.... but that doesn't mean I get home every week. Some of the new drivers thought that meant home every week. The miles and hometime is a big deal. My FM gives me 2900 miles the week b4 and after i take hometime cause when. I do get home.... my pay... wait for it.. this week was NEGATIVE $25. Last month my hometime week check would have been $330 but they took $300 for the cat. The cool thing is that if I need extra money the FM will let me take a pay advance to come out the next week.

On the other hand... I gave up my $1200 per month apartment to live out of my truck. Living on the road is saving me money.

Good like in your decision but keep in mind... the choice need only be temporary. Get your year or two of experience then shop around with a better skill set

Eckoh would you please give me a list of company's hiring in zip 73521, students for dry van , with 34 reset at home, over .40 cpm.

Bucket, you are making a classic rookie blunder in your job search. Your acting like the red carpet should be rolled out for you just because you have a CDL. I hope I am wrong about you, but I've seen this so many times it is disturbing. You're wanting to get paid like your an experienced driver, and you want to be home every weekend - more like you are demanding it, by not taking these jobs that don't go that way. I'm just warning you that nine times out of ten, folks who come into this with your approach fail miserably.

Eckoh doesn't need to be doing your leg work for you when you can put your zip code into our own system when you Apply For Truck Driving Jobs.

Again, I understand you have your reasons, and I completely respect that, but they are not based on a realistically successful approach to entering this field as a rookie driver.

My FM gives me 2900 miles the week b4 and after i take hometime cause when I do get home.... my pay... wait for it.. this week was NEGATIVE $25. Last month my hometime week check would have been $330 but they took $300 for the cat. The cool thing is that if I need extra money the FM will let me take a pay advance to come out the next week.

Wow... that's a pretty good FM you got there Rainy D. How many miles are you getting on your "typical" weeks, i.e. if it's not the week before/after hometime?

I said all along I may have to go OTR. Also that I would rather not. I think XPO and Werner both have made me a pretty good offer. I have in writing from XPO all they are offering except, the regional. Both recruters told me the regional was Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, and Oklahoma. Werner did say to give me more miles the weekend I'd work could be OTR. Also as a rookie if I can get 4000 miles and home every other week at. 30 cpm would be what I've read can be expected.. that would gross around 30,000. Plus both pay some reimbursement. Add that 4,000 and I'm close to the rookie average of 35,000. Another option is both companys have OTR if the home every week, or other week isn't working I'm sure that would be available. All this aside I start school 5/4 for 23 days. I'm going to focus on getting as much knowledge as possible. I've got my work cut out for me. Then I can focus on choosing a company. At that point it doesn't matter which company I go with it's the commitment to stay with them that first year. Going back and reading through this thread. I sound whiney. What I actually was saying is XPO is making me the best offer. Werner has also made a good pitch. I have a pre-hire front US Express and Swift. Bottom line is I'm a long way from climbing in with a trainer. I know I've made two good decisions, one was studying the High Road, and getting all the endorsements. Time will tell but I believe I chose a good sckool.

Training : Werner solo to start then team for 275 hours behind the wheel. I don't have an average miles per week from Werner, or pay increase. Miricleofmagic that drives for Werner has given me great info. (MOM sorry if I misspelled your handle)

Just to clarify, the 275 hours is total training hours. The first 2 weeks the trainer is observing you most of the time if not all of the time you are driving. After that you move to a team like setup with that trainer. The 275 is also not necessarily set on done either. Depending on the reports your trainer gives, the student department can shorten or lengthen that time at their discretion.