I'm Almost To My Final Decision On Which Company I Am Going To Go With!

Amen!

All of that was well said Brett, and well deserved by Chicon. He had me irritated (again) last night, but I was enjoying sitting by the fire with my family gathered around and decided I would sleep on it before I let him know (again) how we can see right through his thin veil of Bull Excrement.

I woke up this morning to find you had already dealt with it and did it better than I would have.

Folks that's why it's called Trucking Truth. If there's one thing we work hard at in here it is exposing falsehoods like Chicon insists on spreading.

So now I really think that I am very much leaning toward two companies, I realize that weekends can steal money from me as a trucker, but I also realize that I need to think about the fact that I have family that need to be focused on too, like Grandparents who are getting older and eventually will need care. I know that these companies try to get me home for the weekend 46 out of 52 weeks and that I can choose to stay out and make that extra money if I need to or want to. TMC and McElroy hire in my state and in Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania is where my Grandparents live. So the two companies I am choosing between is TMC and McElroy. Just trying to out way pay rates. Pretty close though.

Victor, it's great that you have put much thought into this decision, and always keeping your family at the top of your requirements. Let me quote what you just wrote:

Pretty close though.

If TMC and McElroy are "so close", maybe you might have the luxury of looking at other factors. Though not important for OTR , there is something to be said for a terminal being close to one of your family locations. Or other company policies that you feel better about. So it looks like the tough part of your decision is done, so get into the details.

Best of luck, Victor.

Ok so I have decided that I will go with TMC Transportation #1 pick and then with McElroy #2 and last would be Maverick #3.

I've done much research in TMC Transportation and McElroy. Maverick I've done some research and I like them too. My biggest concern with Melton and the biggest reason I have listed them on my top options is because TMC has a terminal right here where my Grandma and Grandpa Davis lives. That being said, I also realized that they take care of the trucks have a great CSA score because they are in the top 5 safety list. Now so it doesn't McElroy but what McElroy doesn't have is a terminal closer to Grandma and Grandpa Davis. The nice thing about TMC though is there trucks are super loaded with goodies for the driver. Maverick comes next because they have a pretty decent pay range and they have a lot of options if I wanted to change and they still try to get you home on the weekends to spend time with your family. But that being said I don't know if they have the greatest safety record or not if anyone can help me that would be awesome. Melton comes last because of the fact that it's less possible with them to get me home on the weekends which is not good if I'm going to try and give my grandparents help when needed at the house. Live TMC Maverick and McElroy I have a decision or more like choice to stay out on the weekends. That's what I like about TMC Maverick and McElroy. So that's my decisions. Training should be up for me in 4 weeks so that should be good and I hope to get into TMC. If you have any advice or questions or wisdom about anything, feel free to ask. Talk to you soon.

I forgot to list Melton 4th

Victor, you are doing a great job at making your decision. Even though I think you are laboring over it too much, I understand why the newbies think it is such a critical decision. I just wanted to point out something that may prove helpful to some others in their quest as they look into your whole decision making process.

Looking into the company's CSA score doesn't really give you a good idea about the company. The company's CSA score actually comes from it's drivers. There are some things that the company can do to help with this, but ultimately that company score is directly related to the performance of it's drivers. So having a good group of drivers who understand the importance of proper pre-tripping equipment, and operating safely does wonders for a company's CSA score. A company can have a really serious commitment to safety and then a few bad apples in the bunch can do considerable damage to their CSA score. Even a rash of seriously bad weather that causes some serious accidents in a fleet can do some real damage to their scores.

At Knight, my employer, they take this CSA score very seriously. I like their philosophy on it, but it can have unfortunate consequences for the drivers. Pretty much if you have some sort of an accident at Knight you are done. They don't give you three strikes and you are out, they will usually release a driver upon his first preventable accident. If you otherwise had a good record of performance with them they will generally tell you that you are eligible for re-hire, but only after you have put in a year somewhere else that was accident free. So, those companies with good CSA scores may be a lot less lenient on you as a rookie driver who would normally be prone to some sort of minor accident issues.

A driver can have a really great experience at a company with a less than stellar CSA score. I know this to be true because of my experiences at Western Express. I was able to excel in the pursuit of my career while there, and I built a really great foundation for my trucking career. Once again it comes back to your performance, and has little to do with the company's record or it's reviews online.

One other thing you should realize when looking at trucking company CSA scores is that usually the ones with the more troublesome looking scores are the ones who tend to hire newbies like yourself. That in itself should show you how those scores are more related to the drivers than to the company itself.

Wow old school I did not know that. I have a lot of learning ahead of me. I'm just praying that I am a good driver and that God would not allow any accidents happen in my first year because I want o be a super good druliver like yourself.

Thanks again for the advice!

I'm sorry my phone messed up. Driver like yourself.

Old school got it as always. Maverick preaches so hard on safety it's a little ridiculous at times, but in a good way. When I left orientation I had a better sense of sage practices than before. We actually over do a few things but it's for the good. During training the actual director of safety department speaks to the new guys every week. You really can't lose with any of these companies as I've been saying lol

And Victor, I'm really happy you have narrowed your decision. Everyone wants to find the perfect company.,. But they dont exist. Find one that best matches your needs...and remember that if you do your year then realize your needs have changed or you have discovered what you thought was important isn't as important as you think..you will have more info to discover your next company and adventure. Good luck ;)