Looking For Some Trucking Company Leads

I wouldn't spend entirely too long on the job hunt. Honestly, a lot of it is a waste of time because you can do great at almost any company out there.

US Xpress is a great company - I worked there for 6 years. They take great care of their teams, just like all companies do.

I think you'll find a better consistency of freight for teams with a refrigerated carrier, but don't rule out dry van carriers. It's just that refrigerated carriers have a higher percentage of coast to coast freight than dry van companies do. They're also more consistent with miles, especially around the holidays, where dry van companies tend to go through huge spikes leading up to the holidays and big drops afterward. Obviously these are generalizations, but they're very typical of what you'll find.

I would focus on the long term also. Don't sweat the details about how long the training is or how long you'll be apart or whatever. That's like choosing a hotel based on the check-in experience. It'll be over before you know it so don't worry too much about the short term stuff. Focus on what the job entails after you finish training and you're out there doing it. Also, don't get suckered in by a high starting pay figure. Most companies offer very generous raises throughout the first year so you can do just as well at a company that starts you off at a lower rate. We have drivers that have made more their first year starting at 27 cpm than people who started at 41 cpm. It's all in how hard you run, how you manage your time, how you get along with dispatch, and of course how many nice raises the company gives during that first year.

Thank you for your reply Brett (and thanks to everyone else as well). As you worked for US Xpress for a considerable time I'd like to ask a few questions if I may. While I'm not necessarily trying to pin down an employer at this time I would like us to have a basic knowledge regarding our options. Obviously there are numerous companies out there which would be inappropriate for us as they aren't team orientated, don't have pet policies, we're not in their hiring area etc. etc.

We spoke with our recruiter at US Xpress yesterday for a considerable length of time. Ironically, without having even filled out an application yet, let alone gone through school, we were sent a "conditional offer of employment" immediately after with an open ended invitation to attend orientation in Irving, Tx. We live on Monterey Bay in California (actually live on a boat in harbor) and are within their hiring area, however, it was made clear by the recruiter that US Xpress has limited freight lines on the west coast. My wife and I, aside from being home based on the west coast, hope to take home time in Seattle, Wa and Miramar, California on occasion. The reason being to visit our son, who is a Marine currently stationed at Miramar, and my family in Seattle. I'd also like to believe that trucking may take us up into the states of Montana and Idaho at some point as I grew up in Montana and hoped my wife may get to see those areas on our travels. My question to you is how "limited" is "limited"? Will getting a route home to California, or to Seattle, be difficult with US Xpress and will we find ourselves sitting without an outgoing load? Our recruiter is an extremely nice and informative person, but I also understand the game and fear the answer will be "sure, no problem" and may not reflect the realities. Also, I have repeatedly been told teams average 5k-6k miles per week...realistic expectation or fluff?

You live on a boat on Monterey Bay and you want to leave that!?!? With all the artichokes you want??

All seriousness aside, you are not limited to going home on your home time. As long as the company has freight business at a location, you should be able to go there, it at least close enough.

We call a "conditional offer of employment" a Trucker's Wiki: "Pre-Hire Letter". It's no guarantee, but it means you meet all the requirements. It's a good thing.

Lol....yeah I know. We've got ourselves setup pretty well to keep our expenses low (stupid low for this area) and live pretty cushy. One of our goals in trucking is to rack up our nest egg so we can one day take off on this boat. I'd even like to believe that in the future it may be possible to do some seasonal trucking and spend part of the year sailing Mexico. Turns out it's not such a unique plan as we went to the office the other day to send a fax and got to talking to the harbor master. Of the approximately sixty liveaboards here in our harbor, six are OTR truckers!

I know we can take home time anywhere (at least I'm told that), I'm just concerned about exactly how little US Xpress actually has on the west coast. I do see the occasional US Xpress truck around Salinas but, to be honest, I see a heck of a lot of different names on doors with no particular one really standing out. Hopefully Brett can tell me a bit about his personal experience with that.

Larry; San Diego is one of the worst places in California for truck parking. Well, for a place with a lot of people.

This

https://www.google.com/maps/place/View+Point/@33.0155699,-117.2902055,7533m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0x1ccf283cb0d62bcf!8m2!3d33.0157917!4d-117.2712918

tiny vista/rest stop is probably the closest thing to Miramar, that's not a shipper's property. The only other place remotely nearby is a truck stop or two in San Ysidro - right on the border with Mexico. That vista can be used by trucks overnight, and is accessible only if you are going southbound on I-5. It's a lay by on the side of the interstate , and you'd only want to park there if you had to.

Michael, that's good to know, thanks. Fortunately seeing our son from time to time is the least concern with US Xpress specifically but would be a concern with other companies based upon your information. US Xpress apparently has a yard in Fontana and, when our son is on leave, he's up that way frequently to see his girlfriend. I'm sure we could work out the occasional visit. Also, it's entirely possible that by the time we're through training, been out on the road a while, and ready for a visit he may be in North Carolina for all we know. He'll actually be going on a minimum six month deployment right about the time we could possibly be through company training.

Larry, the mileage totals of 5k -6k is accurate for teams anywhere you go. And the limited availability of West Coast freight is also quite common amongst most carriers. The overwhelming majority of the freight in this country is centered around the population centers and the ports. So most of the freight that does go west goes into and then back out of California, Oregon, or Washington. That means you'll be passing through Montana and Idaho at times for sure, but not likely as often as you will through the Southwest heading toward Southern California.

And you would be able to visit both Miramar and Seattle in your journeys.

It's also common for companies to invite teams into orientation immediately. If they find something in your background they don't like then they'll send you home. But teams are highly coveted so no one wants to risk losing one to a competitor. So that's why they've invited you in immediately.

Thank you Brett. Greatly appreciate the info!