I Need Honest Opinons

Kayle is looking for something:

... I want a challenge.

To this, I'll tell you, the trucking lifestyle is a challenge. You were in the Marines, and I know there's challenge represented by the Marine motto semper fidelis. (I was in the USAF, so I missed out on "semper fi".) No, the challenge of trucking is not like climbing Mt Everest, because every day you might meet a different challenge. You can read deeper into this forum to see what you will be up against.

You might notice that every response to your OP question about moving to Melton has been negative. Not toward you, but to the idea of not completing the commitment to your hiring company. Schneider has already hired you! They and you are just waiting to get you through all your training before they can trust you on the road with a tractor and a trailer. You might say the collected wisdom of the Trucking Truth members is stick with your first choice and to not move around the industry.

Finally, as Old School points out, flat bed driving isn't necessarily a high energy job. For that you might look into throwing hay bales or something. All truck drivers spend 90% or more of their day motionless in a chair (great views!) holding onto a steering wheel. This is not exercise.

Sign on for a great and challenging lifestyle. (Schneider is a good choice, and I've been with Swift for three years.) Build your career on stability, not on jumping to the next carrier who seems to have one or two better benefits.

I would stick with Schiender personally they took a chance and hired you after all. If you want physical activity you could try the Dollar General or Dollar Tree account Schiender has you have to hand unload a entire trailer over several stops. But that comes with the added challenge of backing into some of their stores which can be super tight. But they always need drivers for that so you could put in some time and then transfer there.

The other question is would Melton even hire you? They enjoy a pretty good reputation in the industry and might not go for someone who switches jobs before even starting, they would probably think you would do the same to them if some other company cought your fancy.

I would stick with Schiender personally they took a chance and hired you after all. If you want physical activity you could try the Dollar General or Dollar Tree account Schiender has you have to hand unload a entire trailer over several stops. But that comes with the added challenge of backing into some of their stores which can be super tight. But they always need drivers for that so you could put in some time and then transfer there.

The other question is would Melton even hire you? They enjoy a pretty good reputation in the industry and might not go for someone who switches jobs before even starting, they would probably think you would do the same to them if some other company cought your fancy.

Obviously I don't work in Meltons recruiting department but, yes they probably would hire him, imo. They struggle with turn over just as much as every other large trucking company and are in no position to go with quality over quantity without downsizing immensely. I received calls from Maverick, McElroy, and TMC recruiters(the only other companies I applied with) throughout orientation and my training with Melton. The industry is one big competition and all of the companies operate much the same. We had several drivers in my orientation alone who quit other companies while still in training. It just is what it is.

One thing I have learned is that horror stories exist at every company, however I have never experienced any of them.

I would always recommend sticking it out with one company especially the first one for a year, that way you get the experience, and if you can stick it out for 2yrs with no points on your CDL , then you can pretty much write your own ticket and get pretty good money in this business. What one person may have experienced, does not mean you will experience it.

I have driven some really nice looking trucks on the outside that were not worth a darn. My current company has a ton of bad press in reviews, however I am treated very well, run 3,000 + miles a week, make good money, have a truck that gets from point A-B and can pass an inspection through any scale house in the lower 48. I run dry van. I have run flatbed, heavy haul/OD, reefer , and van. So far I actually like the freight I am hauling now. If they took the time to invest in you as a person and potential driver, it would only be courteous to extend to them the Commitment that you signed up for.

Just my opinion........

Very well said, Jason! I agree wholeheartedly with all of it.