Moving On After 6 Months Experience Suggestions?

I'm approaching my 6th month of OTR... and looking to switch to a higher paying company.

Does anyone know of any OTR companies that may include as much of the following as possible:

+High CPM and miles per week/weekly minimum

+Services 48 states... (like to run coast to coast)

+Able to accumulate home time... for example, can earn 1 home day for every 6 days out w/ no cap on accrual

+No/low touch dry van or reefer

+Newer equipment w/ APU's.

+Self dispatch or no forced dispatch

Thanks for your input...

OTR:

Over The Road

OTR driving normally means you'll be hauling freight to various customers throughout your company's hauling region. It often entails being gone from home for two to three weeks at a time.

Dry Van:

A trailer or truck that that requires no special attention, such as refrigeration, that hauls regular palletted, boxed, or floor-loaded freight. The most common type of trailer in trucking.

CPM:

Cents Per Mile

Drivers are often paid by the mile and it's given in cents per mile, or cpm.

Reefer:

A refrigerated trailer.

OWI:

Operating While Intoxicated

APU:

Auxiliary Power Unit

On tractor trailers, and APU is a small diesel engine that powers a heat and air conditioning unit while charging the truck's main batteries at the same time. This allows the driver to remain comfortable in the cab and have access to electric power without running the main truck engine.

Having an APU helps save money in fuel costs and saves wear and tear on the main engine, though they tend to be expensive to install and maintain. Therefore only a very small percentage of the trucks on the road today come equipped with an APU.

APU's:

Auxiliary Power Unit

On tractor trailers, and APU is a small diesel engine that powers a heat and air conditioning unit while charging the truck's main batteries at the same time. This allows the driver to remain comfortable in the cab and have access to electric power without running the main truck engine.

Having an APU helps save money in fuel costs and saves wear and tear on the main engine, though they tend to be expensive to install and maintain. Therefore only a very small percentage of the trucks on the road today come equipped with an APU.

I'm approaching my 6th month of OTR... and looking to switch to a higher paying company.

Does anyone know of any OTR companies that may include as much of the following as possible:

+High CPM and miles per week/weekly minimum

+Services 48 states... (like to run coast to coast)

+Able to accumulate home time... for example, can earn 1 home day for every 6 days out w/ no cap on accrual

+No/low touch dry van or reefer

+Newer equipment w/ APU's.

+Self dispatch or no forced dispatch

Thanks for your input...

That's a lot of ask for 6 months experience. The best thing for you to do is write down a list of all your wishes then start calling companies recruiters and ask them each one, write their answers down then, when done calling them all just compare their answers and pick the one that checks the most boxes.

OTR:

Over The Road

OTR driving normally means you'll be hauling freight to various customers throughout your company's hauling region. It often entails being gone from home for two to three weeks at a time.

Dry Van:

A trailer or truck that that requires no special attention, such as refrigeration, that hauls regular palletted, boxed, or floor-loaded freight. The most common type of trailer in trucking.

CPM:

Cents Per Mile

Drivers are often paid by the mile and it's given in cents per mile, or cpm.

Reefer:

A refrigerated trailer.

OWI:

Operating While Intoxicated

APU:

Auxiliary Power Unit

On tractor trailers, and APU is a small diesel engine that powers a heat and air conditioning unit while charging the truck's main batteries at the same time. This allows the driver to remain comfortable in the cab and have access to electric power without running the main truck engine.

Having an APU helps save money in fuel costs and saves wear and tear on the main engine, though they tend to be expensive to install and maintain. Therefore only a very small percentage of the trucks on the road today come equipped with an APU.

APU's:

Auxiliary Power Unit

On tractor trailers, and APU is a small diesel engine that powers a heat and air conditioning unit while charging the truck's main batteries at the same time. This allows the driver to remain comfortable in the cab and have access to electric power without running the main truck engine.

Having an APU helps save money in fuel costs and saves wear and tear on the main engine, though they tend to be expensive to install and maintain. Therefore only a very small percentage of the trucks on the road today come equipped with an APU.

What carrier do you drive with now?

Transam

I'm curious. How did you come up with your decision to "move on?" I know you say you want a higher paying company. That's not what peaks my curiosity. I'm curious about your time line. How did you come up with the six month mark? Were you satisfied at three months? Why not give them a year? Surely there's still a lot you can learn. What triggered this at six months?

Your list of criteria is amazing. I mean you sound as if you have got something really special to offer somebody. Is there something special about you that makes you worthy of all those things you deem important? I have found that if I had something special to offer my trucking employer they treated me as if I was some coveted prize. They steadily increased my pay, kept me busy running the kind of routes I liked, and I never heard from them unless it was to tell me "Thanks, and here's some bonus money for you!" I've honestly never found myself looking for another trucking job. I changed companies one time in eight years. That was only because someone here at Trucking Truth talked me into contacting a recruiter who made me an incredible offer.

How are your relationships at Transam? People never seem to realize the importance of establishing a strong working relationship with their dispatcher. We can't ignore the power of that relationship. It can make or break us in this career.

100% agree with OS.

I’ve been with Swift for 7 years now Godsgift (telling name)...run Walmart NE Regional Dedicated...no interest in looking elsewhere. Why do you think that is? I made 80+k last year and had lots of days off...

Oh... my professional relationships are the key to my success there. Unlike you; I like people. You’ve gone on and on about your dislike of people. I suggest rethinking your approach to your career.

Changing companies isn’t going to dramatically change your results. Starts with you.

I’m gonna stay out of this 1 to a point your job isn’t gonna pay in trucking if you don’t make it work 1st thing gonna be your prob only gonna be home 4 days every month for the 1 st year!! You gotta try and put up high miles and on time delivery learn to call ahead if changes on delivery time is gonna be affected etc etc safety mileage all comes in to play if your not happy with the company I get it move on but be professional!!! Your list of wants are pretty far reaching in this business regardless of what you’ve read it’s gonna take more than 6 months to get what your looking for ... I get moving on if your not making a living and your meeting the criteria of otr so I’m not bashing you !! But most of the higher paid drivers earned their spot it wasn’t given to them

I'm curious. How did you come up with your decision to "move on?" I know you say you want a higher paying company. That's not what peaks my curiosity. I'm curious about your time line. How did you come up with the six month mark? Were you satisfied at three months? Why not give them a year? Surely there's still a lot you can learn. What triggered this at six months?

Your list of criteria is amazing. I mean you sound as if you have got something really special to offer somebody. Is there something special about you that makes you worthy of all those things you deem important? I have found that if I had something special to offer my trucking employer they treated me as if I was some coveted prize. They steadily increased my pay, kept me busy running the kind of routes I liked, and I never heard from them unless it was to tell me "Thanks, and here's some bonus money for you!" I've honestly never found myself looking for another trucking job. I changed companies one time in eight years. That was only because someone here at Trucking Truth talked me into contacting a recruiter who made me an incredible offer.

How are your relationships at Transam? People never seem to realize the importance of establishing a strong working relationship with their dispatcher. We can't ignore the power of that relationship. It can make or break us in this career.

Transam

How are you moving on with 6 months experience when you failed your CDL road test 4 months ago? If I read your previous posts correctly, you got your CDL without a 160 hour certificate. You're going to have trouble moving on because most companies willing to accept less than a year experience want a 160 hour certificate. My advice would be complete a year and see who will have you.

I failed my first road test but passed on my 2nd.

I'll be approaching the 6 month mark in March... just thought I'd start research now.

I've been doing fine w/ OTR and relationships...

Want to move to a different company since Transam was more of a starter company for me.

Current CPM is really low, so why wouldn't I move to a higher paying company?

It's not like they are going to compensate me apart from what their pay structure is, no matter how good of a job I do.

From my research thus far, I don't think the 160 hr certificate matters, as long as you have verifiable experience.

Why ask for advice if you have all the answers?

You have 4 months of experience...and you want to jump ship...

Stick with your first company for at least one year.

Done...