Need Help In Evaluating Equipment!

Hello all, I am getting ready to choose my school (have narrowed it down to three and driving to Kingman, AZ tomorrow to check out the last one on the short list in person) and am the stage of evaluating companies. Driver/creature comfort is of paramount importance to me, right behind safety/vehicle maintenance. How do I evaluate all the different types of equipment out there? All companies say they have "late model equip", that is not less than two years old. Some have APU's (do these things even work?), some don't but have strange idle policies (one company makes you pay THEM if you over idle), etc. How do you stay cool without an APU (or equivalent) while on your 10 hour break? How do you stay warm with a bunk heater only? Should I be concerned or interested in the gear ratios of the differentials for better pulling the hills, etc? Engine type? Does it really matter nowadays? Having the engine governed, does that help or hinder a driver? Transmission? Are automatics the way of the future, better for the driver? I understand CSA scores and how to use that in evaluations, but the above is harder for me. Some real life experience would be very much appreciated. Thank you all and be safe.

G MAN

CSA:

Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA)

The CSA is a Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) initiative to improve large truck and bus safety and ultimately reduce crashes, injuries, and fatalities that are related to commercial motor vehicle

OOS:

When a violation by either a driver or company is confirmed, an out-of-service order removes either the driver or the vehicle from the roadway until the violation is corrected.

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.

Well for starters I would ignore the CSA scores. Companies that hire students are naturally going to have more accidents, tickets, and roadside inspection tickets because of the inexperience of their drivers so that is going to drag down their score. I would ignore that altogether when evaluating a company.

As far as equipment goes, the only thing you really only have a few things to consider. One is whether or not they're going to put you in a "condo" or a "flat top" bunk. I know Prime is putting new drivers in much smaller "lightweight" trucks which have a lot less room in them but they're going to pay the drivers more than almost any company out there - so it's a trade-off.

APU's are nice but 95% of the time you can idle just fine whenever you need to so that's not a big concern.

Automatics have been a struggle from day one and most companies have abandoned them or are going to soon. I drove one for several years and I liked em but I don't think you'll see them around for long unless there's some sort of a major breakthrough.

And in the end, evaluating equipment is kind of a waste of time because you have no idea what truck you'll be assigned once you go to work for a company. Almost every major company has a whole assortment of brands with various engine/transmission combinations. So you'll get your heart set on one thing and you'll show up for work and get assigned something completely different.

As long as a company has solid equipment that's relatively new, which pretty much all of the major companies do, I wouldn't worry about that too much. It's all good equipment. There are a few companies like Schneider that are keeping their equipment longer than most others so you might want to ask how long they're keeping their trucks.

Otherwise, I would focus on pay, benefits, type of freight, home time, average weekly miles, and future opportunities like dedicated runs, regional runs, and various divisions for different types of freight.

Dedicated Run:

A driver or carrier who transports cargo between regular, prescribed routes. Normally it means a driver will be dedicated to working for one particular customer like Walmart or Home Depot and they will only haul freight for that customer. You'll often hear drivers say something like, "I'm on the Walmart dedicated account."

Regional:

Regional Route

Usually refers to a driver hauling freight within one particular region of the country. You might be in the "Southeast Regional Division" or "Midwest Regional". Regional route drivers often get home on the weekends which is one of the main appeals for this type of route.

CSA:

Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA)

The CSA is a Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) initiative to improve large truck and bus safety and ultimately reduce crashes, injuries, and fatalities that are related to commercial motor vehicle

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.

Bunk heaters on high can blow upwards of 120 to 130 degrees and in a 8 x10 box you will not have a problem staying warm. Most times it will give you more warm air than you can stand so you just turn it down.

Most companies that take new drivers have close to the same setup on all the trucks with only a few differences. Its not really something you should worry about. Unless your going a completely different route you will be working with a big company and will be in a goverened truck around 60 to 65 mph. Gear ratios and and size of engine and type of transmissions is something you can worry with later down the road.

Thanks Guy and Brett! I appreciate it. The things you mention, Brett, to focus on don't mean anything to me. I am not doing this for the money, don't need the hometime and benefits. I do agree about looking into what kind of runs, etc., which I am. So that is why I want the MOST comfortable, safe equipment when I start out. I don't have my heart set on anything, just a safe and comfortable truck.

G MAN

G Man, you aren't gonna find a company that is gonna give you a custom condo truck, with the kitchen, bathroom, shower, and TV in it. What you are gonna get is a regular truck, with a sleeper that has a twin sized bed. And if your lucky it will have an APU unit, a fridge, and possibly room for your tv. But you will also get a dispatcher that expects you to roll those wheels 70 hours a week. for your first year, you won't have much time to be a tourist. You will be busy rollin' those wheels, and tryin' not to run over anything, get lost, or miss an appointment. This will not be a paid vacation <. You will have you hands full doing everything your dispatcher puts infront of you. And...you had better stay with the company you choose for a whole year. Or you may find it hard for another company to take a chance on hiring you. Creature comforts are all well and good....when your waiting to get loaded, when your waiting to get unloaded, when your turnin' your 34, when your shut down from weather, when you've driven your 10 for the day.....but as a rule...after you've been out there for awhile, there will be alot of things that will be hhigher on your list than creature comforts....trust me.

Dispatcher:

Dispatcher, Fleet Manager, Driver Manager

The primary person a driver communicates with at his/her company. A dispatcher can play many roles, depending on the company's structure. Dispatchers may assign freight, file requests for home time, relay messages between the driver and management, inform customer service of any delays, change appointment times, and report information to the load planners.

HOS:

Hours Of Service

HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.

OOS:

When a violation by either a driver or company is confirmed, an out-of-service order removes either the driver or the vehicle from the roadway until the violation is corrected.

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.

G Ma.....but as a rule...after you've been out there for awhile, there will be alot of things that will be hhigher on your list than creature comforts....trust me.

What, no shower in the truck? What the heck? Forget it then! Seriously, Starcar thanks for the response. Question is, what things are you refering to in the above quote from your reply? Thanks.

G MAN

Are you referring to "higher on your priority list " ?? If so...here's a short list.....

Home cooked food A face you've seen before, and not in your dreams clothes washed,dried, and folded sleeping in your very own bed watching your tv with the channels you are used to hugging little bodies instead of your pillow going to sleep to the sound of the rain on your roof, and not on your sleeper and the list is endless

You will find that some of the things you thought wouldn't affect you really do. You may be a big tough guy....but you will still feel lonely at times. You will miss seeing your families faces. You will long for a meal that wasn't frozen, or out of a prepackaged container. You will finally realize how fast your life can pass you by............ And when that happens, you will agree with me, that it doesn't matter if the inside of your truck was designed by Donald Trump.....and you will agree with Alice..."There's no place like home".

Are you referring to "higher on your priority list " ?? If so...here's a short list.....

Home cooked food A face you've seen before, and not in your dreams clothes washed,dried, and folded sleeping in your very own bed watching your tv with the channels you are used to hugging little bodies instead of your pillow going to sleep to the sound of the rain on your roof, and not on your sleeper and the list is endless

You will find that some of the things you thought wouldn't affect you really do. You may be a big tough guy....but you will still feel lonely at times. You will miss seeing your families faces. You will long for a meal that wasn't frozen, or out of a prepackaged container. You will finally realize how fast your life can pass you by............ And when that happens, you will agree with me, that it doesn't matter if the inside of your truck was designed by Donald Trump.....and you will agree with Alice..."There's no place like home".

Star, I get what you are saying. Thanks. I am already alone, no family, no girlfriend, no home, so......