So Schneider Or Raider Express?

I'm curious if anyone has any knowledge of Raider Express out of Fort Worth, TX and what you might think of them?

I'm likely getting into trucking soon as I don't care for my present employer and am just not feeling it for my industry anymore. I also have a desire to see the country, have always loved trucks and see it as a financial investment for my future (I turn 49 today and want to work towards having a good enough financial nest egg when I can't work in the future) and what I'm doing now isn't financially cutting it.

I had called Schneider after a particularly hard day and was treated very curtly. The only thing they could offer me after presumably graduating their school and getting my CDL would've been hailing chemicals which didn't appeal to me. You'd also think they'd start off a new inexperienced driver on something simple and safe first, not something you'd potentially have to evacuate an area if you had an accident (my sense of humor, new driver Kevin had a fender bender and the neighborhood went boom!)

My second choice was Raider which I emailed and they got back to me quickly. I was curious if anyone had any experience with them?

Training - They'll both send you to school, but Schneider wants a commitment and seeks payback for school if you don't stick around. Also they do paycheck deductions if you do so as to pay for your schooling. They also don't support you during your time schooling. Raider says their school is absolutely free, as I've heard from a friend they bought out a school and made it their own. They'll hire you out of their school and there's no payback.

Trucks - Both run nice enough trucks. I don't know what Schneider runs, Raider runs Volvos I've read. Can't imagine there being a real difference so long as they're automatic and reasonably equipped. I couldn't imagine careing.

Benefits - Schneider has more benefits, but Raider doesn't appear to be a slouch. This site itself says Raider does alright.

Freight - Schneider hauls most everything. Raider does mainly food and particularly refrigerated items meaning reefers. How is sleeping in a cab with a reefer behind you? Ear plugs or noise cancelling headphones?

Does it really matter about yards and such to put into? I mean on map Schneider has more locations. Raider less. But do number of locations really matter? I'd think you'd be more interested putting into a good truck stop and the services offered there vs a bad truck stop as much as a yard your company owns.

Thoughts and advice, thanks I'm advance...

Hi Kevin, sorry about the short response from Schneider. Schneider does have a large dry van o.c. in Wilmer, not too far from Ft. Worth. I’d call again, you’ll probably get a different recruiter and a different answer. Insist on pulling dry vans. Re: the schooling, of course you’re going to have to pay that back.. that’s an industry standard. I don’t believe Raider Express will send you to school, and not expect to be reimbursed for it. That makes zero financial sense on their part. Before you commit to that idea, call Raider Express and ask them about it, before relying on what you heard.

Schneider’s benefits are very good, as is their training. There are O.C.s all over the country, which are pretty nice (showers, free laundry, café in some). I believe their CDL school is in Green Bay. As I said, give them a call back, according to their website there are dry van jobs available in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area. Hope this helps. And thank you for not taking them up on driving tankers. I don’t feel any new driver should be pulling tankers without at least one year’s experience.

How is sleeping in a cab with a reefer behind you? Ear plugs or noise cancelling headphones?

You won't need either and you will have the best sleep of your life. I can't sleep without the apu or reefer running now, so I use a white nose machine at home that plays rain falling.

Reefer:

A refrigerated trailer.

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.

Paid CDL Training Programs Good review on Raider Express program.

Schneider does pay you while you’re in training and they have a training facility in Wilmer, TX, I start there on the 29th.

To all those who answered thanks! I'll try calling Schneider again on Monday about what types of freight they'd offer a newbie in my area after graduation. But I agree that I'd not want any newbie driving potentially hazardous chemicals around while still potentially being skittish. Was joking with a friend when I told them, with a dry van if I were to have an accident you'd just close the intersection and maybe watch the truck burn a bit until the fire department got there. But hauling chemicals I'd have an accident and you'd have to evacuate the neighborhood!

I'll also call Raider as well. I figured there's a catch in their somewhere, cause what would be there to prevent you from getting trained and then jumping ship. A driver who came though the hotel I work for now told me of these grants through the Texas Workforce Commission where they'd pay for you to go to school to learn how to drive. I figured maybe they'd apply for such a grant on your behalf and you just sign it over to them or something. I figured somewhere, someone will get paid.

To all those who answered thanks! I'll try calling Schneider again on Monday about what types of freight they'd offer a newbie in my area after graduation. But I agree that I'd not want any newbie driving potentially hazardous chemicals around while still potentially being skittish. Was joking with a friend when I told them, with a dry van if I were to have an accident you'd just close the intersection and maybe watch the truck burn a bit until the fire department got there. But hauling chemicals I'd have an accident and you'd have to evacuate the neighborhood!

I'll also call Raider as well. I figured there's a catch in their somewhere, cause what would be there to prevent you from getting trained and then jumping ship. A driver who came though the hotel I work for now told me of these grants through the Texas Workforce Commission where they'd pay for you to go to school to learn how to drive. I figured maybe they'd apply for such a grant on your behalf and you just sign it over to them or something. I figured somewhere, someone will get paid.

I looked into Raider Express, and there is no catch with the no contract training. I spoke to a couple of drivers there before signing up for a private school. I probably would have chosen to Raider Express, but I don't meet their background requirements. The reason Raider Express can offer no contract training is that they have very low turnover. In fact, the company has among the lowest turnover rate in the industry. That's the catch. They treat their drivers very well to where there is no reason to get CDL and jump ship.

Schneider does pay you while you’re in training and they have a training facility in Wilmer, TX, I start there on the 29th.

Did ya get there, Brian??

Start a DIARY!

We 'love these!' here at TT. Hope all is great; I know you're just into your 1st week. A lot of 'chit chat' about SNI on here, lately.

Keep us'n's in the loop, thanks!

~ Anne ~

p> Did ya get there, Brian??

Start a DIARY!

We 'love these!' here at TT. Hope all is great; I know you're just into your 1st week. A lot of 'chit chat' about SNI on here, lately.

Keep us'n's in the loop, thanks!

~ Anne ~

Ya, I made it here.

Everything s going good so far. I'll try a start a review this weekend when I get some time.

Thanks.

p> Did ya get there, Brian??

Start a DIARY!

We 'love these!' here at TT. Hope all is great; I know you're just into your 1st week. A lot of 'chit chat' about SNI on here, lately.

Keep us'n's in the loop, thanks!

~ Anne ~

Ya, I made it here.

Everything s going good so far. I'll try a start a review this weekend when I get some time.

Thanks.

Glad to hear, good sir!!!

~ Anne ~