Question:
SCHNEIDER or SWIFT or WERNER or US XPRESS or GORDON or C.R. ENGLAND or ?????
All these training "entry-level"" companies have much more in common than different. Each has little pros and cons compared to another, but they all add-up to the same basic sum of their parts.
Perhaps in the long run, what's more important than which company you choose, is:
Which trainer you get assigned.
Which truck you get assigned.
Which dispatcher you get assigned.
Too many newbies end-up getting trained by an ahsolse who doesn't really know what they're doing, or gets assigned a truck with cronic problems, or gets assigned a dispatcher with more trucks than they can handle....or all three...or worse...
Or........you might get lucky with a decent trainer who takes the job seriously and wants to help you, and you get a new truck and a good dispatcher who knows what they're doing and knows how to make you successful.
It can go either way at the mega-carriers. You have very little to say in the matter because so much is random luck -- which trainer, truck and dispatcher you get
There's good and bad folks at every company, at every level. No matter what the recruiters or drivers tell you, all the big companies pull stuff you could otherwise sue them over, except you've signed away most of your conventional employment rights in a sophiscated CDL licensing and employment agreement.
You are disposable on a whim -- yours or theirs. No sweat off their butt if you get mad and quit. They'll have an equally incompetant newbie in your seat tomorrow. They've perfected the "disposable driver" method of constantly turning out students to find the few who will accept their terms in the real world. And if that means not getting home on time or sitting around and maybe collecting layover waiting for a load a couple days because they went to lunch instead of one last e-mail to the planner to get you assigned..... too frickin' bad, end of discussion.
They expect most new drivers to be surprised and disgrunteled by how they're treated, and they know what to do: let them quit. Plenty more will need truck assignments tomorrow when they test-out, and maybe they'll get luckier with the next driver. Maybe he won't mind the crap the last guy quit over. (hope springs eternal, even on the dark side)
Huge numbers of potentially good new drivers are lost to grievances that could be avoided or solved with little effort. Management doesn't try very hard because they don't think it's worth it. Legitimate grievences are lumped together with hopeless malcontentment and everyone gets wasted. (also called the "driver shortage")
Even if you're lucky and everything goes smoothly at first, you eventually will have to choose between eating dirt or quitting. And in this self-perpetuating cycle of abuse and waste, it's never management's fault for losing good newbies and drivers. Abandon your truck or drive unauthorized miles trying to quit in a fit of rage, and they'll tag your DAC or have you arrested so no one will hire you. They've got you by the bllas.
This is the corporate culture you'll have to navigate at every entry-level carrier. It's worse for newbies because they haven't proved themselfs over time yet. It can be brutal and demeaning. You need to do good work and get lucky with your assigned trainer, truck and dispatcher.
So................good luck with all that !
Having said all that: Many good, long-term drivers work for these carriers, and many more have passed through before finding their niche elsewhere.

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Very well said, Shuffler.
All newbies should read this.

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Yeah, they'll all screw you over. Some will take you back behind the woodshed and lay into you eight ways from Sunday. Others will deal you a hand of solitare with one of the aces missing. But it all adds up to the same: loads of long hours, free labor galore, and lots of time spent away from home.
I heard that song "Long Black Train" by Josh Turner on XM the other night, and it sums up OTR perfectly:
Well I can hear the whistle from a mile away
it sounds so good
but I must stay away
that train is a beauty making everybody stare
but its only destination is the middle of nowhere
I was a "starry-eyed" newbie at one time. Lookin at all them chromed-out Petes rollin down the Highpay Highway and just itchin for the day I could jam gears with the big dawgs. But not too long after turning that key to the right, you figure out what a racket this industry is. Yep, the "OTR Train" is all business when it pulls into the station. "All aboard to nowhere, Driver!" And the OTR Train only runs one route: indentured servitude for 1 year with no roundtrip ticket available. Oh yeah, and maybe a train wreck along the way to boot (which almost happened to me the other day courtesy of a not-too-Swift driver).
So if you're considering working for any of those mega-carriers...better toss that dart again. And if it don't land on a local hourly job or some type of regional run that pays decent and gets you home on a regular basis then run, don't walk from your friendly neighborhood OTR recruiter.
and don't go ridin' on that long Black Train
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For the most part what was said is true. It only leaves one little part out. When your new you can be in charge of your furture. There's more to becoming a sucessful driver than just those three things. There is far more to it than just flippng a coin or tossing a dart to decide where to go to work. There is what's called planning.
What do you want to do in a year or two. Do you simply want to be a van driver and start at Swift, Werner, USX or other Van trainee companies. If so then good luck. All you need to do is toss a coin. Their all pretty much the same. Except you might want to look at pay as some are better than others. Good luck with getting that dream local job so you ca be close to your family in a year. They are there but so are all the other newbies in your area waiting to get enough experience. For many it's a dead end plan. What most end up doing is simply changing the name on the truck and running the same routes over an over. In a few years you might even have experience at all the above named companies. Many drivers do.
My opinion, it is smarter to plan the direction you want to go in right from the start. Do you want to haul tanks one day. Good luck getting a tank job if you start at Swift. It would be better to look at tank training companies like Comcar as the first employer. Maybe one day move to specialized tanks and be home more while making some money. Would you like to haul boats one day. Won't happen if you start at Werner in a Van. Start with a Flat Bed or better yet specialized with Schneider. Not that you would make more money with boats but it is more fun and will give you the experience on a double drop thats needed to start local hauling equipment. Not many companies will start you with only van OTR exp. loading their backhoes and the like.
Just make a plan. Look for companies in your area that hire and run the type of trailers you want to haul one day. Then look for jobs that will get you to that point. Maybe there's a specialized hauler by you. Go see them and ask what they need for experience. It would give you an idea what you need to do and where you need to start.
My opinion you need a plan if you want to stay out of the rut. Either that or be ready to accept the same type of crap at every major OTR carrier out there.

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A good record in just about any legitimate trucking job does not diminish your qualifications if you want to get into tanks or oversize or whatver "niche" you may take an interest in as you learn more about the business. Pulling vans for a major isn't a scarlet letter. It's your passport into cross-training for whatever job you might eventually prefer, which you'll figure-out better once you've been out here a while and learn more about the industry. A dropbed specialty hauler would rather train an ex-van driver with a good record than a green kid out of school.
Go for what you think you want to do. But there's absolutely no harm to your future by pulling vans for an entry-level mega-carrier, so long as you keep your nose clean and protect your CDL. The big newbie stereotype is that "what you haul" makes a whole lot of difference. But the product itself isn't really the point. It's all the conditions that apply to that kind of hauling that really count in the end. And the best place to get that in-depth insight is out here in the real world interacting with differnt drivers doing different jobs.
Just my opinion on the planning ahead thing. Choose carefully and aim high. Just be realistic and flexible in the begining. 99.9% of what you'll learn about trucking will be after you've chosen your first employer as Stuffs and I learned the hard way....
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That is true. They would also far sooner hire some one with Flat bed experience before van and even sooner hire some one with Specialty experience over Flat Bed.
Only those who have never done it or been around it would think that. The big newbie myth is stay at your first company a year or two and lots of doors will open. Thats only true to an extent. It will open lots of doors in the type of driving your have experience with. A simple glance at a newspaper will show specialty companies want specialty experience. A recruiter might tell you it doesn't matter where you start as long as you keep a clean record but that is simply not true.
That is true. In the world of Specialized and heavy haul those conditions change. The skill level is much greater and the requirements are much higher. There is a world of difference in running down the road with a reefer or van and running down the road with some thing sticking 1' over the sides of the trailer or a few feet off the back. The skill required to maneuver in traffic, park in a truck stop or rest area and simply loading an unloading is much higher. Simple things like running through a construction zone holds much greater risk when oversize. It's bad enough some times in a regular trailer. Routing is different as well as may other things. Companies that do that type of work want similar experience.
A couple companies that run oversize.
http://www.drive4ats.com/Company.htm
http://www.combinedtransport.com/driver/hhdriver.html
I may not recommend them but the requirements are plain. If you start out in a van for a year you will need to run Flatbed for another year and then train in other areas. Why waste that much time when you could train in Flatbed as a newbie and mover up from there.
Maybe a couple better Flatbed training companies.
http://www.tmctrans.com/driverOpps.asp#Training
http://www.maverickusa.com/drive/#quals
There is also where I am still employed. They have vans, flatbeds, drop decks, and double drop RGN's. I may or may not reommend them but they have the opportunities for those interested.
Go to "Company Driver Info"
You could start out in Vans but after a year is finished you'll have to start again as the new driver in Flatbeds. Then another year before you'll really see the ability to train other areas such as drop decks or RGN's. If your interest is in those areas why waste the first year doing some thing that does not lead in that direction.
Driving is the same as any career out there. Most people plan their careers for success. Unfortunately most drivers haven't a clue what planning is and just start any where for a foot in the door. Most think it doesn't matter because they do not know the difference. You do not see hap-hazard career planing in most fields outside of driving. Driving is full of it. It also produces more people who quit than most other fields. You can be like most and start wherever you can get hired. Most run off to the companies that have given them a "Pre-Hire letter. Or you can make a plan that will increase the odds of you reaching your goals. Career planning may not be the end all of the woes in trucking but it can help.
I may or may not recommend OTR driving as a good career to begin with. But planning will certainly make it better.

Answer:
The vast majority of newbies entering the industry start with one of the big-twenty entry level carriers. If you chose one of these carriers (above) instead of following the frequent (and good) advice here to pound the pavement and find a first job more tailored to your specific interests -- there's no harm done to your long term career, so long as you've kept your nose clean and protected your CDL from tickets. You can re-train on the job for flatbed or anything else, and are probably a better candidate with a little real world experience under your belt "drivin' truck". Starting in vans does not preclude your ability to eventually move sailboats or heavy/oversize haul -- neither of which Stuffs or I have pursued by the way. Talk to the guys who do this more specialized work. A lot of them "started at Swift" or "pulled for Heartland for a while" or whatever, and aren't necessarily sorry they did since it gave them an opportunity to figure out what they really wanted to do while learning the basics.
Just be aware that you'll have to eat a lot of dysfunction and malice at the mega-carriers, and most of it involves which trainer, truck and dispatcher you get, not the color of the truck. They're all treating drivers about the same -- disposable parts easier to throw away than fix. I you're not sure what you want to do and can't decide which one to go with, just pick one and start drivin' truck.

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Why waste the time when it's just as easy to work for a company where the experience will be beneficial to a driver's "long term career"?

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Absolutely the best advise given so far.
Absolutely the worst advice given in this thread.
You can be like the majority and just hop in some big companies trucl and hope for the best. Or you can make a better go of it and start a career.

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Or you can go back to school and make something of yourself, where the chances of getting a job that pays for all your time and lets you sleep in your own bed and see your family is much higher....
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I decided to read some thing Shuffler wrote.

My truck and RGN is below.
My son
Is that enough or would you like more,

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Exactly. So why should someone pony up $2,000 to +$5,000 of their hard-earned cash and give 1 year of their life and HOPE all the planets line up perfectly like you said? That sounds alot like gambling to me. And Lady Luck sure as hell ain't on your side in this biz. Out of the 4 guys and 1 gal l went through school with 10 months ago, I'm the only one still driving. Out of the 13 people in my orientation group...yep you guessed it, just lil'ole me remains. I feel like the last guest in that movie "12 Little Indians" just waiting to get a hatchet in the back LOL.
I was "lucky" with Roehl, I guess. Still had sand in my shoes from the driving range when they tossed me the keys to a brand-new International with only 23 miles on the odometer. And this was after having 2 great trainers who both had over 4 years in the saddle. I've got a good FM who keeps me moving, gets me home on time, and almost always has me pre-planned on the next dispatch.
Do I sound like a recruiter? Hardly. Even after hitting the "OTR newbie jackpot" (which 90% of you won't do) and having everything go right, I still can't wait to get the hell out of here. I'm sick and damned tired of spending weeknights sleeping in nasty TA truckstops, sitting at docks and in big-city traffic for no pay, and driving 1000 miles and getting paid for 900 ala HHMG. Sweeping out trailers for free, fueling the truck for free, scaling the load for free, and those +100 workweeks get real old, real fast. So "It's over, Johhny!" as they say on Opie and Anthony. I am outta this racket once my year is up, and trust me, I ain't looking back. That's right. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.
And for you lifer supertruckers out there, spare me the overmodulated "Git out of the kitchen!" crap. Even the ATA has said that driver wages and working conditions need to improve. The people like me exiting stage right out of this biz aren't the failures or the quitters. YOU are the failure for continuing to work cheap and give your time away for peanuts.
To the newbies, sure trucking is an easy job that's easy to get into, but remember that nothing worthwhile in life is easy. You can't just put your brain, your life, and the truck on cruisecontrol and expect to come out ahead. It just don't work that way. Start a business, learn a trade, or go back to school. Spend your weekends and your weeknights at home with your family and friends and leave the +100 hour hourweeks, the penny raises, the deserted offramps, and the unpaid docktime to the supertruckers.
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HAHAAAA! Now, that is the best advice!

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Stuffs. When did you start hauling boats? Last I heard you were running team with Heartland. My mistake -- guess I don't keep up on the personal stuff as much these days... Looks like you found an interesting gig. Is that the kid you wrote me about a couple years ago? He looks pretty proud of his dad's rig. Way to go Stuffs. Way to go.....
My post wasn't intended to advise newbies which entry-level carrier to choose, or anything like that. It attempted to detail the entry-level carriers' common method of recklessly cycling through newbies to perpetuate a low-wage work force and government assistance with the supposed "driver shortage" -- which these mega-carriers have created for their financial advantage. In addition to lowering their cost per mile, it allows them to abuse drivers and force things on them they'd never attempt if they didn't have a classroom full of trainees waiting to test-out every day. They're re-defined their incompetance at maintaining a stable work force, as a "work force defeciency".
These entry-level carriers -- and I'm talking specifically about Schneider, Werner, Swift, C.R. England, Gordon...and their ilk -- all pay about the same for equal work performed once you add up all the little extras, etc -- despite their deceptive advertising to the contrary (which some folks fall for). Therefore, if all else is equal in terms of the type of work you want to do (vans, flats, tanks, etc) and the individual driver, the biggest difference between a driver who's satisfied and one who's not is how they're individually treated, which varies greatly depending on which trainer, truck and dispatcher they're assigned.
I wouldn't expect you (or anyone who hasn't worked for one of these companys) to understand this in depth. But trust me (us) who have. Which trainer, truck and dispatcher you get is everything.
I need to correct one thing you wrote:

Actually, many Werner flatbed drivers start in vans. Werner offers a division transfer class for those wanting to move from vans (or TCU) to flatbed. It's actually a pretty good way to go, since you've got some of the driving under your belt before learning flatbed load securement. Once you've done flatbed for a while, you're exactly where someone who started in flatbed is in terms of experience -- except you're probably more informed about the difference and may appreciate flatbed even more with first-hand experience in both.
Small clarification of your statement, but "won't happen" is a bit of a stretch. It happens all the time, and I suspect those with the most well-rounded experience probably are happier and better-matched to their work since they've tried more options.
Did you have any flatbed experience before snagging your current gig, Stuffs? I suspect you have a much greater appreciation of the work you're doing now after working for that mom and pop and then Heartland. Forgive me if I'm off-base on this Stuffs, but your advice almost seems contrary to how you ended up moving boats, isn't it. Of course you had to work at it, but I'd hope most of the newbies here would put forth as much initiative as you did....I hope...
Anyway....belated congratulations on your current job. Sorry you had to bring me up to speed, but at least a few more folks got to look at your pics. You're doing something interesting, the kid's smiling..... way to go Stuffs. I don't visit here much anymore, but I'll have to start reading more of your posts when I do.

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Actually no stretch at all and is exactly the truth. You answered it yourself.
You have to have FB experience. If vans is all you have it won't happen. You've also answered another question. If a driver wants to move into specialized one day it is best to start with the experience that will work for you. Vans won't cut it. Flat beds will. Start in what ever area a new driver is interested and move up the line a little quicker. As far as all that goes there is nothing wrong with being a top notch reefer driver. The pay gets better with experience as does the ability to get loaded and unloaded quicker. When i ran a reefer I knew where I was going and they knew me. A few bucks in some ones pocket and I was gone. Even had a couple packing house guys that wouilod buy me lunch or breakfast. I always bought them coffee first thing. You just have to learn what your doing and do it the best you can. We could get into the rights and wrongs of all that but it is what it took to get in done faster.
Unfortunatly Heartland the lying scum that they are sang a good tune and I believed it. I didn't last long there, 3 mos..
Yes that is my son that i told you about a couple years ago. He is doing absolutely fantastic. He was laughing in that one pic because I just finished a little fit because how hard that manual RGN is to reconnect. He thinks it's funny. I finally figured it out and it aint pretty.
Also my first job ever was Flatbed hauling steel and sheet rock. I also moved equiptment with the mom and pop place when i was home. Some times I did that for a couple months because reefer was slow in Fl. They taught me how to load and secure some fairly large heavy stuff and how to break an RGN. Theirs is hydraulic, much better. Had I not had any FB experience the boat job would not have opened up. But like most trucking jobs hauling boats is not what it is cracked up to be. Lots of waiting time at plants and low mileage pay along with poor to none accesorial pay. You do alot of tearing down of steel, securing, breaking and connecting the RGN and str4apping for nothing, just part of the job as they say. I've sat with several drivers from my company and heard them talk about the big money. I know the truth because i was one of the first 4 hired for the job. Companies like Ryder that have been doing it for years have lost some long time drivers due to renegotiating of the contracts as have some others. There's one thing I can say, It does look cool.
I am looking around at companies that run stingers. They only haul boats and no back haul crap loads. Running an OD/heavy (both) garbage truck from Charlotte to Tampa on the weekend with no permits can be a biotch. Although the military stuff is fun. But truthfully where I work now is behind the times. You can make more in a Van with just a couple years experience at other companies. Did I mention that it looks cool.
But, if you want OD/heavy experience and the ability to move up the ladder from FB to the rest where I work now is a good opportunity. Start with a Fb and work on drop decks and so on.
Your bottom line is, companies will treat newbies like crap and spit them out fast. That is a fact..