Question:
I was just wondering if anyone knows anything about a company called SRT (Southern Refrigerated Transport)? I know someone who works for them and likes it and I was considering doing my externship from school with them but I wanted to research them first.
I know their owned by Covenant Transport, which, I just read a thread about in the newbies archive that was absolutely horrendous so I'm definitely not going with them but SRT is a completely different dispatch.
The other two companies I'm considering are USXpress and Werner - in that order, which I know about because info about them is all over this thing.
Any info would be greatly appreciated. stay safe. happy trucking.

Answer:
From my experience when I was there. SRT borrowed a few million dollars from Covenant with a certain time period to repay the loan or loans. They didn't make it. Now they are owned by Covenant and have Covenant dispatchers and managers.
They did use to do alot of coast to coast runs with plenty of miles. They also would have you home every two weeks within one day either way of your requested days off. At one point I would have and did recomend them. Not now due to the fact they are just an extension of Covenant and run witht the same principles. They also never use to use teams or not very much any way. Lately I have met more and more SRT teams. Another indication Covenant is running the show. I wouldn't work for Covenant so I wouldn't work for SRT.
As far as an internship. I was unaware that trucking had such a thing. If your talking about where you want to go to work and be employed then look for the best. Far to often newbies look at their first company as just a starting point with plans to quit in 6 months to a year. In effect your planning to start job hopping from the beginning. Thats a bad thing but almost everyone does it. Some of the posters here on TN that seem to know just about every thing and have the right answers have job hopped so much they cant get a good job. (but they'll tell you how to do it, kind of funny really.) Try hard to avoid that and look for the best to begin with. Try finding a place you feel you might want to saty at long term from the beginning.
Trucking isn't easy or rewarding. Most of the newbies that come here wont be driving in a year. So try to get off to the best start you can.
A man goes to church and thinks about fishing, a man goes fishing and thinks about God.” Joe Fisherman
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Answer:
Thank you Stuffs for all the info.
The externship at my school is you don't graduate until you go through training with a company and complete your training so after school you get prehired and then go out with a trainer for 240 hours when those hours are completed you graduate and get your diploma. They probably do this to get you roped in to one of their sponsored companies that they are getting bonuses for students they are sending them. Geez I never even thought of this until now. duh.
Well whose the best company to work for I guess thats the question. I hear the best things about USXpress, Roehl, Schneider and Werner but who knows. Thanks again.

Answer:
While there are definately a few stay away from companies out there the rest are more a matter what is best for YOU. Every single company has its plus sides and its negative sides. What you have to do is research the companies as carefully as possible and find out which one meets your needs and expectations the best.
I will always be a mutter trucker at heart.
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Answer:
thanks stuffs i'm so glad you told me that i want to go with them cause i love their purple trucks!! they have a really good payscale also. well, that changes everything completely i will have to look into that for sure. thanks again

Answer:
So Lori, what exactly IS the payscale at SRT? They don't say on their website.

Answer:
training is at .12 a mile and you run usually between 5500 and 6000 miles a week (so they say) and then they start you out at .26 per mile and you run i think 3000 miles a week approximately. i don't know if teaming with your trainer is the best set up i kinda like the idea of just being paid $350 a week cause then your trainer wouldn't be trying to run you all the time they would be more interested in training but at the same time the companies that pay you a base pay the trainers are being paid by the mile so they may try to get you to run a lot of miles also. i just like their purple trucks. lol

Answer:
Just remember; their "Purple" trucks pull reefers.
Hope you don't mind a lot of hurry up and wait in that "Purple" truck. (siting endless hours to load or unload, and then running like heII to get to the next place.)
This happens with all reefer operations, not just SRT.
It will be something you will have to get used to and tolerate.
I personally don't have the patience to sit so long for free.
Avoid California and Washington and any other fruits and veggie state you can think of----sit at consignee (stop #1) half a day for two skids...hopefully get to stop #2 before the close of the buisiness day so you can get checked in for the next day, to sit until 1 or 2 in the afternoon waiting on 3 or 4 more skids...and then do it all over the next day. (I think you get the idea) And then get a move on to your destination because you're already late driver!!!
Oh!! I forgot, you live in Arizona, you will see plenty of fruit and vegitable loads...never mind, and good luck.
I know this post sounds sarcastic, but it is the best way I know to make a point and get you thinking about something other than a pretty purple truck.
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Cover Your Cans People!!!
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It's apparent this place is never going to change....then again; why should it? It gets the clientel it deserves.
Bette Midler

Answer:
I pulled a dry van for a year or so now I pull reefers. White Dog is pretty much correct.
You will have to bust your butt on the Veggie loads out of Cali. Mom and the Kids want fresh produce when they shop at the grocery store. You can have 6 pickups or more to do, usually takes 2 days depending on where you have to go. Then you have to run hard to your destination.
I have to wait sometimes but usually I get in and out, I also set the appointments up so that helps.
I haul alot of meat out of KS where I am from. I am lucky as my company has dedicated with these meat processing plants so I don't have to wait.
You may not be so lucky. I see alot of trucks waiting at these places. I am also sorry to say that it will be difficult to run legal with a reefer company, its the nature of the beast. I am not saying you can't. You will just have to put your foot down if they want to try and run you into the ground.
My rule is I never drive tired...period. I don't care when the load is due. It will be late but it will be there and so will I.
I honestly think USxpress would be a good choice, and they're dry van. They have good equipment for the most part and the auto shifts seem to appeal to you.

Answer:
SRT does alot of frozen out of Cali, not much produce. As Wite Dog said there is lots of waiting time. Also lots of grocery warehouses. They do haul alot of food products.But the runs were long with plenty of time when I was there. I will say my time was short.
"There is just something about fresh winter snow and a river. The day is bright even if it is cloudy, the water is friendly even if it is cold and the fish are there even if they are not biting."
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Answer:
Stuffs - what time was short? your time at SRT?
thanks cruiser i'm seriously considering usxpress too i have never heard anything negative about them and i like the idea of an automatic transmission. i still like those purple trucks tho!! there so cute!! there kinda girly you know?