When you’ve got to make money, working for any trucking company will do. Unfortunately, that causes many truck drivers to fall in with the wrong company, which means hopping from job to job every few months or so.
Don’t get stuck in the cycle of working for a trucking company for a while, then switching to another one because you don’t like how you’re being treated. The next time you’re ready for a change, check out CDL Jobs!
Some of the best jobs are listed on the website, but there are so many of them! How do you narrow down your choices and find an employer you’ll be happy to work for, for many years into the future?
Here are a few ways you can narrow down your choices and find the top trucking company for you.
Decide If You Want to Go Big or Stay Small
First, you have to consider if you want to work for a large corporate trucking company or if you’d like to work for a smaller operation.
Both come with pros and cons. For example, one benefit of working for a larger company is that they sometimes offer perks that you might not find with smaller companies. In addition, they can often offer more stability, and they usually have a wider range of route options.
However, in a large corporation, it’s easy for you to become a number. If you prefer the dispatcher to know your name, and you like the idea of the company owner being more involved in day-to-day operations, a small- or medium-sized trucking company might be better for you.
Look for Online Reviews
Once you’ve had a chance to narrow down your choices, it’s a good idea to look at online reviews. Just be careful.
Lots of positive reviews are a sure sign that the company is a good one to work for, but just because a company has some negative reviews online doesn’t mean you should discount them completely.
It turns out, negative reviews aren’t always trustworthy. Disgruntled employees often leave inaccurate reviews, and busy trucking companies may not have the resources to monitor their reviews online. Only cross companies off your list that have more negative reviews than positive reviews.
Make Sure the Interviewer Can Answer All of Your Questions
You should expect to answer many different questions during your interview, but you should also show up with some questions of your own. A few questions to ask your interviewer include:
- What is the performance review process like?
- What’s your favorite part of working for this company?
- What are the current goals of the company?
- Who will I report to?
- Who do I ask if I have questions?
Your job is to get answers to questions that make you feel more confident about taking a position with the company. They may be interviewing you, but you’re interviewing them too! If your interviewer can’t answer your questions, that’s a sign you should consider another company.
Speak to Someone in Payroll
Understanding your paycheck should happen long before you get your first pay stub in the mail. Unfortunately, shady payroll practices aren’t all that uncommon in the trucking industry. It’s your job to make sure you will be fairly compensated in a timely manner for your services.
The best way to verify pay, including your rate of pay and the frequency of payments, is to speak directly to the payroll department. You can ask about direct deposit and who to contact if there’s a mistake on your check. The top trucking companies have payroll departments that are happy to answer your questions.
Speak to Other Drivers
The very best way to get a feel for how a company will treat you before you start driving for them is to talk to other drivers!
You can ask the interviewer to provide you with references, but you can also go online. There is a vast and involved trucking community on the internet with drivers who have worked for every company you could possibly be interested in. Use social media to track down some of those drivers and ask them about their experience working with the company you are considering.
We all need to put food on the table, but that doesn’t mean you should agree to drive for a company blindly. It’s much better to take a little extra time, follow the tips on this list, and find a top trucking company that will take care of you while you’re on the road.
