Originally Posted by roadhog

mbadriver...
You misquoted me on KISS by the way.

I do not agree with you that in an interview these 5 main questions are too much information.
We cannot say what someone’s interview is going to include. Maybe you have only had 5-minute telephone interviews. I never have, but I understand that may be the case with some companies, as a figure of speech. I am trying to address the full scope.
My last interview for example, was a sit down with two separate people, and lasted over an hour. I first talked with the owner, and we had a great trucker to trucker talk. We both shared our experiences and outlook on the business. I liked him and felt I would enjoy working for him. He liked me and referred me to the manager. With the manager, it was more business and down to the details, and filling out more forms.

All my experiences have been with larger carriers. That probably explains why I have never had a face to face. Must be nice to work at a place "where everybody knows your name."

I’ve been here for a while, and saw a need new comers have on certain subjects. The most recent one was the topic on Interviews. I’ve never claimed to be any authority and expressed this to be used as guidelines.

You are certainly correct. Your efforts are commendable. Sorry, if I came off trite.


I decided to make the effort to include whatever someone might encounter during an interview. The point is to give people as complete an idea as possible to work with. I tried hard to include everything I could think of or come up with.
I also stated one must take from this info and apply it to themselves and their situation. Everyone’s equation will add up differently.
People are all unique, but more so, every one who comes here deserves as much a chance to find the answers to their questions. Someone may come here, and one day own a fleet of trucks. Who are we to say they can only look forward to a dead-end job? An experienced driver can go in numerous directions in the Industry.

A thorough job indeed. Better informed drivers are an asset to the trade. In the long run it just may force some companies to change their ways.

Lets not trivialize this Trade. I have been in trucking for 7 years now, and I still love the business. I promise you, if I were to spend even 1 hour right now applying myself to learning, I could learn new things about trucking that I didn’t know before. I worked in the construction trades for 30 years. I was continually learning and adapting to the industry as it changed. There was never one day go by, I could not learn something new, and seems with each new person I met, I learned most from them.

I too love this business. There are new things to learn for sure. But the nuts and bolts of the job aren't that difficult. That is why a few months soloing qualifies one as an experienced driver.

The "extra" knowledge I pick up is generally "someone elses job" like minor mechanical repairs. Or getting myself out of situation I should never have gotten into :lol:

Nevertheless, you are offering good advice.
That hopefully is the case here on this forum. With each person here, we can all learn something new, and share it with someone else. Some of us come here to give something back, as well as experience and learn new things ourselves. Just a reminder, this forum is for the new comers. I hope we let them feel comfortable asking any question, however simple or difficult.

Amen to that.

Originally Posted by stanman63

the only thing i dont like about your post is the felon remark i wish that people would relize that us felons do change and get our lifes back on track not all do but some of us do make changes in our life for the good i just wish the corp. world would look at a felon like they do there ceo type felons who get there six figure jops back after they do there time and my felony is seventeen years old and it still haunts me so you young guys need to think about what u do in your life and dont get a life long sentence

Originally Posted by Sheepdancer

Its not the recruiters rule. We dont make company policy, we just have to go by it.
As much as I would like to hire more people, I do understand why these policies are in place.
You have a 17 year old felony and its absolutely great that you say you have changed your life around. However the simple fact is that most felons dont change. Most are repeat offenders. I dont see these policies in the trucking insustry changing any time soon. In fact I would predict that in the futue they will become more strict. We live in an information age. All people are aquiring a huge electronic paper trail and its getting easier and easier for employers to do background checks. And in thetime we live in its become a society where people sue for anything. I said this before, the reason companies shy away from hiring felons is because of LIABILITY. A person with an electronic paper trail of everything they have done wrong in their life becomes a liability to successful companies. And companies have to protect their assets at all costs. The best thing we can do about this is drill into our kids that the stupid choices you make can come back and haunt you for the rest of your life. Sad as it might seem, rewarding someone who has a criminal record with a good job, teaches our kids that there are no serious consiquinces for their actions. Rewarding someone with no criminal record with the good jobs, teaches our children that smart choices get the rewards.

Originally Posted by devildice

I would take you up on it, but in 10 days I leave this place and head back down to my nice warm climate. 8) And if I never come back up here it will be to soon ......oh, and btw, I HAD forgoten about that plug until NOW! :wink:

Originally Posted by wot i life

Post subject:

Top 10 Questions to Ask a Potential Trucking Employer



Your Benefits' Worth
What to Ask After the Offer


Great news: You've got what seems like a solid offer to drive for a reputable trucking company. But before you hop in the cab, you'll want to know certain details about the firm's policies to determine whether the job measures up to your expectations. To get the answers you're looking for, ask a potential employer these 10 key questions:

What Is Your Home-Time Policy?

Long-haul drivers put in long hours on the road, says Kelly Anderson, president of Impact Transportation Solutions. But if a company promises you one day off a week, clarify how it defines a day.

Anderson offers this possible scenario: "Here I am this morning arriving back to the terminal, unloading truck, going home. If I have three days off coming, then today is one of them -- I've wasted half a day (out of my three days off). A time-off policy means three complete days off."

What Are Your Major Lanes?

Find out what typical routes, distances and regions your prospective employer wants you to travel. Trucking career consultant Craig Robins says a driver who lives in a remote area may be better off choosing an employer with a nearby terminal location for truck fueling and maintenance rather than going with a higher-paying company that doesn't have any terminals near home.

What Type of Equipment Will I Have?

Particularly for long-haul work, "you want to be comfortable," Anderson says. Ask if the company will assign you equipment and what that will include. Will you get an air-ride suspension? A sleeper on the truck? What size? Since you will be spending most of your time with this equipment, make sure you can live with it.

Do You Provide Layover Pay?

Layover is the wait or delay a trucker experiences between scheduled loads. In general, a driver should expect to receive layover pay for wait times beyond his control.

Do You Slip-Seat?

When a driver takes time off, he may have to cede, or "slip-seat," his assigned truckload (and truck) to another driver, Robins says. If you don't want to share your truck, look for an employer with a no slip-seat policy.

How Much Do You Pay?

Check out Monster's Salary Center for current driver pay scales. Demand is strong, so don't let a firm shortchange you. Anderson recommends evaluating the pay offered in terms of cents per mile.

But do so with caution, says Mitch Bookbinder, recruiter for national firm L.J. Kennedy Trucking. For instance, getting paid 50 cents a mile might sound great -- unless you'll be driving and living in an expensive, congested region like New York City.

What Are the Benefits?

Benefits are closely linked to pay, so don't consider one without the other.
"If you are looking at employers, find out how many miles per month, cents per mile and what are (your) costs for benefits and road expenses," Anderson advises. Some companies offer full medical, dental, vision and short-term disability coverage. The less the coverage, the more cents per mile you'll want.

Do You Pay for Lumpers?

Lumpers are for-hire loaders at a warehouse. A carrier may pay you to load or unload the freight for your truck or let you pay a lumper to do it. Find out if your potential employer will pay or compensate for the lumper.

Do You Offer Bonuses?

Some companies offer bonuses for a good driving record and performance, so it pays to ask. Robins also recommends asking if the company offers sign-on bonuses.

Will I Get a Dedicated Driver Manager?

A driver manager is particularly important if you're just starting out as a driver. Having a direct manager to work with can foster a good company relationship, enhance your promotion chances and help you resolve concerns and issues quickly.

I got this off of monster.com

I would also ask a company about tolls and scales. Who pays for them? Do they allow riders and if so whats the policy (including pets). POwer inverters allowed. Ibamars :wink:

Originally Posted by roadhog

THE INTERVIEW pt.2 (questions you should ask)
--------------------------------------------------------------

In the first part, we discussed questions you may be asked. In this part 2, we will suggest some things you might ask. There are some suggestions already made in prior posts in this thread. I hope others will also add their comments and suggestions in further discussion.
Are you making lists yet? You should be jotting down any bit of information that catches your interest, or seems to apply directly to you and your driving career interest. Scan through the archives and any topic titles that spark your interest, make notes of the things you feel are valuable to you. Take the time to put this info into categories of interest, later in a folder you are building, and compress this info.

Any questions you have in regards to whether or not you wish to work for a particular company should have been addressed before now. It is up to you to do enough research, to know the preliminary requirements, as to your qualifications, and what this company offers, to know should you apply to this company and proceed into the interview phase. For the experienced driver, that might be relatively easy. For inexperienced drivers or driver candidates, they will feel overwhelmed with questions, and in most cases not know what to even ask about. We’ll see what we can do to help you with some of our insight and perspectives.

Lets get the no.1 question out of the way first. This part you should already know from preliminary research. You new drivers all focus on this one question, so lets just get right after it. I don’t want you going into your interview fixated on this, or let this be the first question you ask.

How Much Money Will I Make?

This is a tall question, and it will vary significantly across the board. Brand new drivers are going to generally make less, than a driver with 1-2 years experience. But there are exceptions. Where you drive, what you drive (Tanker, Reefer, Flat, etc), how hard you drive, what you haul, how many benefits do you receive on top of your pay, the size of the company, your driver credentials (ie. Endorsements, driving experience), how many hours you work, and other factors. Many companies post pay scales and yearly averages, so you should be able to find this info straight away.
Lets try to make this simple and pare it down to something easy to quantify.

National average for Company truck driver pay.
Lowest paid or 25% make approximately $32,000/ year
The median pay is approximately $37,000/ year
Upper paid or 75% make approximately $43,000/ year

This is base pay, not including benefits, or other incentives you might make.
You might do better than this, or be one of the lucky drivers to have richer opportunities.
Again, I must point out, your circumstances may vary. Ambitious drivers can often find pay averages that exceed these figures. A driver willing to stay out for long periods, or some large companies can keep you in higher figures. The drivers who make that extra buck, are the ones who when they are ready to come home, instead take that extra load. Very few drivers work less and get paid more. But drivers who stick with a company and not job hop often come out with higher yearly income.

Realistically speaking, if you are a career minded driver who does not job hop, and practices professionalism, and works at advancing themselves, will find yearly wages from $48,000 to $70,000 a year. Drivers in this category work at distinguishing themselves above the pack. They are not getting speeding tickets or continually banging up the rig, and finding every excuse for why it wasn’t their fault. Some even relocate to areas where jobs typically pay better. If you want to advance, there is room to do so.

Is This Company A Good Deal, Or Not?

You need to ask the questions. Just like how the company interviewer asks you questions, now the agenda is yours. Let them answer the tough questions, and sell themselves to you. Companies recruit drivers in their own ways, and they vary. You can sometimes tell if they are “altering” the truth, however if you catch them in a lie, they don’t risk much of anything. So, you really need to prepare this end of your negotiations, so you set yourself up for the best deal possible.
Some recruiters can make a poor deal sound real good. Last recruiter I spoke with got backed into a corner more than once, and the responses were so lame, yet had I not been a seasoned driver, I would have been duped. I’m sorry, but in this regard, you will have to fend for yourself. Call it the school of hard knocks, and you hope to one day become a Road Scholar. Meanwhile, preparation, preparation, preparation.

I’d start out with asking what their benefits are and how much the driver is expected to pay for them. Boy I learned this lesson! I went through the application, and interview, and was even hired on the spot, and then I asked about the benefits. No benefits, just 24% of freight, that’s what we offer. My eye twitches every time I am reminded of that. I even drove 80 miles one way to the interview. You are going to make mistakes, and have your own personal horror stories. We all do. I could have learned of this on the phone.

With the regard to health insurance, some companies will not tell what the driver has to pay unless you specifically ask. If you need certain medical coverage, family considerations or say dental care, ask the questions. What are the other benefits that are offered. How long is the probation period. Many have adopted the 90 day to benefits rule. That is a long time to wait, so be sure what you are investing yourself in, is worth it.

You should have a strategy to your questions. As I mentioned earlier, you don’t want to start out on the money issue. You will just come across more sincere in your desire to be hired, if you show more depth about what concerns you. Also, as I indicated, some research and preliminary questions on your part BEFORE you get to the interview, should have already addressed some of this concern. How much information is made available to you, and what your research has turned up thus far will help you decide what further questions you need to ask. Likewise, list your priorities. You want to get the Lions share of your most important questions answered upfront, before the interview begins to degrade. Being well thought out alone is going to impress any interviewer, and you will keep their interest in answering your questions higher.

Questions You Might Ask
You design your own list according to the info you still need, and the priorities that fit you.

I like to ask about the equipment. I want to know what make of Truck, is it governed and if so, at what speed, how old are they, purchased 4 years or newer, which transmission, which engine, are they fitted with engine brakes, size of sleeper, is it a condo…or? Equipped with refrigerators, CB, GPS, stereo, power inverter. I would want to know if they do all the maintenance and repairs, or is this scheduled in route, do they pay for down time, is there a motel allowance for downtime, and on that subject…is there any daily allowance on layovers. Can you view some of the trucks, talk with the mechanics, what about truck/trailer washes, how often are you allowed a wash, reimbursed for interior cleaning supplies. Policy on trailer washouts.

For new drivers and or candidates. You will have many training related questions. How many hours of training is offered. The experience level of a trainer. About the training contract details. If you leave before 90 days, how much would you have to pay. Does the trainer receive extra pay. Will you solo after training. What is paid during orientation. Motel, transportation, and any daily allowance for food. What are the company turnover rates.

You want to know how you will be paid. If percentage, what does the average load cost. CPM, how is mileage calculated, computer program, Rand McNally, hub. Do they hold the first paycheck 2 weeks. Is there direct deposit pay. Is there a cell phone reimbursement allowance. How has their business been lately. Who are some of their accounts and are they long standing accounts. Do they bring in new customers. Is there a seniority to pull the better accounts. Detention pay. Average deadheading. Average time loading, (experienced drivers recognize certain accounts as typically long detentions) so it is important to some drivers whose accounts they will be working.

Loading/unloading responsibilities, policy on product count, shortages or damage. Lumper fees, securing a load, company fuel card, what card, which truck stops do they use, is there any Idle-Aire allowance. Are there multiple picks or drops, outfitted with PrePass, how are toll, scale, and misc. supplies handled, Comdata card, or advance pay, forced dispatch or broker, daily check-in calls, routing, loading and off-loading check in, paperless logs, length of time out, rider policy, pet policy, dress code, uniforms, can driver install/not install certain personal items.

Originally Posted by ogre999

Man ... I guess I feel kinda silly cause since I decided to do this its kinda like being a little kid all over again ...
and I just feel like stompin my foot and sayin " I just wanna be a truck driver !!!!" stomp stomp stomp ...

Originally Posted by kahlana

boy oh boy do i know how you feel there....sigh