Top Beginner Companies??

THERE IS NO DRIVER SHORTAGE
Too many factors must be decided to announce one or a few companies as good companies. Imagine walking into a room and asking for a recommendation on the best food to eat for someone new in town. It depends on what YOU need and what YOU can accept and which factors are more important than other factors. A good company is one that matches what you want, sort of like shoes. Shoes that fit me for my purpose but don't fit you for a completely different purpose are not good for you.
You need to decide among about 20 or more factors, pay is just one of them. BTW this time of year, and the economy right now, hiring is very very slow and there were many thousands of drivers that flooded into trucking during the Manchurian Flu period with lots of supply chain disruptions. Those extra drivers are working for low wages and low miles so companies are not hiring in big numbers right now.

I beg you to not go to CDL school until you find a trucking company that will hire you with your driving/criminal record (assuming they are both spotless) otherwise you will complete CDL school, owe money for your school loan, and not have any job.

Some of the factors you need to decide are:
How often must you get home?
How much money must you make weekly?
Do you need a truck with APU or does company allow you to idle the engine as much as you need?
Do you need a truck with a power inverter to power a microwave or not?
Will you commute to the trucking company terminal or will you park a big truck at your house? (pros & cons both ways)
What parts of the country do you want to drive or avoid?
What kind of freight/trailer do you want to pull (pros & cons with each type)?
Will you bring a pet or passenger, if allowed. (You will be fired on the spot if you sneak either into the truck)

 

Get all endorsements when you get your permit. ALL of the tests for an endorsement are free and online. HazMat is an extra $150-ish. If you can afford it, get it. If you cannot afford it, get it as soon as you can afford it. All of the other endorsements are less than $20/each. At a minimum (General, Combination, Air-Brake required for CDL) get the doubles/triples, tanker, and HazMat if you can. Tanker is required for lots of freight in dry vans, refrigerated, or flatbed, not just round trailers full of liquids.

 

If you have used weed in the last 6 months, delay until you have 6 months after last weed. You will be drug tested for weed, amphetamines, opiates, cocaine, etc. NOBODY CARES IF WEED IS LEGAL IN YOUR STATE. Feds don't allow it for CDL drivers and nobody is inviting a discussion about weed.

 

Good advice, especially since many of them use the hair test when first applying.