Trucking companies are considered to be great places where people can earn a significant amount of money. Becoming a truck driver is not easy, but there are many benefits that are worth working for! However, choosing the right company to work for can be challenging, mainly because there are many deceptions and unpleasant trucking jobs and companies out there.
It is crucial to pick an honest and reliable company to work for. When you are at the beginning of your trucking career, it might seem that all of them are the same. All trucking companies work on the same highways and drive similar trucks. So, how do you differentiate the good from the bad ones?
When picking which trucking company to approach and work for, it's important to find the one that will suit you. There are many factors to consider. Some of them are great compensation, benefits, and job satisfaction. We made a list of the five most important things to look out for when finding the perfect job!
1. Trucking company Google reviews
By reading google reviews of a trucking company, you can get somewhat "inside" information about that company. People are leaving positive and negative things to notify others, so it can be really beneficial to see past experiences of truck drives with this company. Companies often tend to overestimate themselves and sell you the benefits that they don't have. That is why it's important to get the opinions of other truck drivers who work or have worked at that company.
Things you need to find out are:
- Does the company have good reviews?
- How long are the drivers working at that company? If a company has a high turn-over rate, it's a warning sign and you should consider finding another one.
- What benefits does the company offer besides compensation? Is there a pet policy?
- Are there any negative comments about compensation?
We gave you a few examples here to get you started. Although, don't stop here. Search for any questions you might have in reviews.
2. Responsiveness of a trucking company
Next time you get in touch with a recruiter, have a list of specific questions to ask. Be as detailed as possible! A sign of a good trucking company is when recruiters can answer all of your questions as thoroughly as possible. That indicates that the recruiter is well trained and cares to earn your services.
Ask recruiters questions such as:
- What is their home time policy?
- What major lanes do they offer? Do they have a specific region they want you to drive through every day?
- What equipment will they provide you with?
- What compensation are they offering? (Compare the answer with google reviews, if available)
- Do they offer bonuses? (Nobody ever said no to bonuses)
Try to ask as many questions as possible to determine if that company is a good option for you.
3. Years of working in the industry
This is a perfect way to find out how much experience a company has in this industry. Go to the company's website and About page. Also, search up the company on google and get more information about them. Find out:
- When was the company founded?
- What are the company's core values?
- How many employees do they have?
- Are they always in search of employees? (could be a good and bad sign depending on the company)
- The company's revenue per year
Finding an experienced trucking company could mean the company cares for its drivers, pays them well, and offers excellent benefits!
4. Active Social Media pages
You can see a lot of things on companies' social media profiles. A company that often makes posts wishing you happy holidays, asking you questions, picking drivers of the month, showing you entertaining content, showing company goals, showing company events, etc. You can also check out the comments on those posts. Are the truck drivers interacting with the posts? Does a company interact with people commenting on social media posts? This can show you the relationship the company is building with the followers and their truck drivers.
5. Respectful relationship with drivers
A great company respects their employees and thrives together with them in the industry. A great company will:
- Talks to you as their friend
- Assist you when needed
- Encourage collaboration between its drivers, dispatchers, and managers
- Invest in their employees
A great company knows that its success lies in its employees. The relationship that they build is far more important than anything else. People who work in the company will make sure the company is always progressing when treated with respect.
What other things do you look for when finding a company to work for? Are there things that you wish you'd known before you started? Let us know!
