Tips For Choosing the Best Trucking Company to Work For

In the ever-growing transportation industry, truckers play a pivotal role in moving necessary goods across the country. If you’re a truck driver, then you understand the importance of finding the right trucking company to work for. You want a company that not only aligns with your goals and values but also compensates you with a stable income and rewarding career. With so many trucking companies out there, how do you even begin to narrow down your options? In this blog, we’ll discuss a few tips to help you choose the right trucking company to work for. 

• Compile a List of Potential Companies
• Research the Company’s Reputation and Practices
• Determine Your Preferred Freight Type
• Analyze the Pay Scale and Consider Benefits
• Look for a Company With Career Growth
• Compare the Company Culture and Values
• Use a Recruiter to Match You

Compile a List of Potential Companies

The first step in finding the right trucking company for you is to compile a list of potentials. Identify your baseline criteria, such as the location and type of cargo you want to haul. Search engines, job boards, and industry-specific websites can help you begin to populate company names that may align with your criteria. Attend job fairs and trucking expos to connect with current employees of the company and ask specific questions. Lastly, use social media and the company’s websites to get an idea of what life at each trucking company is like. Once you do your initial research, you should have a pretty decent-sized list of companies you want to learn more about. 

Research the Company’s Reputation and Practices

Once you have a solid list of potential companies, it’s time to dive deeper into their reputation and practices. Search through online reviews, testimonials, and industry forums to gain valuable insight into the experiences of current and former employees. While a company is unlikely to have perfect reviews, it’s not usually difficult to tell which company’s employees have mostly positive experiences. Any company with too many negative reviews should be considered a potential red flag, and it’s up to you whether or not you drop them off your list because of it. Most likely, the companies with a positive reputation will offer the best combination of work-life balance, pay, and culture. 

Determine Your Preferred Freight Type

Different trucking companies offer a variety of types of hauling services. You may be able to decide between long-haul, regional, and local routes depending on the distance you’re comfortable going. Do you prefer to be home every night, or are you okay with weeks on the road? Some companies may also specialize in types of cargo, such as refrigerated goods, hazardous materials, or oversized loads. It’s important to determine which companies on your list offer the type of trucking position you’re looking for, and that there are opportunities to change paths if you decide to do so. 

Analyze the Pay Scale and Consider Benefits

Perhaps the biggest factor in your decision-making process – the pay and benefits package. Compare the pay offered by each of the trucking companies you’re looking into and factor in things such as per diem and any bonuses they may offer. There are a multitude of ways truckers can get paid and rarely is it a standard salary like most career jobs. For local drivers that go less than 150 miles with a single load, hourly pay is common practice. However, the majority of trucking companies use per mile pay, often called CPM, or cents per mile. While each company has its own way of calculating CPM, the general consensus is that drivers get paid for the miles they actually drive. These methods are usually more cost-effective for the owners and more beneficial to the truckers themselves. If you’re curious about how much truck drivers get paid, read our blog “How Much Money Do American Truck Drivers Make.” 

Look For A Company With Career Growth

Assuming you eventually want to grow in your career, finding a trucking company that offers career growth is extremely important. Many companies will offer training programs, continuing education, mentorship, and set paths to move up in the ranks. By choosing a trucking company willing to invest in your professional development, you’re setting yourself up for future success and promotion. 

Compare the Company Culture and Values

Driving for a company whose values you agree with can play a significant role in your overall job satisfaction. Make sure to research the company’s mission statement, vision for the future, and core values to ensure they align with your own. In addition to baseline values, research their views on diversity and inclusion, safety, and other important factors that can influence your experience. 

Use a Trucking Industry Recruiter to Match You

Trucking industry recruiters can research all of the above for you and match you with the company that best fits your needs. They are the experts in the trucking industry, and any questions you might have about a company can surely be answered by them. US Trucking Service is dedicated to matching truckers to the right carriers and providing uniquely tailored services for each person who comes across our desks. You can find our team on LinkedIn, in our Facebook group, and on social media. We consistently post open trucking opportunities and are always taking driver and carrier submissions.