2 years ago I applied with a company that looked perfect. Good miles, good lanes and new trucks, etc. Money sounded good too. Where they lost me was when they said they don't pay detention time. (Waiting time). This company is a reefer company and I know there is a hell of a lot of waiting with a gig like that. Now there offering a $3000.00 sign on bonus. If they payed properly they wouldn't have to do that. The waiting time will kill you bottom line. It's all about profit and loss. The companies know this and so should you. I've been at this for a long time now and I want to get paid for all the work I do. No freebies. You new drivers need to demand the same.

"The wise man doesn't give the right answers, he poses the right questions." - Claude Levi-Strauss

Wish Dave and Cat ran a fleet. I'd apply in a heartbeat. 👍

Love this channel. As an experienced driver, I'm always learning and the wisdom from the more experienced driver's is invaluable.

I am a recruiter. Actually, I am a paralegal lol. I got married 20 years ago to an OTR real truck driver. He is gone 3 to 5 mos at a time. We moved away from the city (and my job) and trucking also became my life. I found that the recruiting job was where I can not only earn a living but utilize my skills and life skills in matching truck drivers with the proper carriers. I LOVE recruiting. Here is my problem with it. For many years I worked solely for Greatwide and also UPS Freight. I made it my business to learn ALL of their accounts inside and out. There was not a question on all of the hundreds of accounts that I couldn't answer. I lOVED it. I was largely successful because I was honest, went the extra mile in helping drivers start their own businesses, and knew what I was selling inside and out. Well, Greatwide got purchased by Cardinal and it was no longer driver oriented in my opinion. I left there and went to a company (3rd party) that had a relationship with 60 plus carriers. They gave me info on all the carriers and all of their accounts. I started recruiting for specific accounts within the plethora of info I was provided. The first 6 drivers I hired for a major carrier went to orientation to do local or regional runs. EVERY one of these cases, once the driver got to orientation, they were told THAT job was no longer available and offered them OTR! Of course, the driver is pissed with me. That is the problem. If the third-party recruiting company does not get at least weekly updates on what has been filled and open with each carrier, then the info the recruiter has is worthless. Their solution was to sell the company. That is ridiculous. You cannot sell a job to a driver that COULD be OTR, or regional or local...who knows. Because of this, I stopped recruiting for 3rd party. I will go back to it when I can find a 3rd party that actually has ongoing weekly personal relationship with their carriers. I take pride in giving accurate information to drivers. I think what happened those 6 times was a true bait and switch at my expense and def at the expense of the driver. I would love to find a job working for just one company or a 3rd party with consistent accurate job data. I love drivers and I really love finding them exactly what they are looking for in a job.

I was paid salary with Heartland Express awhile back. I thought I'd struck gold until I realized they wanted to run you to death and dig into your home time on a constant basis. So I finally raised enough hell and a gravy car parts run came up running right past the house. That lasted a year and a half until Heartland got out bid by Pegasus. Now. I run for a different company that I had to raise the ninth circle of hell with to get decent work. I'm now running 536 miles a day, getting paid for 560, but only at 40¢ per with $5 stops, and I'm home every night. Best money I've ever made with best home time. Truck yard is literally 3 miles down the road from the house, the car parts factory I start with is directly across the highway from the truck yard. I run from Austin Indiana to Subaru in Lafayette Indiana and back, twice a night. I LOVE night driving on a dedicated run. I know where I'm going and the traffic is minimal.

Outstanding episode. I came across your channel and (as an infrastructure geek) have been fascinated. My recommendation for this episode is for applicants to record the conversation with the recruiter. It's too easy nowadays to document exactly what's said (and sometimes you might not pick up on everything anyway). If there's a "No Recording" sign of any kind, walk. I'm shocked this video doesn't have many, many more views. Keep up the great work!!

This is a really good video. He has a lot of good information that is fact on. I’ve been out here for 24 years and everything this guy is saying is exactly right. Especially the part about if you want to lose a driver piss off his wife. That should be scriptural LOL

Great video Dave! That is some good advice for new drivers. Thanks for sharing

Thank you soo sooo much I’m looking at various companies. This has been eye opening.

Thank u for the great video. Being new to this field, I cant thank u enough for all the great advice and insight

You are doing all of us a great service!!! Thank you so much for putting out all this valuable information.

I absolutely love this guy...

Decent clip well worth watching especially for new drivers just coming from a driving school into the industry. Great industry and you do have to ask the right questions ...!! It's important for sure

Thanks for the information I got a recruiter calling me on Monday, I didn't think to ask any of these questions to the other recruiter in the past.

Great tips. Will be using all of them once I complete my CDL school.

Start paying otr drivers by the hour and the shortage would be solved.

Dave I can't tell you how much I appreciate your lectures and your mentorship. You are a God send for those of us in process of entering this endeavor. All I can say is THANK YOU X 1000 000 🙏

Amazing video for a noobie like me. Thank you very much Sir. Learning from others mistakes is best for everyone.

thanks for all the tips dave, this is going to help me out when i complete tri county traning this year. was thinking of working for a small to medium trucking firm around the k/W and Cambridge area, 25-50 trucks

thank you for the tips! i gonna be soon on road and love your advice and hope To found a good job in the industrie!

Great list of questions thanks so much!

Great advice for new drivers like me. Your all videos are great, great information. Thanks

Dave... I can NOT THANK YOU ENOUGH for such helpful information!!! God bless you and yours for helping so many people. Thank you and thank you.

always the best thanks Dave for all your info and tips

Good Stuff Dave!

Very helpful content for future O/P...will take notes..

Thank you for this video! Currently in truck driving school and recruiters are visiting daily.

Amazing information for someone like myself aspiring to get into trucking!!👍👍Thank you very much sir!

love your advice

What is actually hilarious about all of this is, if they got rid of all the recruiters and advertisement they could pay people a decent wage. But the idea here is to keep the money wheel turning by involving as many people as possible, and the one that should be doing good is getting the shaft, we live in a low life corrupt time. I think of recruiters as used car salesmen trying to sell you the worst car on the planet, no integrity at all.

I can’t even thank you enough. Thank you thank you thank you.

Great advice! thanks for sharing!

Love your videos. Good sound advice 👍

Great advice! You should do a video about your intake/opinion on what class should new drivers start in.

Thanks for the advice !

Great video and advice, Dave. But of course, I always enjoy your information and I've learned a lot of intelligence from you... keep up the good work Dave... Hope you keep the good information coming..

Great info! thanks for the videos

Very informative. Thanks for sharing.

I'm not a driver but I would still add one last question to the recruiter. Is he willing to put all the answers to your questions in writing and have it signed by some one with authority? This addresses the integrity of the company while giving you some assurances about the company.

Great video I hope it helps new drivers getting into trucking and what to ask. Like you said they need you more than you need them. Do your homework and ask questions. Be safe.

Thank you Dave! One tough business!

great info here. Im looking to start driving. These are great questions, some of which i hadnt even thought of... Thank you!

i wish i knew of your channel when i was gettting into trucking very good info

Great video. Very helpful. Thanks for great advice and info.

LOL, you are so right. When I started back in 1986, companies had just started using recruiters but that was the inception of paying cents-per-mile. I remember jobs paying 11 1/2 cents-per-mile but I didn't start out in that segment of the industry (irregular route common carriers)... it is terrible out here today, and after 31 years and recent retirement I can say I can walk away and find soemthing else to do as a career as there is little motivation to shift gears and transport chemicals like I used to do. Feeling sad for these younger folks in this industry...

awsome man thanks for these good pointers

Man, this is some good stuff.

Wow! I earn 300$ (three hundred$) in a month for driving a 40tonn Scania here in Siberia. Good luck to everybody with your jobs!

they should get rid of recruiters and give the drivers their paychecks

Excellent Advise.

Thanks for the info, very very good questions as I plan to "Shop" The big carriers. Need seat time and training to get started. Plan on getting a local job once the contract is done.

I sure appreciate you !

im a former driver and now a recruiter and i agree 100% of what you are saying

DAMN GOOD VIDEO!!! Thanks so much. Can't wait to hit the road.

Great stuff as always.

Good tips primo I like your videos

Thsnk you excellent information

Thanks so much Dave, really appreciate it, as I hope to start CDL school next month.

this is why more drivers need to be advacting for payed by the hour and not the mile. being payed by the mile as a company driver is the biggest scam in the industry.

I'm personally in LTL and will never switch to OTR; just a personal preference is all. There are ups and downs to both; but I think this video is a really good reminder that even tho humbleness is a good quality to have; so is not selling yourself short. I would hate to see a fellow driver be locked into a shitty deal and lose out on money and benefits. Thank you so much for all that you do sir!

Spot on Sir!👍

wonderful thank you

Great man great video

Thanks I'm newvy at this still looking

I'm no trucker, but my wife's dad was. He'd talk of being at some companies, and without warning, they'd close shop, having all the truckers out looking for new work.

Thank you.

I figured out its better to leave truck at yard and drive home for days off. It minimizes down time for repairs and break downs

I’m a recruiter and I find good jobs for people and get the process done very fast

Thanks Dave..It was funny your ad at the beginning...USxpress...$10,000 Sign-on bonus..!!!!!

Awesome awesome video. Thank you!!

Good point, very insightful... What I want to know is that my company is always saying that there isn't any good Loads on the east coast... Especially when there is supposedly more loads than drivers.

Love smart trucking! Thank you so much for all the great information.

Good list of questions. Thanks Dave! I was also told by family to ask: How much for dead heading? How much for Bobtailing? Make sure to get all the promises in writing

Oil workers, mine workers, refinery jobs, etc. all have recruiters out looking for us. The difference is #1 technology putting the squeeze on the transport industry for the last 30yrs+. #2 Skilled and experienced technicians are in short supply and great demand.

What would we do without you bro, you are invited to the cookout🙏🏿💯

I wrote down all of the questions you suggested, even the owner operator ones, should I decide to go down that road.

Thank you so much Dave, its about time someone would put up this video, would you mind telling me where are you located?

Thank You

wow my company sucks.... thanks for the info.

Damn this is one of the best trucking vids I've seen. What's your opinion about Flatbed vs Reefer vs Dry

I interview several current drivers of the company I'm interested in. I find this process more real and avoid conflict of Interest situations.

Go Teamsters! Home every night or in a motel that the company pays for. No sleeping in the truck.

I was a driver recruiter, I was a driver but I had a t-shirt that said road recruiter and would talk to any driver that asked me about the company. The only reason I did it was I got an extra free truck wash per month. I never signed anyone up.

Thanks for the info I'm 24 and looking for a good company to start off

Those driver recruiters pay good money, by the hour too, here in Quebec. $23 an hour OD and D. You drive for the recruiter. He pays you. They supply the drivers. Bernieres Transport.

Would they drop a maple leaf in my hand for time and service. Honest question...

this is so true. I am a new Class 1 driver in Alberta and i have been dealing with recruiters. Bison is the worst so far. they phoned me and tried to pressure me into signing their two year contract. they are the most pushy people i have dealt with. I couldn't believe it, thats exactly who i want to work for. Someone who makes me make rushed uniformed decisions.

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my biggest issue with recruiters is when you tell them what you want to run and how you want to run most of them tell you they want you out 2 weeks and then they talk about home time home time is when I spend time in my actual house 4 days out of the month is not enough and a lot of them recruiters don't understand that

My company does not pay for 36 hours rest or waiting time or brake down time any of that but as a new driver with 8 months experience I have to at least get 1 year experience before I can ask all those questions.

Great video shared to my like page

Western Express said medical and dental. But department would not answer the phone after during the stage when I was eligible. After 3 months I finally got somebody to answer. She said " o so sorry but you have to set it up before three months. Now you have to wait a year. Also was told about tuition reimbursement....lol....yeah I got it but I had to leave them 1 star on every western Express terminal in the nation. Finally they said usually you have to set that up with in a month but this time we will allow it. Nobody would answer the phone!

At a card lock filling up when the truck beside me wanted to pay me cash to fill his truck because his fuel card was cancelled. I'm not sure if he owned the truck, or fleet fuel card, but what a rotten situation to be in. I couldn't help him out.

Can you please explain more in details the term "deregulation", which year happened and what meant. Im EU viewer and have no idea but I want to know.

I'm lucky; my resets are at the house.

Ltl trucking baby!!! $$$$$ 64 cents a mile 2700 miles a week.Do the math! I don't have a waiting time. Home every day! Never Ever give up

nice :)

I think the biggest reason they dont pay by the hour is because drivers wouldn’t be on time they wouldn’t care how quick they got to their destination theres a lot of worthless drivers out there now days that would abuse it but all they would have to do to fix it is charge a big fine for being late but then the company would abuse that on drivers and try to say you were late on purpose when really you. Were hung in traffic

The sweet spot is companies with between 50,and 100 trucks. Any more and you become a faceless number,and get treated like $hi+. Any less.and you have to worry about driving junk,being forced to run outlaw,and payroll being hinkey. The sweet spot usually gets you good equipment,a truck that will do the speed limit most places,family atmosphere,and the same benies as the big outfits.