- Companies
- Tips
- Terms
- Licenses
When you’re on the hunt for a truck driving job, it can be difficult to know which companies will be enjoyable to work for and treat you well as an employee. No business is perfect, but some are better than others at supporting their drivers and making their hard work worthwhile.
In this article, you’ll learn what to look for in a truck driving company as you’re applying for jobs and find some examples of employers who receive high marks from their drivers.
10 of the Best Trucking Companies to Work For
-
Based out of Hudson, Illinois, Nussbaum Transportation has a 440-truck fleet and a strong employee reputation.
The company was founded in 1945 and stated that its core values are honesty, integrity, character, excellence, and benevolence. Nussbaum is now employee-owned, which means 35% of its stock is set aside for employees, allowing them to benefit from its success.
Nussbaum offers dedicated contract carriage and irregular route truckload services and serves all 48 contiguous U.S. states. As a result, it hires drivers who live in several states outside Illinois to improve its route efficiency.
-
FedEx Freight is the branch of FedEx that handles all of the company’s LTL (less-than-truckload) freight services. It employs over 42,000 people based out of 350 service centers and handles about 100,000 shipments every day.
As one of the nation’s largest companies in this field, truck drivers will reap the benefits of FedEx’s large pool of resources but won’t necessarily get the personalized touch that comes with smaller companies.
FedEx Freight can be a great option for aspiring truck drivers, as the company offers a free CDL training program that prepares future drivers for the written and practical tests. This program is typically only open to current FedEx employees, however.
-
Walmart is unique in that its trucking operations are as extensive as some of the largest trucking companies, but it’s still a private carrier. As a result, Walmart drivers’ jobs are typically more secure than other trucking companies. Turnover is also very low, and the company touts that it’s one of the lowest in the industry.
One of the reasons Walmart has such low turnover is that it invests heavily in keeping up its shipping infrastructure, raising salaries to $90,000 a year, and hiring hundreds more drivers during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic to keep its supply chains from falling behind.
Normally, drivers for Walmart still typically speak well of the pay and benefits that come with working for a large company, as well as Walmart’s emphasis on safety. Walmart doesn’t train new drivers and requires several years of experience under their belt before applying, making it a good mid-career company.
-
One of the largest shipping companies globally, UPS needs a significant number of truck drivers to keep it operating smoothly.
UPS’s drivers speak highly of the organization’s pay and the clear-cut, consistent work. The company also maintains its trucks well and often offers seasonal work, which many drivers appreciate.
UPS is also known for the benefits that many drivers say make the long shifts worth it. These include no cost and full coverage health insurance offered to both full- and part-time employees and their families.
-
H.O. Wolding, Inc.
H.O. Wolding, Inc. is a mid-sized company with 320 trucks based in Amherst, Wisconsin. It’s a regional company focusing on the Midwest, Northeast, and Southeast U.S. states.
H.O. Wolding is family-owned and hires not only experienced truck drivers but also recent CDL graduates. If hired within 30 days of graduating, the company will provide these new drivers with three weeks of paid training and even reimburse their tuition.
Drivers speak highly of the company’s work-life balance, management, and culture. Jobs at this company don’t always pay as highly as others do, but many employees stick around for the company culture anyway.
-
Pride Transport is headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, and it has nearly 500 trucks — most of which are refrigerated. Pride’s drivers give the company high marks for its supportive culture and high-quality equipment but mixed reviews on the pay and schedules.
The company also offers a variety of training opportunities to both its new and seasoned drivers. Trainees must already have their CDLs, but they can opt to receive additional paid training sessions to refresh or perfect their skills.
Pride Transport was started in 1979 by Jeff England, whose family started the CR England trucking company.
-
Estes Express Lines has been operating for 90 years and is based in Richmond, Virginia. The company is the largest privately-owned freight shipping company in North America, has over 7,000 trucks, and serves all 50 states, plus some Central American countries and islands.
Due to its long history and a debt-free status, Estes Express Lines is a highly stable company for truck drivers to work for. Drivers appreciate the pay, benefits, and quality equipment as well.
Estes Express Lines also offers paid training and CDL training and licensing at no cost, making it a great company to start a truck driving career.
-
Old Dominion is one of the largest and oldest freight shipping companies in the U.S. It was founded in 1934 and now has almost 250 service centers, 41,000 tractors and trailers, and just under 20,000 employees. Old Dominion also offers residential moving services and is the official freight carrier for Major League Baseball.
The company pays its truck drivers above-average salaries, and it also offers a paid CDL training program for hires who still need their initial licensing.
In addition, Old Dominion earned multiple awards in 2021, including recognition as a “Top 100 Trucker” by Inbound Logistics, a “Top Company for Women to Work for in Transportation” by Women in Trucking and a top 75 “Green Supply Chain Partner” by Inbound Logistics.
-
TMC Transportation is lauded by drivers for its excellent equipment that makes their jobs safer, easier, and more comfortable. In addition, the company operates regionally, allowing drivers to be home on the weekends and have a slightly shorter average daily haul length than usual.
TMC is based in Des Moines, Iowa, and serves the U.S., Canada, and New Mexico. TMC offers free CDL training in Des Moines, Iowa, and Columbia, South Carolina, for eligible job applicants. The company also offers a tuition reimbursement program for applicants who need to train elsewhere.
TMC is an employee-owned company and focuses mainly on flatbed trucking, which means their loads are primarily made up of building materials. However, TMC provides on-the-job training to already-licensed drivers who aren’t used to this yet.
-
Western Distributing Transportation Corp.
Western Distributing has been operating since 1933 and is a specialized service based in Denver, Colorado. They serve the contiguous 48 states with dry and refrigerated hauling and armored trucks.
Western Distributing also offers wreck recovery and towing services, including a division specializing in towing and recovery in the narrow and steep roads of the Rocky Mountains.
The privately-owned company isn’t necessarily known among drivers for its high pay, but it is recognized for its high-quality equipment (and bright blue trucks), which is often still a significant draw for drivers.
Find Nussbaum Transportation Jobs Near Me
Find Pride Transport Jobs Near Me
Find Estes Express Lines Jobs Near Me
Find Old Dominion Freight Line Jobs Near Me
Find TMC Transportation Jobs Near Me
What to Look for In a Truck Driving Company
In addition to things like pay and benefits, there are several factors you should pay attention to when researching potential employers as a truck driver.
-
Schedule
This may seem obvious, but it is an important factor to thoroughly research when applying for a truck driving job.
While the job description may state your schedule and how often you’d be home, you need to verify that the company will honor that and be flexible when special events come up that you need to be home for.
To find this information out, talk to other drivers at the company, whether in person or online via job forums. Current and past employees on those platforms will share what it’s like to work for the company, and you can typically ask them specific questions as well.
-
Equipment
The trucks you’ll be driving must be safe, reliable, and comfortable. After all, you don’t want to have to troubleshoot on the road or endure poor living conditions more than you have to.
Look into the type of trucks the company has and the trucks’ average ages, as newer models will be more comfortable. You should also find out about their maintenance schedules to ensure that the equipment you’re using will be reliable.
The company should be able and willing to answer these questions for you, but if you need to, this is a good topic to ask about on online job forums.
-
Safety and Training
Before you accept a truck driving job, you should always have a solid understanding of what the company does to protect and support its drivers.
To learn how seriously a company takes safety, you can look up the organization’s federal safety scores online. Ask a hiring manager directly about the training and support it offers. Usually, they’ll be more than happy to share what sets their company apart in this area.
In addition, note how long the company has been in business. Usually, the older a trucking company is, the more invested they are in their drivers’ well-being, as they’ll want to keep them around for as long as possible.
- Companies
- Tips
- Terms
- Licenses
Author
Abby is a writer who is passionate about the power of story. Whether it’s communicating complicated topics in a clear way or helping readers connect with another person or place from the comfort of their couch. Abby attended Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where she earned a degree in writing with concentrations in journalism and business.
