Do you offer tuition reimbursement?
Typically you'll have to work for the company a certain length of time before you'll receive any reimbursement. This is usually at least 6 months to a year and may or may not be the full price of the school.

Do you pay Orientation pay?

How do you pay and how much?
Different carriers offer different ways of paying you. Most common is Per Mile pay. You receive a certain amount for every mile you run. Percentage is a bit less common, but more so for Owner Operator and for flatbed. Most drivers will say that in the end, both methods end up being nearly the same. A few offer salaried pay but this is more common with local jobs.

Loaded AND empty? If NO, how much for empty miles?
Empty miles are commonly called "Deadhead" or just "Dead" miles. Some companies will pay less for deadhead (empty) miles--though this is more common with Owner Operators and those on percentage based pay.

Hub or book? Which program? Household Movers, Rand McNally Milemaker, PC Miler, Other
Hub miles are the true miles the truck moved. Book miles are based upon how a computer program figures them. Household Mover’s Guide miles are often nearly 10% less than actual miles traveled. Mikemaker and PC Miler tend to be closer to the real miles. Computer programs typically route from post office to post office. A company that pays hub miles but pays a few cents less per mile is going to end up paying close to the same as a company that pays a few cents more per mile but uses a computer program.

Average miles per week?

Bonuses offered? Mileage Idle time/Fuel Safety
Bonuses are nice but often have "strings" attached. For example, a mileage bonus may be set up based on when you deliver a load - not just when you're dispatched on it. They are typically set up on a monthly or quarterly basis. Idle time can always be cut down but what if you spend a whole month running mostly in the north in winter? A Safety bonus usually requires no accidents, no tickets, no violations of company policy and no claims turned in.

Raises? After how long? How much?

How much advance am I allowed? Weekly or per trip?
Money that is given to you "in advance" of having earned it. It is generally expected to be used towards expenses. Some companies limit how much you may get per week, per trip, etc.

Which expenses are reimbursed?
Most companies pay scale tickets (public, not DOT) fax fees, lumpers and some/all toll roads.

Do you pay Per Diem? How much?
Per Diem is a certain amount per day that you are not taxed on - IRS laws are changing all the time but for the year 1999 the Per Diem allowed is $38.00 for each day you spend away from home. Even if the company doesn't figure the Per Diem, at the end of the year you can still take it as a tax write off.

Paid vacation? After employed how long? How much? How figured? Usually paid according to what your average miles run per week were for the previous year.

Pay multiple drop / pick up pay?
How much?
It is common with multiple stops/pickups that the first and last drop/pick up are not paid... They’ll say "First & Last are Free". The "middle" ones might pay anything from $0 to $25+ each. Multiples are time consuming - it's a good idea to ask how many of the loads may have multiple pick up/drop/both.

Paid lumpers?
"Lumpers" are people who load/unload your truck for you. They typically work on a cash basis. Lumpers can be pretty expensive depending on the type of freight you're dealing with. Most companies pay this expense for company drivers - or pay according to how many pieces of freight you have.

Do you pay me to unload?
Some companies will pay a lumper more to unload than they will pay the driver.

Are Toll Roads allowed?
Some companies allow toll roads, some do not and some will allow only certain ones. Toll roads can be extremely expensive.

Which one/s do you reimburse?

Do you pay layover? After how long?
How long do you have to sit waiting for a load to get paid for the time? Down time can get expensive. It's hard to say what's "typical" but many companies don't pay anything until you've been laid over 24+ hours.

Do you pay truck washes on the road? How often?
May seem unimportant but truck washes cost around $30-35 for the tractor only.

Average time out
Most companies will tell you what the "average" time you'll spend away is. Keep in mind, though, that it is only an average! It can vary a lot!

Time at home policy
A typical average is 1 day home for every week out--some will want you to stay out 2 weeks+-or -may say 3 days home for 2 weeks out, etc. Yet others will advertise home every weekend - there are many different ways that companies do this.

Can I expect to be home for:  Christmas, Thanksgiving, etc.?

Wage during training?
Typically low - often a set salary

How long is the training period?
Typical could be anywhere from 3 to 6 weeks. Some are longer, some shorter and some will base it on how you're doing and the reports they are getting back from your trainer.

Will I be ready to go solo after training?

How long is my Probationary Period?
Most companies have a Probationary Period - even for their experienced drivers.

Is your company mostly solo drivers or team drivers?

Do I have a choice as to solo or team?

How much experience are your trainers required to have?

If you're a smoker, you may want to ask:

• Can I have a trainer that smokes?

If you're a female, you may want to ask:

• Do you have female trainers?

Do you offer Medical Insurance ? How much?

Do you offer Dental Insurance? How much?

Do you offer a Retirement Plan?

Do you offer a Rider Policy?

• Is there an age requirement?

• Does it cost extra?

• Is it limited to immediate family members?

• Is it limited as to the time of year?

A "Rider Policy" is a policy that allows you to have someone other than another company driver with you in the truck. Rider policies are getting easier & more lenient but it is still standard that children are at least 12 years of age and riders must be immediate family members. It is also standard that no one may ride with you from the months of Nov to April.

What kind of truck will I drive?

Will it be assigned to me?
If it is not "assigned" to you, that means you'll have to trade off trucks with other drivers. If it is not "assigned" it is usually a "slip seat" arrangement.

Will I have to Slip Seat?
Someone else may drive it when you’re off.

Do I take the truck and trailer home?
If you are expected to take truck and trailer home with you, do you have a place to park it? This can be tricky. Also, depending on how far you live from your home terminal, you’ll need to know if you’ll be expected to drive your personal vehicle home or if you'll be allowed to bobtail home. After putting in a 2500+ mile week, you may not like driving another 100+ miles home.

Engine size and kind?

Transmission
If you've learned only one transmission, this may be very important to know…Rest assured, though, if you learn one transmission well, it's not nearly as hard to learn the next one. 9 speeds have been a very popular fleet transmission but Super 10's are gaining a lot of popularity.

Speed / Governed at?
Most trucks, especially those owned by a company (vs owned by an owner/operator) are governed or "cut back". This means there is a top speed that the truck's computer will allow it to go.

Sleeper style: Double bunk, Single bunk, Stand Up, Mid-Roof/Raised Roof, Flat Top
A double bunk has two beds; the top bunk folds down. These are nice for teams. A single bunk, stand up sleeper just has one bed but has a tall roof, tall enough that a person may stand up completely. A Raised Roof or Mid-Roof sleeper is something between a stand up and a flattop. A Flat Top is not one you can fully stand up in - unless you're relatively short!

Other features: Cruise Control, Jake Brake, Opti-Idle
Cruise control is usually standard. A Jake Brake is an engine/exhaust/electric retarder that assists in slowing the truck. Opti-idle is a newer option that allows a driver to set a temperature for the cab, like a thermostat, and the truck turns itself on and off to maintain that temperature. Aids in reducing idle time.

How often does company buy new trucks?

Do I have my truck serviced on the road or at the terminal?
If it’s done on the road, you’ll have extra unpaid down-time just as you will if your terminal is in another city. If your terminal is in your home town (or at least close to) the servicing can be done while you’re at home.

What are your Main traffic lanes?
OR Irregular Route?
Many companies run the same interstates back & forth--more of certain areas than others--it’s typically easier to get home if you live on a main traffic lane. Some companies are "Irregular Route" and means what it implies - they run all sorts of different routes all the time.

What regions will you expect me to run?
As a new person, even though the carrier may be a 48 state carrier, they may insist you start out running the east coast - or some other region.

Do you have any dedicated runs?
A dedicated run is one that basically stays the same - loads the same place and delivers the same place and does so on nearly the same schedule most of the time. They're very nice if you want to know which day you'll be home and exactly where you're going on the next trip. There are usually a lot of drivers "lined up" for these type of runs.

Do you have:
Forced dispatch? Regional? Assigned?
Forced = you must take the load given to you; Regional = dispatchers for certain areas; Assigned = always work with the same dispatcher.

Do you have 24 hour dispatch?
Being able to get in touch with someone at all times is preferable than waiting ‘til morning! Tires rarely blow during business hours.

Do you have Satellites/Qualcomm?
These "tracking" systems can be very nice--you can type in load info rather than play "find the phone" game, you can often get directions right there in the truck and can often forego check-in calls because the satellite tracks you.

What is your % of no-touch freight?
"No-touch" freight is as the name implies! You, as the driver, do not have to touch a thing on the trailer, other than opening the doors. The receiver is entirely responsible for unloading.

What is your % of drop & hook?
"Drop and Hook" means you "Drop" the empty trailer at a shipper and "Hook" a trailer that has already been loaded. The only downtime involved is the time it takes to "Drop & Hook". The higher % the better -- the less time you’re sitting at a dock, the more time you can be turning the wheels.

What is the average length of haul?
Shorter trips are more time-consuming; you spend as much time loading & unloading but don’t get the miles out of it. On the other hand, it may be easier to get home under some short loads. A few companies even pay higher mileage for short loads. Regardless, they are more work and they will wear you out faster.

Do you have designated fuel stops/closed fuel network?
A designated fuel or closed fuel network means that you'll have certain places you have to buy fuel. Though it is more convenient to be able to buy fuel anywhere you want to, most companies use a network because buying in volume earns them discounts.

Can I have a pet in the truck?
You'd be surprised what animals people keep in a truck!

Damage deposit required? How much?
This is a normal requirement - animals can cause a lot of damage to a sleeper.

Driver's ABC's also has a form you may copy off that leaves the Explanations off.

It is a good idea to save all the sheets you fill out on employers... you may want to look them over again someday if considering a job change.