Star Transport?

JenM · #1 (**permalink**) 09-10-2008, 08:38 PM

Hi, I'm a noob, and don't even have a CDL yet. I've been looking for the ever-elusive company-paid tuition, and not having much luck. First choice was SNI, but they're not hiring in my area, second was Roehl, but my credit score isn't high enough for them to finance me and I can't afford the tuition on my own.

I hooked up with MTC Truck Driver Training and got a call today that I had an offer from Star Transport. Basically, they'll pay 60% and take the other 40% out of my paycheck in $50 increments. He said he thought (as in, wasn't positive....hmmm) that the contract was for 13 months.

I can't find out much about them. I searched here and didn't find anything in the first 4 pages, but perhaps I didn't do the search properly.

Anyway, it seems like a good deal - and yes, I know, recruiters LIE through their teeth and I won't agree to anything until I see a contract. I'm wondering if anyone is familiar with Star. They seem to be just another average company, from what I can tell.

Any thoughts or advice?

(edited to add, this is Star Transport out of Morton, IL)

pro1driver · #2 (**permalink**) 09-10-2008, 09:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JenM

Hi, I'm a noob, and don't even have a CDL yet. I've been looking for the ever-elusive company-paid tuition, and not having much luck. First choice was SNI, but they're not hiring in my area, second was Roehl, but my credit score isn't high enough for them to finance me and I can't afford the tuition on my own.

I hooked up with MTC Truck Driver Training and got a call today that I had an offer from Star Transport. Basically, they'll pay 60% and take the other 40% out of my paycheck in $50 increments. He said he thought (as in, wasn't positive....hmmm) that the contract was for 13 months.

I can't find out much about them. I searched here and didn't find anything in the first 4 pages, but perhaps I didn't do the search properly.

Anyway, it seems like a good deal - and yes, I know, recruiters LIE through their teeth and I won't agree to anything until I see a contract. I'm wondering if anyone is familiar with Star. They seem to be just another average company, from what I can tell.

Any thoughts or advice?

(edited to add, this is Star Transport out of Morton, IL)

jen, i just did a search on star transport. i would suggest that you search them by using google, and here's why.....they link to other sites which i CANNOT link here. go and read some of the stories is all i can say.....

now this being said, i know of someone who did an "assesment" of many trucking companies, and star transport out of Morton, IL, isn't very desirable.....

JenM · #3 (**permalink**) 09-10-2008, 09:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pro1driver

jen, i just did a search on star transport. i would suggest that you search them by using google, and here's why.....they link to other sites which i CANNOT link here. go and read some of the stories is all i can say.....

now this being said, i know of someone who did an "assesment" of many trucking companies, and star transport out of Morton, IL, isn't very desirable.....

Hi Pro1. Thanks. I did find a few posts on other boards, some pretty negative, some average. The negative one was mostly complaining about not getting enough miles.
Seems that Star's major customers are Caterpillar and John Deere. Kind of scary putting all of your eggs in one or two baskets like that, especially with those types of businesses (industrial manufacturing). A few weeks of plant shutdowns could be disastrous for the drivers.

Sigh...guess I'll have to keep digging. I know every new driver (or driver wannabe) has the same problem - who and what to believe. Guess there's no easy answer.

Of course, the recruiter went ON AND ON about what a great company Star is...."fabulous, great to work for, easy to work with, blah blah blah."

pro1driver · #4 (**permalink**) 09-11-2008, 07:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JenM

Hi Pro1. Thanks. I did find a few posts on other boards, some pretty negative, some average. The negative one was mostly complaining about not getting enough miles.
Seems that Star's major customers are Caterpillar and John Deere. Kind of scary putting all of your eggs in one or two baskets like that, especially with those types of businesses (industrial manufacturing). A few weeks of plant shutdowns could be disastrous for the drivers.

Sigh...guess I'll have to keep digging. I know every new driver (or driver wannabe) has the same problem - who and what to believe. Guess there's no easy answer.

Of course, the recruiter went ON AND ON about what a great company Star is...."fabulous, great to work for, easy to work with, blah blah blah."

jen, that was only a few of the complaints. but there is also the statistics from another web site that i sometimes look up information about some companies, and its called, "SafeStat"

here is only a minor portion of that website with statistics for Star Transport, Morton, IL.

Number of Vehicles Involved in State Reported Crashes	217
Number of Vehicle Miles Traveled	N/A	Number of Vehicles Involved in Crashes Resulting in Fatalities	4
Number of Recordable Crashes	N/A	Number of Vehicles Involved in Crashes Resulting in Injuries	62

Number of Vehicle Inspections	1308
Number of Critical Violations		Number of OOS Inspections	218
Number of Acute Violations		Vehicle OOS Rate (VOR)	0.167

Number of Moving Violations	625
Number of Critical Violations		Number of OOS Inspections	249	Number of Drivers	987

now, based on some of THOSE negative comments, you may have read, i wouldn't recommend that company, primarily based on the the above stats..........just by the number of drivers to the number of moving violations would indicate to me at least, a somewhat unsafe working enviroment. then too, look at the OOS (out of service) stats.....249 trucks, out of 930 power units (tractors/trucks)........this is telling me when a driver writes up a defect, it isn't taken care of quickly......

and finally, YES, when a company has one or two, or even 10 "regular dedicated customers", it doesn't take too much for freight to stop moving, from those customers and the load co-ordinators or whatever they are called, scramble to find freight to keep drivers moving. you WILL be sitting for long periods of time, because the senior drivers will get the freight first......in todays terrible economy, it's not taking too much for some of those customers to close their doors forever....

JenM · #5 (**permalink**) 09-11-2008, 11:33 AM

Yikes, Pro1, thank you for that information. I found the website to which you are referring and did a bit of digging myself.

I found this: A deficient DII (driver inspection indicator) is 75 and higher. Star Transport's DII is 72. A deficient VII (vehicle inspection indicator) is 75 and higher. Star's is 45. That doesn't seem too bad until I compared it to that of other companies with which I'm familiar, and their's were in the low 30's or 20's.

For comparison, Roehl's DII is 22 and their VII is 22.5. World of difference!

Yep, I think I'll pass.

I desperately need a job, but I don't desperately want to get shackled for a year to a company with this type of shoddy record.

Thank you so much!

aawood · #6 (**permalink**) 09-11-2008, 01:32 PM

I saw this post just as I was starting to post a thread about Star Transportation. However, I'm thinking that it's not the same company. I am looking for info on Star out of Nashville, TN. I have seen both trucks on the road. The one I'm asking about is white and Blue Freightshakers. Any info on this Star would be appreciated. Specifically, how they can get you 22-2500 miles a week and be home most weekends. Can they do this? As far as working conditions, equipment, etc. I know a guy that works for them but is dedicated and he says he gets 25-2700 a week and I do know he is home every weekend.