Inside Elite’s Partnership with May Trucking Company

Elite Truck School works with trucking companies across the country to help graduates find steady jobs after training. One of those partners is May Trucking Company, a carrier based in Salem, Oregon. Kory Knox, a recruiter for May Trucking, sat down to talk about the company, why it partners with Elite, and why Elite graduates are a good fit for the job.

Who Is May Trucking Company?

May Trucking Company got its start in 1945 in Payette, Idaho, with just three trucks. Today, the company is headquartered in Salem, Oregon, and runs a fleet of more than 900 tractors out of terminals across the western and central United States, including:

• Arizona
• Colorado
• California
• Idaho
• Utah

May Trucking hauls both dry van and refrigerated freight and runs dedicated routes for long-term customers. In 2024, Newsweek added May Trucking to its list of America’s Greatest Workplaces.

May Trucking is the kind of carrier students training through Elite’s CDL program often hope to land with: established, stable, and growing.

A Long-Running Partnership

Kory Knox has worked with Elite Truck School for over 15 years, and May Trucking’s relationship with the school goes back nearly 20. Every two weeks, someone from May Trucking visits one of our campuses and talks with students about the company and the industry.

Back Where It All Began

Knox said the visits aren’t about selling students on May Trucking.

I don’t ever want to try to talk somebody into coming to my trucking company. I want them to make that decision based on their needs, he said. Instead, the goal is to give students enough information to ask good questions, whether they end up talking to May Trucking or another carrier that visits the school.

Why May Trucking Hires Elite Graduates

May Trucking brings on new drivers straight out of truck school, including many Elite graduates. New hires spend about a week at May Trucking’s corporate facility in Brooks, Oregon, getting familiar with the company’s equipment. According to Knox, the process looks a lot like what students already practiced at Elite, just with May Trucking’s trucks.

Drivers complete road tests and backing exercises, then go out with a mentor before moving through a solo process and getting set up in their own truck. That smooth transition is one reason May Trucking keeps coming back to Elite. Graduates already know the basics, so onboarding focuses on getting comfortable with the equipment rather than teaching driving skills from scratch.

Check Out Lynn Who Landed a Job at May Trucking

Start Your Path to a Carrier Like May Trucking

Elite Truck School trains students to be ready for carriers like May Trucking from day one. Graduates can also explore open positions and learn more about hiring partners on Elite’s job placement page.

Fill out the form to talk with Elite Truck School about getting started.