Maybe it's age related. I'm on the high side of 40 ( I won't say HOW high ). I, too, refused to be anybody's whipping boy. Being new to the industry, (not even got my first job yet), I'm doing what I can to minimize the possibility. Before I ever went to school, I was researching companies. It quickly became apparent that certain companies would not make my long list, to say nothing of my short list.

The short list is just that, too. short. 5 companies.

I'm sure there are more good companies to work for out there, even on a national or semi-national scale. I stopped looking I had 5, is all. Of course, the long list is about 50. The "only if I'm starving" list is also about 50. The down side of the 'starving' list is that those companies are where it's easiest to get a newbie job.

Treat me right, and I'll be happy to help out. Treat me like dog-processed dog food, and you can find somebody else to kick. Even simple things like "Please" and "Thank you" will go a LONG way to keeping me happy.

Your point is a good one and if all new drivers 21 to what ever took that kind of stand big company's would treat there drivers with more respect
But as the jobless rate continues to grow so dose the disrespect I suggest that all new drivers take there own string to there new job "only for the 5 or 6 big Co's" maybe they'll get just a little respect

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Like my boss used to say keep that old cab over runnin she's still got a mile or two left in her.

and remember freedoms like a dollar sometimes you gotta fight to keep it

As long as the world is about money and power the more money you have the power you have the co. owners will not take away from their pockets.

The leader of the pack is Walmart. They have shown the world how to make money. As someone else mentioned as long as their is a line of people waiting for any job their is no need to change.

No company is perfect, let alone perfect for everyone. we have to give a little as well on our expectations. The job is just like being married, 99% perfect for some 50-50 or less for others which are we going to be.

This is a much largr problem than the trucking industry and I wcould be here for days just touching on it but for now I will end at that.

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Just my few words-----or not................J

Life is too short, try to enjoy it.....
Maybe we should drive buses

Being new it is easy to get started in the industry $ for the companies that contract/train. They have you work for them for a period of time that you make less money to pay for them training you when they got the money from the govt. to pay for the training. When the time comes that you quit you have to pay them money back that they did not spend. Got their freight moved for that time cheap and got paid to hire you.

The days of loyalty and hard work/performance is only as good as how much it will cost the company in the bottom line.

I need to get off now because I see I am going to go off on a tangent and get diahrea of the keyboard........

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Just my few words-----or not................J

Life is too short, try to enjoy it.....
Maybe we should drive buses

So true, I believe that is what is wrong with everything.....the more technology upgraded we get the more we lose that we are human beings we are dealing with. I can say that most companies any longer are not customer oriented. Most times when we call companies it is routed overseas.......just sad. But still the bottom line is if it wasn't for the truck drivers out there (giving up 1/2 of their life or more) we couldn't buy the crap that we eventually need to call customer service for.

Since I have toooooo much time sitting here in NJ waiting for a load I can type a little or alot

The influx of people needing and wanting to work is so high in trucking we will neever get the respect we deserve for (the 1/2 of life or more) we give to keep the world moving.

The only reason people did not strike or shut down back in the beginning of the month is pure fear.............................If I may elaborate,
Fear is not also abou retaliation from employer, but also to include fear of loss of money, time, expendability, bills, payments, etc. We keep the world moving if everyone was to take a vacation on the same week every cdl driver the world would completely stop moving within 4-5 days. Then we would be appreciated. The rotation of the next crop of newbies each week could not even begin to handle the load.

This part of the discussion is pretty broad but necessary for the maximum meaning of the problems we face in this country. The days of Jimmy Hoffa though beneficial obviously for the immediate working people of the trans. ind. the trickle down affect of the unions has caused the raise in costs of goods to pay employees for the employees to be able to pay for goods.
Now that we are their co.'s want and need to make profits, govt. gives loopholes for forming corp.'s outside of country, that's not enough causes govt. to raise taxes for not getting tax base from co.'s and then the co.'s realize a workforce overseas would compensate for transpoting of goods here and be able to make a larger profit margin and not lower prices.

The perpetual cycle will never end until every 2nd 3rd world country labor force has been used up and everyone else is broke so that the have's will not be able to get another dime out of the have not's.

We live where we have to buy from co.'s that use cheap foreign labor and materials because the workorce here is not making enough to be choosey and say we will ONLY buy american. But looking back we would still be behind the eight ball because we need more to work to be able to pay for things. See where this is going...................?

Sorry I think I went tooo far speaking

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Just my few words-----or not................J

Life is too short, try to enjoy it.....
Maybe we should drive buses

This is the long effect of capitalism, now what do we do? stop capitalism,
make it communism or socialism or what ever else. I am not saying their is absolutely a better system. None knew where we would wind up or will, owever look at what is happening.

The old cliche' (it's not the best system in the world but it's better than the others.)

Had to add a few more words...........................J:bi ggrin_25513::biggrin_2 5510:

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Just my few words-----or not................J

Life is too short, try to enjoy it.....
Maybe we should drive buses

No, you didn't go to far in speaking. I think I can say being a truckers wife, knowing before my hubby drove for a company that was teamsters (which he refuses to go back to) that is now a company (non-union), not only did he sign up being an otr driver, I didn't sign up being a single parent but that is the way it is. If he could just get with a company that treats him as a human being with a family he wouldn't mind going that extra mile for them if they respected his wishes as well. My biggest grip is that all those so-called bosses, dispatchers and such all get off at a certain time and go home to their familys but expect the drivers to stay out (and even sit/sleep in their trucks) without even thinking that they have family's/lives outside of their trucks.

two more cents worth; It ain't Capitalism causing the problems of this country, or the world for that matter. It is gov't intrusion into business that has created the mess we're in. The gov't screws up everything it touches.
Bureaucrats don't know enough to work in the private sector where there is "competition" so they take gov't jobs (politicians in particular) and then have the audacity to try to tell others how they should work,live,etc.

With that said, back to the trucking industry.... an old cliche' applies here,
"if you're not a part of the solution, you're a part of the problem"...no offense to anyone intended....but I ain't gonna be a part of the problem.
And to the above poster who referred to my age...I am 60, and proud of it.
It allows me to "say what I think" because I have "earned it". But, even at 20 I would not tolerate ANYONE being disrespectful to me or mine.

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"Perfectly executed political analysis"
We're right!
They're wrong!
End of Story!
Andrew Wilkow sirius Patriot 144

Individual Patriot first
Conservative second
Republican third

why is this thread even on discuss your favorite trucking company? there are more than enough other places to gripe than this. just my .02