How much do i have to be crapped on before my "dues" are paid?!

Discussion in 'Experienced Truckers' Advice' started by Urban_Hillbilly81, Jan 14, 2013.

  1. Urban_Hillbilly81

    Urban_Hillbilly81 Light Load Member

    63
    15
    Nov 28, 2010
    Jacksonville FL
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    Hello all been a while since I have been on the forum I've been busy trying to pay my "dues". So far I am having a rough time finding the right company for me. First company i went to work for was CTL the hazmat divison of Comcar was what seemed to be a sweet deal local in a day cab once i got in there I found out otherwise was working the full 70 hours a week pulling 14 hour days 5 days a week for 500 a week. After long consideration I left that company after my 2nd month because who in their right mind wants to work 14 hour days for 100.00 dollars a day?
    Moved on to my second job got hired on to a moving company as a class a driver that was going great until the slow season hit I would be lucky to work 1 day a week then. So being a family man and needing a good steady income I decided to bite the bullet at my father in laws urgeing and hire on with Prime. He has been a lease driver with them 10+ years and seemed to be happy and making good money with them. So I bit the bullet and gave them a call. Went through orientation got my 1st trainer who would only allow me to drive at night and had to blare the radio anytime he drove while I was supposed to be trying to sleep I made him well aware of the fact I had trouble sleeping in a moving vehicle as it was and the fact he had the radio up loud and was always hitting the rumble strips made it that much harder for me to sleep. We had a huge blowout with each other that resulted in me getting off his truck.

    Needless to say prime got me another trainer I get to my other trainers truck he has 2 dogs one big one small that the dispatcher forgot to mention to me when trying to find a trainer I would be able to deal with. Dont get me wrong I love dogs but I really dont think they belong on a training truck! So I tried my hardest to look past that but when i had to let his big dog sleep on bottom bunk with me when it wasnt my time to drive it wore on me and i wound up just getting off his truck too.

    Skip forward a few months after looking high and low and knocking on every door of trucking companies here where I live. I landed a linehaul job running between Jax and Orlando every night! Sweet deal right!? Wrong the place wanted me to be on a 10-99 that brought up a red flag but at this point i just wanted to get that wheel time so i could get the exp i need to get with a good company. So I accepted the offer couple weeks into it my payroll check bounces.... So I call the payroll lady and let her know they start working to try to fix it that took a week so now that that got fixed checks start coming in late sometimes 1 day sometimes 3 days I bite my tounge for a few months and deal with it. Well another check bounces rinse and repeat a few times. none the less this starts to happen over the holidays worst time for me having kids and bills.!! Checks start being on time and not bounceing for a week or 2 the week of christmas thought they got payroll worked out WRONG!!!!

    So last week I get my check friday night had to wait till monday after 3:30 to cash it me being an easy going go with the flow type of guy I wait till monday after 3:30 like i was told to cash it. So went and cashed it well come wed i stop at the truck stop by my pick up to buy some drinks and a sub my card is declined!!! WTf!? So i call the ol lady ask her what she went and bought and forgot to tell me about. She said nothing so i have her look at our acct on the computer and low and behold you guessed it my check bounced AGAIN. So I do my run come back to Jax and call the owner and inform him that I am done. He ask why and I told him I'm tired of having checks be late,having to wait till monday to cash, or just flat out bouncing. He trys to give me all sorts of excuses of the major accts the company has havent paid them etc etc because their people were on vacation for the holidays. Mind you these are accts like Grainger,Office Max,HD supply thats the big 3 this company has. So my question to him was have i failed you in any way? You know being late,not showing up for work, etc. He says no you have been really reliable and dedicated to us. Well then i asked what if I had not been reliable would he want to hear any of my excuses he said no we would have fired you. So I tell him well thats my point to you I have been reliable but you guys havent been doing your job and making sure your drivers are being paid on time and thats why im quitting!! Mind you I am not the only driver who has had this issue.

    So my question is just like title of post says how much do i have to be ##### before my dues are paid?! I can drive a truck safely down the road,back up safely,log correctly. Never have had any major trouble finding any new place i was sent. I use my head and call the shipper or reciever for directions,use my map,gps and all the tools that are there for me to use.

    Sorry for the long post but figured I would give a detailed background of what I have been dealing with in hopes that some of you guys can give me some good advice. I dont mind learning the hard way and putting up with bs from jobs but there is only so much one can take!
     
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  3. pokerhound67

    pokerhound67 Heavy Load Member

    801
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    Oct 30, 2012
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    man, thats quite a bit of bad luck youve had. i see one of the problems is you live in florida, thus your choices are somewhat limited. dont really have much helpful info to give you. i hear decent things about prime, and for crying out loud you had family working there too. im sure youre pretty much bald now after all the hair pulling youve been doing, and i dont see you being to blame for any of the situations you describe. you left out what made you leave prime, unless 2 trainers was enough for you, which i also wouldnt blame you for. how much was the question, and i can only say i havent seen the likes of what youve been through personally with any company ive worked for. usa truck, which i understand now is having some major issues, so i wouldnt feel comfortable recommending them. conway truckload might hire you...always managed 2800+ per week.

    the last guys got a bit of nerve, asking why youre quitting. and not at least falling all over himself trying to make it up. here, let me pay your bank fees, and give you a 200 buck bonus in addition. either he COULDNT, cause he is broke, or hes just an idiot. when you know youre wrong, the appropriate response is not excuses, its an unqualified apology and effort to make it right, and then some. especially if you value the relationship you have with the one you did wrong, which he claimed to do.

    trucking IS full of some less than savory companies, but i still think its the exception rather than the rule. i hope you find a decent situation. or maybe youve had enough at this point, and this rant was just the precursor to finding a new career? either way, good luck to you.
     
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  4. Chinatown

    Chinatown Road Train Member

    68,030
    142,274
    Aug 28, 2011
    Henderson, NV & Orient
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    You don't have to be crapped on at all; at least not anymore. You have the experience now to pretty much pick and choose. For the better benefits, look at the larger companies. Are you willing to do OTR or regional for awhile? Do you have all the endorsements with TWIC & passport? I understand; my very first job, I could barely pay for food for myself, much less the wife and 4 children at home. I applied where everyone told me would be impossible for a newbie, but did it anyway, and landed a good job hauling high dollar boats nationwide. Look at some companies to get your pay up for now & some benefits to help your family; you don't have to stay there forever.
    Conway
    Melton Truck Lines
    Miller Transporters
    Florida Rock & Tank
    Armellini

    Check Careerbuilder website & if you don't have all the endorsements, get them.
    Hope this helps.
     
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  5. Urban_Hillbilly81

    Urban_Hillbilly81 Light Load Member

    63
    15
    Nov 28, 2010
    Jacksonville FL
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    I left prime because i went thru 2 trainers both of which were trying their hardest to talk the leaseing side of prime up and the fact i couldnt handle another month of teaming with a trainer and hardly getting any sleep then having to drive 11 hours at night. Combo of all that had me ready to choke the living heck outta next person that made me mad lol!

    Yea I have my passport twic t,x endoresment and a clean driving record criminal record. I just wanna be paid a fair wage like everyone else does and not have to deal with a absurd amount of bs. I dont spend my time in truck stops bsing when im under a load im driving as long as i can and doing everything i can to get that load there early because if in my book if your there on time your late lol! I wouldnt mind doing regional at all. Ive got one app in at central transport for a linehaul run to atlanta and back to jax everynight hope to god i get that. I loved this linehaul job i had but wasnt going to stick around with them not paying me on time and having checks bounce higher than the lil rubber bouncy balls my kids love to play with.
     
    Last edited: Jan 14, 2013
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  6. Urban_Hillbilly81

    Urban_Hillbilly81 Light Load Member

    63
    15
    Nov 28, 2010
    Jacksonville FL
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    Also would like to add I'm worried companies are going to frown upon my employment history seeing ive quit so many places. Although in my mind all have been valid reasons I know it looks bad to companies. Before i paid for myself to go to CDL school i worked at the same job from 2001-2009 and the only reason I'm not still with that company is because the folded when the economy tanked. And pokerhound I dont give up easy Ive got my mind set on finding a decent company and eventually getting a truck of my own and making this career work for me. Ive got to much money and heartache invested to give up now in my book. My life has been full of up's and down's Im very hardheaded and dont give up easy!
     
    Last edited: Jan 14, 2013
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  7. Chinatown

    Chinatown Road Train Member

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    Aug 28, 2011
    Henderson, NV & Orient
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    Central Transport linehaul would be great. Wish you the best.
     
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  8. CondoCruiser

    CondoCruiser The Legend

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    Apr 18, 2010
    Tennessee
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    First you have to pay your dues as a new driver. Then you have to pay your dues at a new company. If you keep changing jobs you won't get over the hump.

    That said tough it out until you have one year in. Then you sign on with a better company that requires 1 year experience. If that doesn't fit you than you tough it out and sign on with a company that requires 2-3 years experience.

    You'll find the companies with stricter hire on requirements will treat you better. Than instead of quitting you try to work out things in house first. If you don't click with a dispatcher you ask for another. Use your chain of command.

    I have a 7 month rule. I'll give any company 6 months. By the 7th I'll leave. A month or two is just not enough time to say you really tried.

    The longer you drive the more you learn how to deal with a bunch of it. It's called getting thick skinned. Before it's over with you'll be able to eat crap while ten people yell at you. You'll find out your wife is fooling around, the kids are using drugs and the dog ran away. None it won't phase you! Then you are seasoned! :)
     
  9. Urban_Hillbilly81

    Urban_Hillbilly81 Light Load Member

    63
    15
    Nov 28, 2010
    Jacksonville FL
    0
    Heh I hear ya on that man I was with the bedbugging company 10 months and this last outfit i left i was there 6-7 months. Prime team driving just wasnt for me had to give it a shot though never know till ya try! And CTL was just a #### joke as far as pay went. I would have stayed with this last company for a few years had I not had so many problems with checks bouncing and being late. It really bothered me to have to quit this last company because I really enjoyed the job sucked ##### to have to wait 5 hours a night in a day cab at the officemax dc but i was rolling with the punches ya know. Trust me i fully understand what ya mean about the hump and am willing to roll with the punches. After all the experiences I,ve had so far id say im thick skinned lol. was mainly just venting and looking for some advice :dontknow:
     
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  10. beermooch67

    beermooch67 Light Load Member

    62
    4
    Dec 28, 2012
    Garfield Heights,Ohio
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    Urban Hillbilly,
    Try Schneider,Swift or Stevens Transport they are good Schneider is the best out of all 3 and treat drivers really good from what I have read on here and doing my research.CRST and Werner(the big blue screw) CRE are all companies to stay clear of.I have also heard good things about FFE,Roehl and Knight.
     
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  11. Promatt

    Promatt Bobtail Member

    11
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    Jan 12, 2013
    Bakersfield, Ca.
    0
    Your circumstances are not unique in this early stage of your career as a driver. Albeit the unhanded way unscrupulous carriers shafted you is wrong, and immoral. My first and foremost responsibility was to earn a steady paycheck so I could take care of my fledgling family over twenty years ago. I did not have the luxory to complain, even though I felt slighted or #### on. The question should be, how much crap are we willing to take for 'our families due'. Leave the self adulations alone. Your dues, all our dues, are rewarded and measured through our attitude and our self sacrifice we render unto others, namely, our loved ones. Monetary rewards will come. Patience builds character, and character leads to happiness.
     
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