Originally Posted by guy99zer

That may not be far off the mark there. Not "GOOD" drivers but drivers who have worked with them longer have usually acquired more benefits (vacation etc.) and it may be cheaper to drop them in favor of newer drivers that can be pushed harder. It seems they have become a "meat in the seat" type co. now

There's no question Marten's survival strategy through the recession involved hiring "lesser drivers" the past few years, as well as some unsuspecting good ones who somehow got steered the wrong way. I drove OTR for them from 5/2000 to 6/2010 and watched the decline unfold. If I ever go back to OTR it'll probably be for some small company out west for less pay and benefits...and WAY LESS shenanigans!

Heard that, Driver !!!!!!!

Originally Posted by mathematrucker

There's no question Marten's survival strategy through the recession involved hiring "lesser drivers" the past few years, as well as some unsuspecting good ones who somehow got steered the wrong way. I drove OTR for them from 5/2000 to 6/2010 and watched the decline unfold. If I ever go back to OTR it'll probably be for some small company out west for less pay and benefits...and WAY LESS shenanigans!

If you were near where i'm at, id buy ya beer or two.

Companies no longer care for the vetern diver that has been with them 5+ years. Fine quit, we'll hire some one at al ower wage and make we'll more money. I've heard tell a few on the Jelly Belly account told Marten to shove it, after they started seeing thier Jelly beans loads get put on the train. This was confirmed by a Chicago local driver who is seeing more and more of those loads arrive in the Willow Springs Rail Yard. And those Jelly Belly Drivers had been with Marten 15-20 years, thus the reson they were on that account with the fancy trucks and trailers.

Found a company i could start with tomorrow, only thing they don't pay more than .34 cents per mile, and that includes a driver with 7 years exp.
Marten don't care.

Originally Posted by guy99zer

That may not be far off the mark there. Not "GOOD" drivers but drivers who have worked with them longer have usually acquired more benefits (vacation etc.) and it may be cheaper to drop them in favor of newer drivers that can be pushed harder. It seems they have become a "meat in the seat" type co. now

Have been with Marten a little over 6 years and I've noticed it started when Randy hired our new company President from Knight. And he brought over a bunch of Knight retreads with him is what it looks like. Now we might as well be working for Knight Trans. from what I've heard from current Knight drivers. this is how it is over there.

Originally Posted by Skogie

I have been both an O/O and a Company Driver with Marten for 3 years. First as an O/O for 1 1/2 years until my 98 FLD died needing $25K worth of repairs, now a Company Driver for the last 1 1/2 years. I have been driving Commercially for 10 years OTR, Regional and Local after retiring from 35 yrs. in business.

I was an Employer for 35 years. I always treated my employees like I would like to be treated. It took me 7 years with many different companies to find one who did the same.... and that is Marten Transport.

There are many positive things about Marten and, like all companies, there are some negative ones.

I will list the Positive first.

1. Pay - Depends upon Expericence. $.36 - $.45/mile
2. Average 3,000 Mi./week
3. Type of Equipment - Freightliner, Volvo & Peterbuilt - Kenworth - all 2004-2006
4. Kind of Freight - Frozen Food, Produce, Haz-Mat & General Freight.
5. 50% Drop and Hook the balance "live" load/unload
6. Detention Pay - $15/hr. after 2 hrs.
7. Layover Pay - $25 after 24 hr. (Both a positive and a negative - kinda cheap on their part in my opinion)
8. Tolls paid with the exception of the Chicago Skyway
9. Pre-pass available
10. All Lumper Fees Paid - Marten Policy is drivers are NOT to load/unload
11. Milage Bonus - $500 if you average 10,000 mi. every quarter
12. Safety Bonus - $200/Qtr. after you wach 15 minute video and take a multiple - guess test that any moron could answer correctly.
13. Fuel Bonus - I average $170 every quarter between the months of Sept through May. Must have idle average at less than 40%.
14. $150 if you stay out over Christmas. $50 for any other Holiday.(Not Enough in my opinion)
15. $1.50 for phone calls and $1.50 for Scales automatically every week.
16. Qualcom Dispatch - No Charge (would you beleive some companies charge their drivers for QC?
17. Routing - You choose your own route. No idiotic mandatory "short" routes that take twice as long to drive.
18. Chains supplied on ALL trucks.
19. Hiring Area - all 48 - same as running area.
20. Settlements - Every week. Very accurate and detailed. They have NEVER made a mistake on my pay.

NEGATIVES

1. Milage pay based on Rand/McNally "short" miles. I average 6% more miles than the trip pays for.
2. No Pets. I wanted a Hamster in the truck. Qualify as having a "pet." With a pet in the truck you are exempt from all Anti-Idling Laws. Cats and Dogs make too much of a mess and are a pain in the butt. Marten said "NO." Going to get a small live turtle. Maybe that will qualify me.
3. Scales are NOT re-imbursed. However they have load pressure gauges on every one of their trailers and tractors. Very rarely do I ever have to scale a load. You ARE paid $1.50 every week - no receipt required for scales. It balances out pretty even when I add up all the scale receipts and match it against what I have received from Marten.
4. Load Lock Policy - Marten gives you 3 load locks. It is up to you to hang on to them. They will not re-imburse you for a new one unless it breaks.
5. Forced Dispatch. Unless you are out of Service Hours, you MUST take the load. (If I EVER get dispatched to NYC I will be out of hours)
6. Icy/Snowy roads. Marten does NOT want you to use the chains they supply you. They on there only because they are required by law in CA., OR, WA. ID, UT and CO. If you put them on and have an accident, even if it is not your fault (4 wheeler spinning into you) your Marten record will be charged with a PREVENTABLE ACCIDENT! They are handy to have though in case the road gets icy. Put them on and get to a safe place to stop until conditions improve. While this is listed in the "negative" column, it could have been in the "positive" as well. Just didn't know where to put it.
7. Mandatory use of a steering lock. Must be used when you are showering, eating, etc.,etc. or do not have the truck in plain sight. This peice of crap is lodged into the turnbuckle of the steering rod under the hood. A real pain in the butt to install when the temp. is 5 degrees, the wind blowing 15 mph and the chill factor -30 deg. Especially when a gust of wind blows the hood back down on your head. If you are caught parking your truck without it - instant dismissal for not following "Company Policy." I hate that peice of ####.

OK. That's about it from someone who has been with them. As you can tell this is NOT a recruitment thingy for Marten. You make up your own mind whether you can live with them or not. They advertise that they are the "BEST." I can't agree with that, but from everything I've experienced with other carriers and those of whom I have inqured, the others are so much WORSE!

Right on. This is a good post. The good, the bad, no hyperbole. Thanks for the post pardner.

Originally Posted by Skogie

I have been both an O/O and a Company Driver with Marten for 3 years. First as an O/O for 1 1/2 years until my 98 FLD died needing $25K worth of repairs, now a Company Driver for the last 1 1/2 years. I have been driving Commercially for 10 years OTR, Regional and Local after retiring from 35 yrs. in business.

I was an Employer for 35 years. I always treated my employees like I would like to be treated. It took me 7 years with many different companies to find one who did the same.... and that is Marten Transport.

There are many positive things about Marten and, like all companies, there are some negative ones.

I will list the Positive first.

1. Pay - Depends upon Expericence. $.36 - $.45/mile
2. Average 3,000 Mi./week
3. Type of Equipment - Freightliner, Volvo & Peterbuilt - Kenworth - all 2004-2006
4. Kind of Freight - Frozen Food, Produce, Haz-Mat & General Freight.
5. 50% Drop and Hook the balance "live" load/unload
6. Detention Pay - $15/hr. after 2 hrs.
7. Layover Pay - $25 after 24 hr. (Both a positive and a negative - kinda cheap on their part in my opinion)
8. Tolls paid with the exception of the Chicago Skyway
9. Pre-pass available
10. All Lumper Fees Paid - Marten Policy is drivers are NOT to load/unload
11. Milage Bonus - $500 if you average 10,000 mi. every quarter
12. Safety Bonus - $200/Qtr. after you wach 15 minute video and take a multiple - guess test that any moron could answer correctly.
13. Fuel Bonus - I average $170 every quarter between the months of Sept through May. Must have idle average at less than 40%.
14. $150 if you stay out over Christmas. $50 for any other Holiday.(Not Enough in my opinion)
15. $1.50 for phone calls and $1.50 for Scales automatically every week.
16. Qualcom Dispatch - No Charge (would you beleive some companies charge their drivers for QC?
17. Routing - You choose your own route. No idiotic mandatory "short" routes that take twice as long to drive.
18. Chains supplied on ALL trucks.
19. Hiring Area - all 48 - same as running area.
20. Settlements - Every week. Very accurate and detailed. They have NEVER made a mistake on my pay.

NEGATIVES

1. Milage pay based on Rand/McNally "short" miles. I average 6% more miles than the trip pays for.
2. No Pets. I wanted a Hamster in the truck. Qualify as having a "pet." With a pet in the truck you are exempt from all Anti-Idling Laws. Cats and Dogs make too much of a mess and are a pain in the butt. Marten said "NO." Going to get a small live turtle. Maybe that will qualify me.
3. Scales are NOT re-imbursed. However they have load pressure gauges on every one of their trailers and tractors. Very rarely do I ever have to scale a load. You ARE paid $1.50 every week - no receipt required for scales. It balances out pretty even when I add up all the scale receipts and match it against what I have received from Marten.
4. Load Lock Policy - Marten gives you 3 load locks. It is up to you to hang on to them. They will not re-imburse you for a new one unless it breaks.
5. Forced Dispatch. Unless you are out of Service Hours, you MUST take the load. (If I EVER get dispatched to NYC I will be out of hours)
6. Icy/Snowy roads. Marten does NOT want you to use the chains they supply you. They on there only because they are required by law in CA., OR, WA. ID, UT and CO. If you put them on and have an accident, even if it is not your fault (4 wheeler spinning into you) your Marten record will be charged with a PREVENTABLE ACCIDENT! They are handy to have though in case the road gets icy. Put them on and get to a safe place to stop until conditions improve. While this is listed in the "negative" column, it could have been in the "positive" as well. Just didn't know where to put it.
7. Mandatory use of a steering lock. Must be used when you are showering, eating, etc.,etc. or do not have the truck in plain sight. This peice of crap is lodged into the turnbuckle of the steering rod under the hood. A real pain in the butt to install when the temp. is 5 degrees, the wind blowing 15 mph and the chill factor -30 deg. Especially when a gust of wind blows the hood back down on your head. If you are caught parking your truck without it - instant dismissal for not following "Company Policy." I hate that peice of ####.

OK. That's about it from someone who has been with them. As you can tell this is NOT a recruitment thingy for Marten. You make up your own mind whether you can live with them or not. They advertise that they are the "BEST." I can't agree with that, but from everything I've experienced with other carriers and those of whom I have inqured, the others are so much WORSE!

Posted 4 years ago, when it was fun to work at Marten.
Now, more frieght on rail. OTR drivers from other side of the nation stuck on the other side running regional runs, but yet cant get hired in thier home region. New hires getting offerd those over guys/ galls who have been here 5+ years.
Garuteed home time, Gone is the $50.00 a day
foreced perdeim, and sliding pay scale.
Censored Wifi at the terminals.
SLOW ###'D shops cept Wilsonsville. 5 days backed up at most terminals. Wrench Monkees getting burned out, not completing the fix it lists.

Planners still planning trucks on paper, yet all company are going E LOGS.
Thus more repowers. I have repowered 10 loads this month so far, so the load could make del on time.
Except for Larado, no company car to use to run go get something to eat/ shop. So you have to bobtail.

Dispatchers who fail to read eniter msgs you send in, then a heated argument happens.

Company Preisedent who could care less about drivers.

In October of 2007, I terminated my long relationship with Marten and the Trucking Industry. I sold the truck rather than look for another Company to associate with. I returned to being an Entreprenuer in the Aircraft Electronics business. The handwriting was on the wall at that time with Marten. Not all the items you listed had yet happened but it was obvious to me that Marten was going down the same ugly path that Swift, Knight, CR England and so many others had been on for many years. Somehow Marten had got hold of the "Screw the Driver" playbook and were slowly implementing all the policies therein.

The Trucking Industry has truly become a "sweatshop on wheels" with a few exceptions in the specialized hauling sectors.

Originally Posted by Skogie

In October of 2007, I terminated my long relationship with Marten and the Trucking Industry. I sold the truck rather than look for another Company to associate with. I returned to being an Entreprenuer in the Aircraft Electronics business. The handwriting was on the wall at that time with Marten. Not all the items you listed had yet happened but it was obvious to me that Marten was going down the same ugly path that Swift, Knight, CR England and so many others had been on for many years. Somehow Marten had got hold of the "Screw the Driver" playbook and were slowly implementing all the policies therein.

The Trucking Industry has truly become a "sweatshop on wheels" with a few exceptions in the specialized hauling sectors.

It was 2008 when changes started happen big time. Now 2 years later, it's not the same company i started with.
Office staff who had been with Marten for a long time started leaving, while Tim Kohl bbrough his gangbangers in from Knight.
We're just a another Knight company in alot of ways now.