Farewell...again

Discussion in 'May Trucking' started by Scooter Jones, May 25, 2012.

  1. Scooter Jones

    Scooter Jones Road Train Member

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    What a difference from the micro-managed experience at May. The only time I even hear from anyone at the office is when I receive a text from my DM telling me I have a dispatch on voicemail.

    I can fuel when and where I want, decide my own routing, no freaking invasive Qualcomm. I've been home every weekend since I started. No idling charge concerns for cooling, etc.

    I have yet to sit waiting for a dispatch. The shortest run I've had was 400 miles and my appt time was the following morning.

    I had to work on the 4th of July, my DM was almost aplologetic ;-) They paid to put me up at a nice motel, paid my run miles that day, plus $125 "Holiday pay".

    This is how we should be treated as drivers.
     
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  3. justawheelholderfornow

    justawheelholderfornow Medium Load Member

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    Sounds like exact same set-up as I'm in now...Took a 8 stop run to NJ/CT/MA/NH yesterday, and was told the NE pay increase was now in effect (I knew nothing about it) another 5cpm! so, 4 short days of work, $1100+ with nobody over my shoulder
     
  4. Scooter Jones

    Scooter Jones Road Train Member

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    Sounds like you found a good gig too, great.

    There's lots of good opportunities out here right now. A guy just needs to put in his time and keep his record clean.
     
  5. Scooter Jones

    Scooter Jones Road Train Member

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    8 weeks now with my new company. What a great gig.

    I'm learning the ropes on how they do things logistically.

    My July miles were 12,901. That's running the I-5.

    I was home every weekend.

    If this company can do it, certainly May Trucking can.
     
  6. Scooter Jones

    Scooter Jones Road Train Member

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    I must say as a driver, it's a beautiful thang watching these trucking companies scrambling now to attract drivers to their fleets.

    Bad drivers are being purged via the full implementation of the CSA2010.

    Attrition of older veteran drivers is occurring due to being fed up with the new regulations going into place.

    Free federal money is drying up for both the companies who hire new recruits and the new recruits who don't want to spend 5k to go to truck driving school for an industry that has been oppressing it's drivers for some time now.

    I can only hope it means better pay, benefits and home time for those who want it. I know it has for me.

    Supply and demand, baby!

    It's about time that good drivers are in demand.
     
    Trucker Steve and Jimmy Hoffa Thank this.
  7. Spokester

    Spokester Light Load Member

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    Yeah, I can only see good ahead for us who take our profession seriously and work hard... Good time to be a driver, if you ask me. Got me planning my first truck purchase! Happy to have started with May, but I look forward to the next phase. And glad I got a great price on my truck school! Only $2,200!!! 25th anniversary special for my school! A lot cheaper than the engineering school I was looking at; maybe $125k for that, and probably not much more to start... Having more fun, too.:yes2557:
     
  8. Trucker Steve

    Trucker Steve Medium Load Member

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    I have been saying this for years brother! When many drivers opposed EOBR'S/CSA I was one of few drivers who publicly supported the revolutions. I have appeared in many trucking publications saying exactly as you have just said.

    My theory was then and is now If your doing the job the way you should be doing it then you will not have a problem.
    I took a lot of heat from drivers and those who opposed the new regulations who feel that those with questionable records shouldn't loose their means to provide for their family. I do feel for those who can not find gainful employment. I don't feel bad that more and more bad drivers (who didn't need to be here in the first place) are off the road and to me, that is one less idiot who can harm someone I care about.

    I hate to say it but I hear drivers defending drivers all the time. That is a huge mistake, having a CDL means you have passed or payed to pass someones TEST. That does not make you a Professional Driver. I see just as many CDL holders pulling bone head moves as four wheelers. We're not all created equal. This is a skilled profession regardless of how the government deems us.

    Know what I'm sayin?
     
  9. Trucker Steve

    Trucker Steve Medium Load Member

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    I was just a young buck when I learned from my father what I'm about to share in this story.

    Traveling WB I 70 in CO, The CB on full blast, squelched back. This was pre Satellite radio days (when drivers actually used the CB as entertainment) There was this driver running his mouth about how he was big and bad, he had ran 6000 miles for the week. He would not shut up about it, he went on and on.

    My father politely keyed up his radio and asked "wow driver that is a lot of miles did you make good money?" Driver BRAGS "HELL DRIVER I made 1800$ this week" My father turns down the radio. He turns to me and says "Son how many miles have I ran this week?" I said "about 2500 pops" "and how much have I made this week son?" As I'm punching away on the calculator subtracting expenses, he turns and says "6000 thousand son!!!!, more miles don't equal more money, more money = more money"

    My father was a amazing driver and a smart business owner. On a side note........ I remember on that trip telling my father about how companies are engineering satellites so that one day he can listen to the same radio stations all across the country with no commercials and that he would never have to change the dial.. My father laughed at me and said "boy you spend to much time with those computers, you need to stop watching outer limits."
     
  10. Scooter Jones

    Scooter Jones Road Train Member

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    So, Steve, what are you saying? Less miles and home time at May equals more money? ;-)

    Too be honest, if it was just about the money, I would of stayed at May. I was on a hell of a run. Just can't handle being away from home so much anymore. My grandkids are going up so fast now and I really don't want to spend 3 to 4 weeks away from home anymore. Not to mention I love being around my beautiful bride of 33 years ;-)
     
  11. BoyWander

    BoyWander Road Train Member

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    I very much disagree.

    If EOBR's were mandated, it would spur even further the CDL mill frenzy.

    I new driver comes into play with 0 points on their CSA score. THAT driver would be hired before the guy with 5 years experience with a minor accident on record, even if that accident was a minor one, or even a non-preventable. In fact this guy is even more desirable.

    The mega carriers don't care about experience, it's all a numbers game to them. They will fill their trucks with new drivers, as long as those students keep coming through the mill, they are all expendable. A new driver gets into an accident, buh-bye, fill the seat with another.

    This will spur the hiring frenzy through CDL mills because the mega carriers can cry even louder about driver shortage, and the government will listen and give these mega carriers even more tax breaks to put more meat through the schools. The government has to comply, because they can't afford to have freight not being moved, especially in an economy that is trying to rebound.

    The government likes mega carriers because it's easier to control and manipulate the industry.

    It's called crony capitalism, or State Capitalism, like China has pretty much adopted. When you have 4 or 5 large companies controlling 50% or more of the market, like you do with cell phone carriers, it's easier to control, regulate and manipulate. Same thing with the auto market. This is why Obama had to save GM because they would lose their control over it.

    The government's biggest enemy is small businesses, and they will do what they can to hurt the smaller trucking companies, because it's harder to regulate and control them.

    EOBR's are not about safety, it never was. They are not stupid, they know these EOBR's are not going to help safety. It's like gun control. You make guns illegal, the only ones who will have them are the bad guys. You make EOBR's mandatory, the only ones who are going to fall asleep and hit someone are the ones who would have done the same thing with or without a log book, period.

    In fact, it's worse, because we all know that HOS regulations don't work for everybody's circadian rhythms. It also pushes drivers to complete their trip before their time runs out, even if that means they have to speed, not take a break, pee in bottles and throw them out the window, live like pigs, PARK IN FUEL ISLANDS TO TAKE A SHOWER, and stress themselves out to the point where they end up doing something stupid and hitting something or somebody.

    And what's funny is that the government KNOWS all this, and it is planned. It's all a ploy to have excuses to regulate and control.

    Same thing with this Fast and Furious. The government sells guns to drug lords, to end up killing border patrol agents, so that they can have excuse to regulate and ban guns.

    So yeah, I call BS.

    I call BS big time.
     
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