PTL is treating me VERY POORLY

Discussion in 'PTL' started by Hard Worker, Oct 2, 2014.

  1. Hard Worker

    Hard Worker Light Load Member

    68
    16
    Nov 1, 2013
    Columbus, GA
    0
    I was hired on Nov. 13th, 2013. I was pretty happy in the 1st few months, mostly because they put me right into a 2012 Prostar with 238,000 miles on it, which happened to be the nicest truck I've driven so far in my 18 month old career. I quickly learned about what they call the Big 5 from their driver support team, and started following it. So I'd be out about 26 days, then home for 4. The 1st few months weren't too bad, other than sitting a lot during weekends waiting to reciever to open, I was driving 11,000+ and 10,000+ miles each month. However when I was recruited, the recruiters told me PTL gets rid of their trucks around 300,000 miles, because that's when they start having a lot of problems. Btw they also said we'd be paid detention pay, but I've been detained multiple times for so many hours that it'd be well into the $100's, had they actually paid it. But NO, I have NEVER been paid detention, even for 1 hr of it. They have paid me $70 for layover, after sitting for 48hrs or more, which has happened many times, but that's not much at all compared to driving a good day, which I consider to be 400-650+ miles/day.
    So fast forward to May 2nd, and my truck odometer was at 297,000 mi. My transmission went out after I'd already been red-flagged for service for over a week, but they kept me running instead of getting me to a shop, and I broke down & got towed to a dealer in PA for 6 days. Then had to go back to Murray on May 21-22 cause eng sprung an internal coolant leak. Then in June to W. Memphis for a couple days, because coolant was still leaking internally. Then in July the same leak was back, and had to go to Murray's Intl dealer for 8 days. All 8 of those days, I was in the office with Kevin, Monte, and Spencer, trying to get a newer truck. In those 8 days, they were so busy that all they could offer me were a few older 2011 Cascadia's, and 1 2012 Prostar, which were all in either worse or much worse, condition than my current truck, so I said I'd rather wait for mine to get fixed.
    Then on Aug 23, I'd been red-flagged for service for several days again, for an oil leak, and I had to go into a shop in St. Peters, MO. Ended up being in the shop 20 days. After about 10days, PTL offered to send a van or a driver to pick me and all my stuff up, and take me to Murray. But since they wouldn't reserve a truck for me, and I have SO much stuff in my truck, I thought it'd be better to just wait for mine to be fixed. The repair shop kept telling us, it'd be ready tmrw, over and over, until the 20th day it finally was. At that point, I find out PTL cut my breakdown pay off, after the 12th day, without any warning or notice. And was very rude when I requested it, saying I should've put my stuff in someone's truck & headed back to Murray, and NO PAY PERIOD. I was even offering to pay outta my own pocket for a rental car, if they'd assign me a newer nicer truck, but they said no in the beginning, then after the 12th day, they said I could rent one and come to Murray, but they still didn't have 1 assigned and waiting for me. I didn't want to rent 1 any more after that long, and I didn't know where I'd put my stuff after returning the rental + didn't trust them to get me into a newer 1 as soon as I got there, because of what happened the previous month.
    Fast forward to now, and I haven't been home since Aug 12th. Had to skip my hometime in Sept to make up for those 8days of no pay at all, and 12 days of $35. I'm red-flagged for service for 4 days now in the same truck since I started, 101,000mi later. I was supposed to be home Oct. 3rd in GA. But I'm in Merrillville, IN with a load going to Finley, MN today another 460mi away from GA. My 70hr clock is at 9hrs, next 3 days I'll get 6, then 9, then 6hrs back, but I'll be 1,300mi away from home. This is the 4th month in a row they haven't gotten me home on time, and the 4th time in a row, I have to call and reschedule my home appts. med & dental. I've been talking to driver support thru out this whole time, they say they're notifying the higher ups, and trying to get me a newer truck, but the facts remain.. they haven't. It's one thing to treat me this poorly if I wasn't willing to work hard here, but I am fully dedicated to them and their Big 5 schedule, but this is how they're treating a driver like myself, who is actually quite polite and patient with them, normally. I didn't want to quit, I kept thinking it'll get better once they get me in a new truck. But PTL is working me nerves now. I haven't even listed several other issues that upset me.
    So anyway, that's the negative side of working here. Ask me about what's actually good about PTL, there are a few things I do like...
     
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  3. ArmyGuy

    ArmyGuy Heavy Load Member

    759
    520
    Jun 21, 2011
    Hudson, Florida
    0
    Wow can you put your big boy pants on please!!!! You already know PTL has more things going on then to worry about you, They probably don't even know who you are lol other then the truck number you were assigned that is. Your truck is not old at only 300k miles and you know the recruiters lie so Deal with it. If they don't fix your truck in a timely manner then quit or get assigned a DIFFERENT truck. To me it sounds like you eat the crap they dish out, and so they will keep feeding you.

    In my opinion If you just get a somewhat newer truck your going to be the driver that's taking it to the shop for its issues so you might as well stay with the one you got. You need to make sure you know whats going on when things come up like breakdowns and what not, nobody is going to tell you anything unless you ask and get that info squared away. sometimes getting home late is going to happen especially when the driver is dumb enough to accept loads going in the wrong direction. Once again they don't care about you. Quit letting them push you around so much, yes you need to work with them but stand up for the things you want/need.
     
  4. nikmirbre

    nikmirbre Road Train Member

    5,040
    8,669
    Jul 27, 2011
    High Point NC
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    Just get a different truck.......it seems you have an issue driving anything older than a 2011?? You keep stressing "newer truck" but,you don't know the condition of those other trucks. Most of us O/O would put our older(and to me it seems a lot of newer drivers use the term "older" VERY tight) trucks up against any of these newer trucks.

    As far as the hometime just refuse to go in the opposite direction of home when it comes to that time. There are plenty of other companies that will treat you better but, you have to be flexible as far as equipment goes.
     
  5. moraramis

    moraramis Light Load Member

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    253
    Aug 2, 2014
    Arkansas
    0
    I'm sorry you're having problems at PTL. No company is perfect, and I can understand your frustration. It seems like you were getting decent miles, but it appears the main problem is that you got a tractor with a lot of gremlins in it still. Either your tractor was put together by Mr. Magoo, or the person that had it before you really treated it like crap and your unfortunately suffering the consequences for it. As for the hometime I can sympathize there. When I drove I was on a 60 day on 7 day off schedule. The key to getting home is never accepting loads that put you in the wrong direction when your hometime nears. Your dispatcher/driver manager has a load board they are trying to clear and that is their main focus, especially if they receive a bonus for meeting their load quota. So you have to turn down loads and remind them of your hometime till they get you pointed in the right direction. Unfortunately this industry requires you to hold their hand and remind them of things.
     
  6. robbiecox6

    robbiecox6 Light Load Member

    218
    40
    Jul 1, 2007
    Greenville, NC
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    what are the good things?
     
  7. DBrass

    DBrass Bobtail Member

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    3
    Oct 1, 2014
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    Newbie, seems that dispatcher should be your guide; first-name basis; keeps you happy and moving. Here's a good "dispatcher thread".
     
  8. Chinatown

    Chinatown Road Train Member

    68,027
    142,273
    Aug 28, 2011
    Henderson, NV & Orient
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    Same thing happened to me with a reefer company and a tanker company.Was driving almost new Internationals in both cases. Both times I didn't hesitate to jump in an older truck; both had over 800,000 miles and both flattops. When my newer trucks were fixed I told them to give them to someone else because those old trucks were running fine with no problems. Never missed a paycheck. Couldn't stand up in the flattops but they sure ran good and pulled good. In both cases I kept the trucks until the company sold them.
     
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  9. Dna Mach

    Dna Mach Road Train Member

    3,203
    2,820
    Aug 8, 2008
    Texas
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    Who does this? How do these meat grinders get anyone to drive for them?
     
  10. CrappieJunkie

    CrappieJunkie Wishin' I was fishin'

    3,962
    18,325
    Mar 9, 2014
    In a van down by the River.
    0
    Every company cuts off breakdown pay if they ask you to do something and you refuse. I was in shop a week with Crete, was asked to pick up a truck from shop, recover a truck and injured driver, parts runs for the shop, even hopped in day cab for local work. Point is get the different truck. Never know could be a great one. Should of rejected MN load and been reminding them of hometime. Company im with now is great at getting me home. Was late one day once but that was because of issues at pickup place, load was overweight, had to be reworked and wasn't going to get done till next day. Man up and deal with it or find a different company.
     
  11. Allow Me.

    Allow Me. Trucker Forum STAFF Staff Member

    10,353
    11,159
    May 28, 2009
    Rancho Mirage, Ca.
    0
    Yeah Dude, 20 days waiting for repairs ? Let's get real. Your truck down, take a replacement and get rolling. I once switched trucks 3 times…..in 24 hours !
     
    NavigatorWife Thanks this.
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