JB Hunt - Lowell, Ar.

OMG I hope I am never on the road with a "new driver" that is being pushed to do 7,000 team miles a week. I done it and it is punishing. I also learned at CRE and only had 4 hrs behind the wheel before they let me loose with my trainer. Cant you just see it, an inexpieanced driver, tired, worn out, behind the wheel of the truck next to you on the hiway? is that what u want????

 

Yeah, I know of a few CRE drivers with less than 4 hours behind the wheel when they got their CDL's. Crazy. Common practice at CRE. Try someone else before you try CRE. Just my opinion.

 

I will say one good thing about JB Hunt, at least they don't use Columbia's. One thing I liked when I was there was the swivel driver's seat. I don't always like to lie down when I'm through driving. With the swivel seat you can turn it towards the tv, recline the back, and kick your feet up on your refrigerator.

The main thing I didn't like was that most runs were 500-800 miles but I did usually get at least 2500 miles a week. They would say that if you don't like the short runs you don't like to work. I don't mind the work but it's easier to trip plan and choose good places to stop when your trips are longer.

As a comparison between JB and CRE, with CRE you will get longer runs. But you will also spend a lot of time at reefer warehouses waiting to get loaded/unloaded. But that's just the nature of the beast with reefer.

 

Short runs are one thing but JB Hunt was great for giving a 500 mile run that didn't deliver for 3 days.

 

Where were you out of? I get on average 300-600 mile runs with a couple 1500 mile runs every two or three months just to keep me smiling lol. And you're 100 percent right about trip planning and all that stuff. It's actually harder to get a shower or do laundry when you have short runs because you want to be in the area when you deliver which may be many hours or even days away. That way you dont have to log it. Doesnt JB pay more per mile then CRE?

 

Hey what's wrong with Comubia's? And don't say everything. (LOL)

 

Last but not least. It seems like 80-90% of the loads we carry are over 40,000 lbs. I was talking to an owner operator who had just joined about a month ago and was now quitting and he said he had never been with a company that carried so many heavy loads. Not only does that slow you down in the moutains but its also harder to control. Although this isnt my biggest gripe it can still be annoying.

 

I know heavy loads demand more from the truck, but somebody has to take them. Better let them be assigned randomly than give O/Os special treatment and sluffing them off onto company drivers.

I'm somebody who isn't in favor of giving O/Os special treatment, as I've been mistreated by some in the past at my first company. These guys would sweet talk their dispatchers and before I knew it, I was the one finishing their loads, usually loads that were bound for NYC or somewhere near there.

If this guy can't handle the heavy load demands, he should get a class-B. The best policy for a driver is to assume every load is heavy, unless he's heading into high winds. Then he should assume he's empty no matter his weight.

 

Ok this guy we know went to work for JB Hunt even after us warning him. He was on this "loop" run. After working for them for one month, he was getting out of his truck and slipped on something at a Pilot TS, fell and hurt his back. He went to the ER and was told to follow up with his doctor. He called JB and told them he fell and he was going to the doctor. They had him call Worker's Comp. The lady told him to call her when he saw his doctor to let her know what was happening.

Doctor says he may have blown a disc. If he was still in pain 4 days from the visit he will schedule a MRI. He calls WC they filed the claim. Calls his dispatcher.

Dispatcher says: Well, in light of this we will have to let you go. We will send someone to pick up your truck. If you can come back within 30 days we will take you back after being examined by our doctor and you won't have to go through orientation again, but you won't have that dedicated run. You will have to be OTR.
After 30 days you will have to start all over again.

I told him that's JB Hunt for ya.