I wasn't a driver for them but my husband was. He would type this but his typing really sucks... anyway

John Christner is a Lease to own company with no money down. Sounds great in the ads. What they don't tell you is that during the produce months they expect you to run 4500 miles a week in a 75 mph truck. Although they know you lie about your log book and they don't care, you better be a great lier or your butts in a sling. If you are ever in an accident the first question they ask isn't "Is anyone hurt" it's "Does your log book look ok"

JCT states that you can walk away from the truck at anytime. What they don't tell you is when you give notice they will cut your miles almost to a dead stop. One driver gave notice when he went by the yard. Asking them to get him home to unload the truck and then get him a load back to the yard. His dispatcher had the mecanics to disable his truck and the guy was under a load!! I was it with my own eyes. Oh and the never tell you about the $475 early termination fee either.

You can expect to starve in the growing off season. Although JCT starts hauling other fraight during this time there is not enought loads to go around. My husband usually didn't have enough money to pay the truck note every other week. On the good weeks he might make 300 dollars after everything was paid.

JCT will not reschedule loads. More than one time my husband has sat in Orlando, Florida waiting to be loaded and they tell him he's got unload in LA in 3days and the trailer is in the 7th hole and overweight. Then they keep saying you have plenty of time. Sometimes they have you swap out loads with other drivers to get it there, but if you do that your next three loads will have way way to much time on it.

And they say they have preplan but thats a joke. My husband was sent from Amarillo to Pheonix to pick up a load. He had to set 24 hours before he could pick it up. When he was almost there they asked him to save a load. He had to go get a load from a driver so the driver could go get married in Vegas. He picked up the trailer and took it 10 miles (It was only 30 minutes til it was due) to deliver then they wanted him back in Amarillo to pick up then next load! Oh and that would make it a full 24 hours of driving without a 10 hour break.

When they know legally you can't take a load they don't ask you over the Qualcomm, they call you. So if you drive for them get a recorder.

And don't ever expect to get home when you need to. One lady had to reschedule a court date 3 times and the third time they told her if she didn't make it that time she was going to jail. Her lawyer had to call and scream at JCT to get her home. JCT knowing my husband had already been driving over 12 hours called him and told him to rush to her and get her load and deliver it. The lady had to drive the truck straight to the court house. As for her load.. she had sat a Tyson for a day and a half before it was ready but they still wanted it in Washington in two days. We picked it up in Albaquerque. My husband got about 4 hours sleep in two and a half days.

Then my husband finally got his ex to let him see his kids (never happens) but he had to pick them up on a certain date. He told JCT a month in advance about when he needed off. He reminded then a week in advance. Then they refused to get him home. Then four days late for his visitation they got him a load to Alabama. It would have been a 450 mile deadhead if he drove home and all that would have comeout of his pocket. He ended up having to rent a car so he could go see the kids for two hours. If he had gotten home in time he would have been able to get them for three days.

Never tell them you need a restart. My husband's log book was two days ahead of him. He told them to put him out for 24 then give him a load with some time on it. They Qualcommed and called ALL night insisting he pick up a load in Pheonix and deliver it a 8am in LA.

And one last thing. If you insist on running legal with them exspect to starve. They will cut your miles so far that you will only make enough money to pay the truck note. They do that to force you to quit.

And their truck shop is overprised and crappy. If you go in there with a broken airbag expect them to find seven other things to fix too and your truck will run worse afterwards. My husband went in for a PM once and 32 hours and $1200.oo later they FORGOT to do the PM!!!!!!

If they didn't tell you about the termination fee, I hope you didn't pay it, or sue them. Are you sure it wasn't in the contract?

If it is this bad with them, I don't think I would have made it a week. I definitely wouldn't have been running two days ahead on my log book, and as an owner operator, or in this case, lease operator, I wouldn't have been going and delivering other peoples loads without some HUGE compensation for it.

I wonder how some of these crooked outfits are getting ahold of people by phone. This is why you don't give your cell phone number to management, and block it so the number doesn't appear on the caller ID display.

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Z-Lady's devoted hubby.

I havent met a JCT driver on the road (yet) that doesnt like them, they say good things about them.... I guess the worst ive heard is that they run you to death, but thats alot better then sitting and not making money!

...

I really have to question this. Where is your husband to post this? My wife doesn't know everything that involves my company, just like I don't know everything about working on a plane. And this whole, "They cut my miles when I told them I was quitting." When I left Schneider, I was professional in leaving and when I pulled into the OC I had no hours left. If you're a planner you have to look at it one or two ways, I could screw this guy over or I could use him to get ahead because he doesnt need anymore hours after his day is done. And the other time I was switching from OTR to casual and I ran 4800 miles my last week. I was professional, and a good driver.

You don't work for them anymore?

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Z-Lady's devoted hubby.

As a JCT drivers wife for over a year now there is some truths to what is said here but also as far as the tyson loads and sitting for a day or more well alot of times chances are that chicken pig or steer hasn't even been butchered yet on fresh meat loads there is good and bad in every company but as was said further down in responses to this post I DON'T KNOW everything that goes on between him and dispatch. My job in this deal is to make sure the numbers add up and match at the end of the week, and occassionally be a pain in the backside to the lease purchase co-ordinater (eh yeah I can do that quite well if needed and when not needed too!) and yep they can't always get him here when he wants but THAT'S the job and what he's chosen and I've backed that choice for 26 years and I always will. So as far as JCT over all they do attempt to do what's best for their drivers and themselves. After all they like us are trying to run a business.
well that's my two cents for whatever it's worth

Y'all take care keep safe and have a good one!

I have never met a driver for them that was not happy there either. They tell me they are doing a good lease deal. I always understood this company has a possible lease deal,but it comes with hard running and work.If you play ball with these kind of folks it can help immesely,if not your out after three strikes.Your attitude and personality count almost 100% in most cases. I would like to hear some others complain about these folks.

I also forgot to say that I was using his log in to post that reply

The origional poster of this string sounds like she has no idea how OTR trucking is supposed to work. We are supposed to be a big extended family out here! IE: when I stumble fall down, the nearest family member should DO what ever is necesarry to help me back up. Logs/driving time be damned! One of MY FAMILY members is hurt and if I'm the closest one to them I would EXPECT dispatch to call me and coordinate with other family members nearby so that we shuffle loads/del dates so that I/we can run HELP. Because I genuinly CARE and have great CONCERN when another member of my "family" (those that ware the same hat that I do, whether they are in admin. or operations or transportation) runs into trouble.

That is the philosophy with whitch John Christner started his company. And he struggles today to maintane this attitude. But it is VERY difficult to get such a large number of people together that personaly believe in this philosophy to help run and manage such a large operation.and when it is evedent that one of the team doesn't operate by this philosophy, you can not just terminate them and leave a whole area of responsability uncontrolled.

My personal experiance with JCT.
I have worked there twice and found out that they were the BEST company that I have ever worked for. YES there were mistakes on my pay or reembersments from time to time but they ALWAYS made it good on the next settlment with no arguments. and there are ALWAYS times when there are no freight, no miles. this is true in EVERY company you work for that runs a primerily refridgerated fleet.

Both times I left it felt like I had cut my arm off or something. The last time that I left I had NO choice. My wife was with me and she absolutly HAD to be home in time for an important consultation conference. (she is a very important health care provider where we live) the load we were on did not go thru home and unfortunatly I had inherited one of the "out for me only" types for a DM. and it was saterday evening and she HAD to be home sunday evening for a pre-conference meeting and there was no loads in the yard or in the area 'he said'. So I was forced to empty my truck into a rental car and drive her nonstop to home, JUST making it in time! Log book be damned! We do what we HAVE TO DO to help a family member in need. When I called back monday morning the DM told me don't bother to come back because I terminated you for abandoning your load and failure to deliverit on time... Which I admit I did in the heat of the moment.

Even though John has a very open door polocy with his drivers, and doesn't mind them just dropping in for a short chat if they are at the terminal, THAT particular reason will set 'dad' off like a stick of dynimite! and you will be on his sh!* list forever. I don't believe that DM works there anymore and I know for a FACT that the safety director at the time who approved the termination is no longer there. I tried to get back on but I guess he's still to pissed to actualy investigate it.

During the first time that I was with JCT I was eastbound out of pheonix Az. when I got the 'emergancy' signal to "stop and call in ASASP". When I called the emergancy line from the payphone in the fuel island at the TA in Eloy, John himself answered to inform me that ny father had passed away. When I could speak again, he told me to take my load back to pheonix and leave it at one of our contracted shippers. Park the tractor at the FED-EX compound at the air port and lock it up. That every thing was pre arranged and that my ticket home was at the check in counter. (it was a two way/spit leg ticket) I was to "get your #$$ home to your mamma and take care of her, just let us know what flight your comming in on so we can meet you here at the airport to pick you up, and don't you come back 'til you know she's alright!" I was home for nearly 6 weeks with my mom 'til I could get her settled and my dads estate finalised. He or his son Danny would call periodicaly to make sure she was ok and I was ok, they NEVER said "when are you comiing back?" When I did get back, My tractor was on the yard freshly serviced and washed and the interior was as emaculat as I left it (I have that 'ol marine attitude, everything wrapped tight squared up, neet and clean, stashed ,polished and shinning bright). I have great respect for the man and his company.

So what if they won't take me back rite now...as far as I'm concerned JCT is the best kept secret in the trucking lanes...... This man genuinly cares for his drivers, but expects them to commit to the cause and stand together as one to get the job done. no matter WHAT you have to do to get it done.

If THAT is not your personal philosophy, then don't bother...you won't last long at JCT...