Arnold Transportation

did he ever land a job if so where, i had neck surgery on my c7 disc and have limitations but i don't think they are forever restrictions but there on my work comp case file

 

Without going into alot of detail, which would take forever anyway, It would not be a great career choice. It wasn't great before USX took over but it is worse now.

 

do you work there now or are you going on what you hear?

 

Go to WSE, better than Arnny

 

well not to defend that driver waiting to talk on the cell b4 fueling but in my 22yrs driving i have seen that from almost every company out there, i have even gotten into a heated argument at the lake havasu AZ pilot with a driver who refused to move his truck when all pumps where triple stacked with trucks needing fuel, no one ever gets out of their trucks and confronts these drivers about their disrespect, leaving a truck on the fuel island while they go shower or talk on the cell phone , but that day i did i went up to that driver was nice and ask him to move he said when i get down WASHING MY TRUCK i will, the pilot t/s employees refused to assist in getting him off their pumps even though it was costing them money and even though me and my wife where both trying to get the a'hole to move he refused i call him company they did care and hung up, i called the local police and they said i was evoking a disturbance by harrassing the other driver even though we were stuck behind him for 50 mins seems i was at fault by trying to make him move, trucking is not a adventure no more its a J.O.B. period. and there is no respect out there anymore, that's been gone for decades

 

There was a guy at the Pilot in Tumwater Wa who was in eating at McD's with his truck on the fuel island. I sat behind his truck 4 a solid half hour while he munched his fries. He worked for a company called Aggressive transport out of Surrey B.C. To bad it was not my last day in trucking so I could only nicely ask him to move his truck while throwing what was left of his food away. He started a attempt to puff up on me which I welcomed but he was not froggy enough to jump.

I will tell all of these nimrods the same thing I have told abusive dispatchers. One day you are going to get on the wrong side of someone with a short fuse and you will pay dearly for your transgressions.

 

so your not driving anymore?

 

Okay, I have been with Arnold 13 years, some good, some not so good. These past 2 years are down toward the bottom of the NOT SO GOOD. Before USX got their hands on Arnold (100% ownership) it was not difficult to get 2500-3000 miles per week. Now if I get 2000 I am doing good. I run SE Regional, have since I came on. In the beginning, I would run out of region from time to time, all was good (take this to there and we will have a load to get you back on-okay, I'm with it, lets roll). In steps USX, subtle changes start taking place (mind you, nothing major at first). "Will you take this load to (out of region) destination, we will have you another load after delivery" (notice the change in language). First couple of times I stayed out of region (not of my choosing) for a week, getting paid less than those who contracted to do those type runs. It did not take long to figure out that when I was told that I would be compensated for the difference in pay, and not every seing it, that I need not go out of region again. Miles fell off drastically, sitting time increased, home time decreased, pay DECREASED. I wasn't because of no freight in region that my miles/pay decreased, it was because other Super Regional Drivers decided they didn't want to run to the NE or up North but wanted to stay down South and still get paid the higher pay and not have the hassles. So, that is what they got at the expense of those of us that had contracted to stay SE Rgional. At one time, it did not matter if you were a Company Driver or an O/O when it came to who gets what load. Now it seems that we O/O's get the left-over crap freight (trash paper loads, heavy beer or whatever going through the mountains loads). The days of "First empty, First planned" seem to be behind us. Now it is company planned first, o/o's planned last (as I have been informed by one of my dispatchers/fm's). Management still going downhill. Why am I still here, you ask? Well, I have an old truck that is still mechanically sound and I am not far from being able to retire. I can put up with most of the hassle for now but my wife has decided (sound familiar? And she drives also.) that we both have had about all we want of the trucking industry and have a retirement date planned.
The bottom line on Arnold is that it is like most of the other trucking companies out there. There is no way any of us are going to get rich driving a truck for someone else. Feces flows down hill and we are on the bottom of the pile (it doesn't matter what the company name on the truck is). What does matter is how much pride a person has in him/herself on being able to do the job to the best of ability. Not everything is going to go your way, even times when absolutely nothing will go your way and the frustration level goes way out of sight. Unfortunatly, one "Aw-St*t" outweighs 100 "Attaboys" and everyone wants to see the negative only and disregard the positives.

Arnold does have a very high turn over rate in drivers. Many come in as "Noobs" thinking that they are stepping into a bed of roses. Every company will try and get the freshest, lowest paid drivers good miles (known as "The Honeymoon") but when that comes to an end, well, it is business as usual but with less pay.

 

Your right! They have cut out holiday pay, vacation pay and since USX took over, they have yet to get the paychecks right.