I have not had any problems with recruiters that I have dealt with. Maybe I am just lucky? Now my military recruiter? There was a lying sack of you know what.

My problem has been with the person who runs orientation.

My last company (May) delivered on almost everything they said, except 1 thing. I asked the Orientation guy if the same emphasis was put on picking up loads on time, as there is in delivering on time? He said yes, the truth was nope.

TELL ME THE TRUTH !!! I can handle it. If a company would be up front with me and tell me the truth, so that "WE" as employee and employer might be able to start building a trustful and RESPECTFUL relationship; things would be much different. I've talked to numerous recruiters and get the milk and honey version. You talk to someone at the company office and get another version, along with a lousy- "I ain't got time for you" attitude, then you talk to drivers who have been there 6 months to 2 years, and you get another dose of reality. Sure, some drivers are disgruntled, and rightly so, some are just *ssholes. They are easy to spot. The ones always griping and blaming everyone else but them, for their problems and screw-ups. I understand that. .........Some are good guys who seem satisfied with their job, because they worked things out. But they ALL say, they weren't given what they were promised.......I would much rather walk into a company as a new driver and be told; look you have to do this and that. You really get paid this much per mile. Miles vary, but we try to get you this much when possible, and in reality your paycheck will look like this. If you get a lousy dispatcher, we'll work you into someone else, we have an open door policy to talk to management. No you won't be driving a new truck to start, yes there are down times when you won't make much money.....................Surely, after a month or two, the company will know who the bad drivers, with lousy-*ss attutides were. Get rid of them. But don't treat everyone the same....like #####......and tell him he's on a honeymoon, then let him walk through the door and find he's sinking into a big pool of manure, surrouded by a bunch of lying, worthless, b*stards who put him there. Be honest with me, and we can go a long way by talking and working things out. I want to do this job, and I'm glad I found this site BEFORE I made a move. Being here and talking to hundreds of drivers over the years at truck stops and elsewhere has opened my eyes. I'm going to school soon, and I will be VERY SELECTIVE of the companies I apply to or work for.

__________________

Tip,

Outstanding post! I have not been on in a while but that made me laugh. I always thought those management types had some type of formal education. I guess I was wrong. I should have known by the example that some of our managers set.

Drive safe

This dude Recruiter thinks you guys are gonna actually buy that old stand-by fallacy "one driver acts a certain way, so they ALL act that way."

We already know there are some drivers out there who are ####-ups. Every company has 'em. Some have more than others, and I'm talking per-1000 drivers here. I'm not going to ignore warning signs, be those signs turnover ratios, advertising, or website testimonies even if only one guy tells me about those signs. There is more to predicting how good or bad a company is than testimonies.

He is right, though. The vast majority of smart drivers won't listen to a few drivers posting something about a company. But the vast majority of smart ones, and even those who aren't so smart, will listen to 1,000 drivers posting something about a company.

But I say MAJORITY. Today, it'd take only about 3 drivers to convince me that something is up at a particular company. Make it only about 10 and I become convinced that I need to look further. I'd then look at safety ratings, turnover ratios, sizes of orientations classes, advertising, and, of course, sites like this. Drivers aren't herd animals. When they start acting like herd animals, you need to perk up your ears and observe, observe, observe. And think.

__________________
--Paved Dudley--

Yeah I drive a Swift truck
And that means one thing
It means she's slow
It's a typical company truck
It's just all show and no go

I'm gettin' passed by Yella
And even Overnite
I'm gettin' passed by ever' body in sight
46 days on the road
And I'm not gettin' home tonight

No, my hometown's nowhere in sight
And if you think I'm pissed off
You're right
46 days on the road
And I'm not gettin' home tonight


Love pissing off those trucking company insiders.

Many of the people I see coming here for info seem to have many questions about how the company is going to treat them, how much they pay etc etc. But very few ask about what life is actually like when you are a ORR driver. Which is to bad because many are doomed to failure no mater how good the company is, just because of the day to day life on the road.

In my experiences, the customers the companies did business with treated you worse then the company most of the time. It took a while to get used to the rude way you are treated at many receivers.

It really matters not what people choose to believe, the fact is that most new drivers won't stay at the first company they sign onto with for more then a year no matter who they are and what we tell them about the company. And many won't even make it that long driving OTR.

If I was a new driver today going to your avg OTR company that hires trainees. I would pick a company close to home because chances are you might just save yourself a long bus ride by doing so. Don't believe me? Get the names of the people in your orientation class when you arrive and see how many of you still work at that company in 3-6 months

Glad to hear about the Stevens recruiter.I have been frequenting this site for over a year now.And although I am now retired,it is good to see a site where truckers can post their gripes,and also praise some companies. I have posted quite few negatives about one company,(Swift), and I do not post anything that is not true. I have also posted good stuff about another company,(Roehl). So drivers keep on posting your feelings here, we know it is doing some good by alerting other drivers to the downfalls of certain companies. Now maybe some of the recruiters are reading our posts here. Could be they might just wise up and start telling the truth about these companies. Like I say I am retired,but once a trucker,always a trucker.I still enjoy reading the posts on this sight.

I think this is such a good thing and the only real way to make company's do better. I'm new to this and so far all the complaints are legitimate and detailed, not just general whining. Hopefully company's will hear this.

hlaird,

Maybe the companies will hear these stories at some point. Will they care? Probably not. The most important people to reach are the drivers. This is a great site that can inform prospective drivers about the companies that are good (very few) and bad (a whole lot of them). I just don't see how many of the drivers are making it. As I have stated before, the drivers should be compensated for all of their time at work excluding sleeper time. That means no giving up of time waiting to load or unload, get fuel, get repairs etc. I think that any company that has to provide any type of bonus to a driver is one that I would steer clear of. Companies, pay these people right!

Drive safe

good post !
great advice !
Lot's of the companies out there read this site. oh yes...indeed they do !
don't ever leave or post any info in here that would help them identify you.

__________________
Proud Supporter Of: St. Jude Children's Research Hospital

Gun carrying, Pro-choice Blue Dog Democrat and damn proud of it!

This post is so dead-on correct. A whole lot of drivers quit in their first year because they can't get used to the lifestyle. Living in a fiberglass room the size of a big closet for weeks on end is hard for some. Throw in the attitudes of the great folks working on a lot of the docks, and it's no surprise you'll see many a new driver sitting at truck stop fuel islands with all his belongings trying to get a ride home from somebody.

I hope BigBlue's post helps make the light come on in some people's heads. You don't count your chickens before they hatch in trucking. You NEVER go with an indentured servitude contract or assume you'll be working for an outfit a solid year before ever working a day in the industry. You don't know what it's like when you're just jumping in. You may love it. You may hate it. I saw a LOT of both when I drove. I'd say those odds aren't good enough to be called a "sure thing". Far from it.

__________________
--Paved Dudley--

Yeah I drive a Swift truck
And that means one thing
It means she's slow
It's a typical company truck
It's just all show and no go

I'm gettin' passed by Yella
And even Overnite
I'm gettin' passed by ever' body in sight
46 days on the road
And I'm not gettin' home tonight

No, my hometown's nowhere in sight
And if you think I'm pissed off
You're right
46 days on the road
And I'm not gettin' home tonight


Love pissing off those trucking company insiders.