I didn't sense what you're saying, at all. What I do sense is dis-illusionment. Which BTW is not uncommon, with any change/job/gf/spouse etc. The complaints sound quite typical of many big trucking co's. And the experience I've had would support that (7 different jobs in 4 1/2 years) because I would NOT tolerate some jerk that is SUPPOSED to be working for me not use common sense and a little compassion. Most complaints I've seen/read/heard and experienced come from FM's,dispatchers, or terminal mgr's or load planners NOT paying attention. Most co truck drivers are required to qualcomm hrs available and it is usually ignored. THEY don't have to worry about it. Plain and simple. They are NOT HELD ACCOUNTABLE for their dispatches, the driver is.

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It is terrific you have found a way to make this work. You have a few key differences in your experience. First of all, you HAVE experience. You've got a few years under your belt in the seat and know what the business is about, not taking advances, etc. AND you cook in the truck instead of eating at truck stops... for which you could easily spend $40-50 per day for the two of you. There are always exceptions to an idea, and it is great you two are exceptional!

I empathise with you but the fact still remains that you chose to work for a large otr company. Lets face it. They really don't care about you at all. Oh sure, there are some drivers who have been there for years and make it work. They really seem to be the minority. This goes for any large otr company not just Celadon.

The vast majority of drivers don't even know this site exists. Can you imagine the posts if they did.

Being a local/regional driver, all I can say is try to stay away from these big companies. It will do you, your family and your bank account a favor.

Thanks 4 actually reading and understanding what was posted. We know all about the dollar menus-the most expensive meal we ate was a Flying J pizza!!! We spent about 75.00 a wk on groceries at Walmart while at TransAm because we were able to install an inverter and pay off in 2 wkly payments. At Celadon I would have had to have an inverter installed at Stoops Freightliner at a cost of over 500.00 out of pocket, which I didnt have, and could not manage to save while I was there w low miles and mega tolls, and that was the only way you could get an inverter in the truck because Stoops insured if the inverter caught fire and burned up their load. I do know the value of a dollar and what the word budget means. With no home or apartment to pay for while on the road, no utilities and basically LIVING in the truck, things could have been better if the company had at least met me 1/2 way. PS Thanks again for reading what was written, not putting your own spin on stuff.

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Billsgirl

Huh??

What the hell does another person in the truck have to do with no freight,no miles and idling while your waiting for a load??

I thought his points were valid.

We're out here to make a living.Making a living should include being able to afford to buy your g/f a cheeseburger AND pay your bills.

If he's running for a company that is not giving him miles, is making him pay for tolls out of his own pocket,and WHINES when he idles the truck in oppressive heat,than I thank him for the heads up.

I'm looking too, but I won't bother with another dirtbag outfit.I'll polish floors on the night crew at Wal Mart first.

Call me a whiner but I just want to drive for a company that can run me more than 1300 miles a week,(2,500 would be nice),doesn't leave me to squat in truckstops for days waiting on a load,answers the phone when you call,has decent equipment WITH an APU, or doesn't WHINE when you idle.Some detention pay when I'm sitting on a dock for 15 hours would be great too, so would decent, affordable benefits and a raise every year or so.

Guess I'm asking too much.Remember people, DON'T WHINE.

I understand your points. Mine were that there are hundreds or thousands of drivers out there who take too much in advances every week then wonder why the "paycheck" is slim. We need to remember they are ADVANCES, which means they are DEDUCTED from the next paycheck. It does cost more with another person in the truck, because it is twice the meal expense, etc. I have noticed that when I have a rider with me, we tend to eat inside more - because the walls of the cab close in faster, among other things. BUT we are prepared for that and expect it, so we are not surprised when the check is a bit slimmer. We have already spent that money, that's all.
Freight is down all over. I have a friend who drives for CRETE, a large carrier with a good freight base, and he's been in PA almost a week waiting for freight.

Well you are the one that is reading things that are not threre I was not accusing billsgirl of not knowing how to control spending.

I just said that I was able to control my spending and save up a good little chunk of change.

I can also say that we do not know if billsgirl took advances or not but if someone takes an advance they are not to smart to do that some company's charge extra for advances.

When I first started and was in training I went with a set limit I could spend even though I had a good chunk in the bank before starting truck driving.

I started to get close to that limit because I had to buy my own dinner in orentation. I was not planning on those three days were I was suppose to buy my own meals.

But the way I worked it is if I was running low on cash I would start to cut meals like eating one meal per day.

If I was somewere and the miles were starting to be cut to the point I make next to nothing I would start looking for a new place to work.

You can work at a fast food joint for approx 200-250 per week.

If there are drivers out there who have made that kind of money for a weeks pay, they are DEFFINATELY at the wrong company. It doesn't take a Rhodes Scholar to figure that one out!

There are good companies out there.

Drive safe

This is just a rumor, that has absolutely no basis in fact. First of all this is not Bush's call, and if it was he would have done this several years ago when they had a chance in congress to make our current HOS a law, but they chose not to. If you have noticed Bush only has 36 days left in office and he is not doing anything real radical as far as execuive orders or executive pardons--since Obama has all executive orders under scrutiny and he can rescind any, all, or part of them if he chooses. This thing about the HOS, has to be looked at from all driections, if Bush were to just give an executive order to extend them, then there would be tons of lawsuits effective almost before the ink is dry, andd no matter how much you dislike Bush, he already has left a mess for the next administration, I doubt seriously if he will add to it with this. There has been no chatter on this from any of the groups such as ATA or OOIDA(and you know if such thing was in the works they would be all over it), or any of the other watchdog groups that cant seem to keep their hands out of this industry like Public Citizen and MATT and others(I guarantee they would be all over it and publishing all kinds of warnings and threats if they even thought this was gonna happen). This is nothing more than a rumor that was started on one of the late night truckin shows about a month ago--I wouldnt put to much trust in this rumor, and according to Steve(the show's host), neither would he. No real news outlet has talked about this, and I have checked them all. It is amazing how much stock that people will put in some driver's ravings that calls into a late night radio show, just speculating on what would happen if Bush did this--all of a sudden, instead of being wishful thinking on some bored driver's part, it now seems to have taken on a life as a "fact"--well driver, it's just a rumor, not gonna happen! Sorry to burst your bubble.

Im not trying to burst anyone's bubble, we heard it on NBC Nightly News-- we will try to look at his executive orders he is planning, supposedly they are on the internet where you can view them and if you think about it, the lobbying firms that these trucking companies pay would definitely push for that because that means more freight gets delivered with an increase in HOS because it's all about the dollar. I'm sure they will look into what it would cost to settle possible lawsuits due to increase of hours compared to profits from extra HOS-kinda like when Ford figured it would be cheaper to pay off the lawsuits for those crap tires they were selling rather than recall them. Do you think that all of a sudden it just popped into George Bush's head " geez, I think I will increase the HOS so the drivers can make more money" Someone must be pushing for that executive order. Who really stands to make the money from that?

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Billsgirl