And the battleship Tip arrives on the scene just in time with his 16" shells of truth:

When companies get a grant from the government for each student they shove through their mediocre (at best) programs, they learn a little trick to make sure the gravy train keeps flowing: it's in their interest to have high turnover. This allows them to keep supplying themselves with newbies, and (more importantly) supplying themselves with grant money. A substantial amount of a company's profits may be these grants. Also, by hiring newbies, they can use those new guys as examples to attract even more newbies later. Naive people will look at these newbies getting hired at supposedly good jobs and think trucking is an industry that is always hiring. They don't ask themselves how driving jobs become open; they just dive in and accept the sweet nothings the recruiters offer them.

Of course, with every newbie going in, there is an experienced guy going out, so trucking is a revolving door. To make sure the experienced guys leave, the companies just have to abuse them a little. Surprise, surprise.

And the company line that there is a "driver shortage" keeps the machine going as well. Driver shortage? Yeah, right. Go down to a Wal-mart and look at all the bare shelves and you'll see the turnover game is exactly that--a game. This is because there are no bare shelves. Yeah, you'll figure out quick the 'driver shortage' line is nothing but a lie companies tell the government to keep this grant money coming in. It's just too bad drivers haven't put their collective foot down and put a stop to this foolishness.

Stop the training grant money and you'll solve the high turnover problem. If you eliminate the companies' incentive to get rid of you, you'll finally have a stable career that means something.

Now. Pull your own battleship out of port and go eat some ###. Call some congressmen, go on strike, organize a slowdown, whatever. Just do something.

__________________
--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.

We have something of a turnover problem where I work too. But it isn't really the fault of the company. I don't think it's a bad place to work at all. It's just that some of the so-called truckdrivers here are are so stupid it's a wonder how they find their way to work in the morning. Some can barely read a map. Some insist that "good" drivers don't need maps.

I overheard one conversation that left me stunned. One such non-map reading moron was complaining that the straight truck he was driving didn't have power steering. Mind you, this is about a 2002 or so International 4900.

When asked why this truck didn't have power steering, the dummy in question said "Uh.... I dunno. That's just the way it's made." I shook my head in disbelief.

Ask any of the older guys on this site when the last time was they saw a heavy duty truck with no power steering, hence my amazement at the above statement.

Another idiot has a tendency to go to "freight collect" deliveries and forget to seek any payment from the consignee.

####### like that don't last long at any company. Unfortunately, we've been getting a lot of those lately.

__________________
Z-Lady's devoted hubby.

that is what freight systems is they are U.S. Xpresses little brother and I do mean little "150 trucks is all" But I really enjoy working for them and yes let me tell ya those automatics will spoil you rotten. I just came from TMC I drove a 13 speed pete. I left them because they are buttholes and there whole #### terminal should be burned to the ground!!!

most of the purple trucks are sitting in hutchins tx. terminal. covenant instead of fixing their trucks already in use an dire need of repair,purchased new trucks and trailers for SRT and Star. Covenant is going down fast,maybe due to lawsuits since they are partially self insured and had 2 large ones last Dec.

I also drive for them and i like them very much one good thing that thay have is thay have trailer tracks that also watches your load for ya and tell ya if the temp gets to low or if you or someone turns it of ..it will turn it back on eaven if the switch is off position.....how i learnd it i turnd it off when i was unloading and my dispatcher sent me a msg ..why is the unit off?

Here what a saw, upon a visit there, a group of new hires standing out side when i went there to talk to the recruiter, I first went inside spoke to recruiter wasnt so forth coming that i would have liked onn the ph he seemed straight, but looking through a sit down window, he avoided eye contact on my questions, so i left and start talking 2 the new hires, they had been there 2 days after attending class, there were no trks available, but seemed to me ther parking lot was filled with trucks.

Don't have any facts about it but I've heard that also. They are connected with Covenant Transport so I tend to believe what I have heard. Parker is as dishonest as the day is long. They didn't do anything to us when we worked for them just charge for everything but I will not work for a crook and Parker is big-time. If you are thinking of going to work for them DONT!

SRT put me in a truck 3 months ago even though i had no business being there!!! But they hired me any way -newbie in every sense of the word - my trainer taught me how to drive like a team - no good when youre trying to figure out your hours as a solo- still confused - They run me hard most of the time and havent cheated me though i cant say that about the full of #### recruiters but sometimes ya take what you can get. Gonna try to stick it out until I can find something closer to home good luck to yall and dont believe all there promises but you can make money at 28 cents a mile the way they run ya and you will be at that 28 for a full 12 months regardless of what you were told. Be safe

TIP is 100% right!!!!!! I wish every driver or newbie could read what you have just written. It is a shame that this country is run by a bunch of over educated idiots.

You are correct they file taxes under farming so they don't have to pay the shop people over time.