First week of Schneider Choice....

Discussion in 'Schneider' started by tech-rigger, Dec 20, 2014.

  1. tech-rigger

    tech-rigger Bobtail Member

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    I arrived in Green Bay sunday night check into hotel and turn rental car in.

    Day 1, Monday, They have coffee and cookies laid out for us ICs. I filled out my paper wok and signed their contract.
    I wasn't thinking when I filled out my medical long form. I listed a drug that I had just stopped taking the same week. Luckily I've been smoke free for several weeks now. I of course didn't think there was anything wrong with the drug, my doctor had prescribed it after all. I am told the letter I have from my doctor giving me a waiver on 2 drugs I take, was dated long ago that they needed updated. Spend 2 days trying to get letter from doctor.


    Day 2 and 3. Tuesday They sign my DOT health card. Just waiting on doctor's letter. No coffee when we arrived, and our 2 dollar cookies were gone. I've been through Orientations before. Most companies provide coffee. The instructors would grumble no less if there waSN'T coffee. I forget what day we did road tests, but we completed them. If you don't want to lose points don't slouch. Look both ways before crossing the street, and keep your hands in the 3 and 9 positions at all times! Jeez I thought I was back retaking my road test to get my CDL again! My truck isn't ready. They're constantly pulling it in and out of the shop. Trucks are not what they advertise. The trucks are stripped down versions truck power is cranked down low too. It starts to become apparent there is a reason why the recruiter says " we can't tell you how easy it is and show you until you come on board!!" Besides the fact the financing agent won't show you the lease or the full VIN of your truck without signing on.


    Day 4 handed keys. They keep us there so late we have no hours left, so I have to take a 10 hr break to get started...I'm looking forward to driving my 2014 Evolution.

    Day 5. We started with 7 drivers day one. 1 was kicked out. 2 left as having only to do 2 days of orientation, leaving the remaining 4 of us to finish. Schneider decided they would send all 4 of us out to "recover" empty trailers in Michigan, instead of taking empties off of the yard. I head out finding a really nice load going to Mississippi but won't make as much money on it because of my 4 hour drive to get a empty, and 3 hour dead head to pick up a pre-loaded trailer. I'm in Michigan hooking to an empty and first chance I've had to check my messages since Schneider won't allow us to answer the phone and drive. I see the Occupational health clinic wants me to call them. I call and find out that they are after signing my DOT card and releasing me to drive, they're pulling my card. Oh wait why? It took them 5 days to realize I was taking a non approved drug. I am really sick of the DOT and these nurse practitioner's trying to decide what is legal and good for me that apparently my own doctor is not allowed to do. My doctor's office said I was off the drug, and I passed a urine and hair test. Now if I had lied and not listed the drug, they'd have let me go on the spot. They wanted him to sign off that if anything happened he'd be 100 percent responsible, and realisticly no doctor is going to agree to those terms. His malpractice insurance would never cover something like that.

    So I'm 4 hours out in the wilderness in some boring town when after I get off the phone they pull my card, and Schneider sends a 'kill' code to truck that shuts it down and will not crank. As it turns out the sun is going down, it is 25 degrees outside, and the temperature is drop lower. Now mind you since I didn't carry everything with me to orientation I don't have the kind of gear to stay warm in Michigan at this time of the year. My truck's batteries aren't fully charged, and now I have no way to idle truck for heat. APU will only run a few hours before batteries are depleted. The clinic doesn't even own up their mistake and just makes it my problem.

    Yes folks they stranded me in the middle of no where with no heat in freezing weather. They wouldn't let me drive the truck back, and of course it's my problem right, since I'm not a company driver any more.

    The Schneider family ain't any better than Max Fuller or Stinky Simon. Steer clear of Lease Purchases boys. I would have bought my own truck and went to Land Star if these companies would run me enough miles to save up to buy a used one. Seems like Schneider is more worried about me killing someone and getting sued rather than whether or not I'll freeze to death.
     
    Last edited: Dec 20, 2014
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  3. Kroozn20

    Kroozn20 Light Load Member

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    Schneider Occupational Health.....causing drivers misery 24/7. Almost quit because of their "safety" at one point.
     
  4. Arielit0oo

    Arielit0oo Light Load Member

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    Unbelievable. Sorry had to happen to you. Yet... people will still get on board with Megas after reading this.
     
  5. moosc

    moosc Road Train Member

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    Yep the cascadias are nothing more then a ungoverned company trucks. Schneider has some strict policys. That road test you did guess what every year you have to do a road test, coupling, uncoupling, and backing most retarded policy on the planet. Why do think no publications mention Schneider's lease, there lease trucks are a joke. The only good thing is the choice board picking your own freight.
     
  6. freightwipper

    freightwipper Road Train Member

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    holy smokes... yeah I was in class with you this week whoever you are.
    I was looking forward for those cookies on day two :biggrin_2553:

    As far as I know the Freightliner has a battery pack for AC and an Esbar heater for heating... the Esbar heater should run and run no problem.

    It's not totally Schneider fault.. remember you are running under their authority and with no CARD yeah nobody will have that.
    However Schneider should have had all that figured out and resolved before handing you a fuel card.
    Oh yeah those 2 that left right away were guys doing mileage pay on a flatbed account.
     
  7. Vilhiem

    Vilhiem Road Train Member

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    Wow, good luck to you. I know not everyone has a good experience with SNI and I gotta be honest, their safety crap gets to me too. I'm on cpap therapy because I marked a couple boxes they didn't like. (Claiming I have a minor case. But moving on...)

    Bundle up and call them, they are supposed to have someone there at all times. Surely they've got some options for you. ...that kill switch though, that honestly ticks me off, I know why it's there but it gets used "too often."
     
  8. freightwipper

    freightwipper Road Train Member

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    yeah the backing policy is to ALWAYS get out and look.. even if you are parking in a deserted football field parking lot with nothing and nobody around you're still required to get out and look.
    That yearly road test is dumb, like I'm going to forget how to drive when I'm doing it everyday lol.
    You can get a brand new loaded Kenworth to lease but that requires money up front.
     
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  9. dieselfuelonly

    dieselfuelonly Road Train Member

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    That's the first time I've heard of them being able to shut down the truck remotely with the MCP.
     
  10. freightwipper

    freightwipper Road Train Member

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    unplug it and drive on to a hotel :yes2557:
     
  11. tech-rigger

    tech-rigger Bobtail Member

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    Yep I see your truck outside. I'd suggest telling them you're not going to pick up that empty. You're just doing work for them you shouldn't have to do. Tell them to get a company driver to go get it.

    Schneider says I'm fired, and SFI is blowing smoke. The lady I talked to was laughing on the phone at my predicament they put me in. Good luck with that KW though. It's a premium stripped down truck though
     
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