I found this on a recruiter's Website yesterday:

"As a (company) associate, you have certain expectations about the company. We pledge to provide a positive workplace environment. In accordance with that pledge, we instituted the following image policy for all associates.

• No beards unless associate has a certifiable medical condition that prevents shaving.
• No decorative beards or goatees.
• Sideburns must be trimmed above the earlobe. “Porkchop” sideburns are not allowed.
• Visible tattoos and body jewelry are not allowed.
• Hats and/or clothing with another company’s logo are not permitted.
• Mustaches must be neatly trimmed and of a reasonable style.
• Hair must be a naturally occurring color (no green, purple, etc.).
• Men’s hair should not extend below the earlobe in front or below the collar in the back. No hair decorations of any kind are permitted. Women’s hair should be neatly trimmed or pulled back.
• Clothing must be neat, clean and in good repair – no dirty, stained or torn clothing.
• Drivers are expected to comply with all image and uniform guidelines while they are on-duty. Drivers are exempt from the image and uniform guidelines only when they are off-duty in the sleeper berth or outside the vehicle at a non-customer location.
• In addition to these appearance standards, drivers must be a minimum age of 23. "
  

Have you encountered image policies like this during your career? Do you think carriers should include some sort of "code of conduct" in their training?

Just curious.

I'm thinking of becoming a trucker and I'd definitely check this company out if they were hiring in my area (which they're not - bummer).

I'm all for image improvement.......as we have all encountered those that seem to have forgotten what the inside of a shower looks like.......however, some of this seems to be a little far fetched.

No tattoos....so if I applied at this place I'm guessing I wouldn't be hired.......gee isn't that discrimination? Sounds like a great law suit just waiting to happen!!

NO beards? well luckily I don't have to worry about that one! lol

I can appreciate being clean...the clothing, however, can any of you open the hood, climb out to add fluids, and not get slightly dirty-----or is this company assuming the truck's gonna get a bath every few miles?

Glad I don't have to worry about this place (is it possible to know who it is by the way? I'm guessing wal-mart), when I can eventually go otr ...what makes it appealing is the certain amount of freedom, logs being the exception of course, that I am not just another office drone(office being you have to be dressed nice, and never doing any kind of dirty work)........isn't that what this company is proposing?
And how about the pay? If the excessive image cleaning, is to be strictly adhered to, why not just stay in an office job?(or such within the city) Hell bells at least you'd be in your own bed every night!

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Don't like the attitude? Then don't look!

If these things are explained as requirements prior to application, or being hired, what is the problem? To complain about their hiring criteria is a bit like applying to be a street sweeper when you are opposed to using a broom. If they're gonna' pay you for doing a job, and they say appearance is part of the job, get used to it, or apply somewhere else.

Also, the beard thing may have to do with the occasional need to wear a respirator. The beard interferes with a proper facial seal.

It says no visible tattoos, so I was assuming they're talking about tattoos in spots that can't be covered by clothes (face, neck, lower arms).

Me either. Hehe.

Good point! I'd ask them for enough uniforms to change in case I got dirty. lol

No, it's not Wallyworld. I found the info on Driver Solutions' Website, under Averitt.

Erm, I've been in office jobs for more than 20 years and got dirty plenty often when changing toner, unpacking office supplies, cleaning my own office + bathrooms, stocking visitor information areas, moving offices, etc., etc., etc.

Not sure what the pay has to do with it, but I know that some companies charge their workers to get their uniforms cleaned (my husband's does). They supposedly start their new drivers at .28cpm, but that's according to the DS Website. I haven't talked to them directly, so I don't know.

I paid much less attention to the "clean clothes" instructions as to those that had to do with tattoos, jewelry, and facial and other hair, although none of these are of any concern to me because I have no tattoos, don't wear jewelry, and if I were able to grow a beard or mustache, I'd probably make more money in a freak show than in office jobs... or maybe trucking one day. LOL

I just thought it was interesting that a carrier would put such guidelines out there and was curious if anybody had encountered something like that in real life, that's all.

Sorry, I thought I had mentioned it. It's Averitt.

When I started out with J.B. Hunt, they were anal about image. You were required to wear their uniform shirt, and some shippers/receivers would report you if you didn't. If you didn't have it on when you arrived at the terminal, they might turn you around at the gate and send you out.

Clean shaven, or neatly trimmed beards, and if I remember right, they had some restrictions about hair as well.

Well I guess I will never work for Averit.

I will not shave my Goatee.
I will not get rid of my earrings.
The tattoos don't come off...sorry guys.
And I don't go anywhere without my favorite John Deere hat.

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I'm with you, Callin

I have no hair on my head, a very short (military reg) mustache, and no tats, but if the the most important thing a company has to worry about is the length of my hair, I sense a lot more junk where that came from.

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Retreat, Hell! We just got here!

Hehe, my husband has similar guidelines in his work contract and he's a gravedigger.

Hey Rocket, that's too funny! I figured nobody was supposed to see the gravedigger, or his backhoe and shovels, out of consideration for the deceased person's family! And the folks he's around in the boneyard certainly ain't complainin'!

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Retreat, Hell! We just got here!