epes

Looking at their SMS report they can't be too bad since only 1 inspection out of 4 is found with an infraction. Also they are well below the national average as far as the threshold goes for equipment.

Are things going downhill?

 

She's right about the trailers that much remains consistent from the time I started till the time I left and till now it seems especially the Texas star trailers and the older Danes they haven't sold off.

The newer trailers they were bringing in before I left are okay but they're spring ride. Rough bouncy ride especially empty.

 

Why not consider Cargo Transporters out of Claremont NC. Regional company hometime every week if you want it. 40 cpm.with one year experience and we are getting 2cpm raise after the 4th of July. Terrific people here!! Great company.

 

Cameras. That's why. I took a hard look at them when I was shopping to leave Epes and all it took was to see that word and wrote them off immediately. I wouldn't care if they paid $10 a mile a camera looking at me, for any reason, for any amount of milliseconds is a deal breaker.

For as disfunctional as they can be sometimes at least they trust their drivers enough not to put an inward facing camera in there.

 

Amen!!!

I'm at G&P trucking and I tried to make myself believe I could handle a driver facing camera for 6 months to a year till we move. Oh hell to the no! Ain't happening. I've put up with a lot in my career just to keep from quitting too soon but this ain't one of them. That dam camera is less then 2ft from my face staring me in the eyes. This is the biggest bunch of ######## ever. Knock on wood, I've got 20 years without an accident, I don't need this crap. Front facing camera? I'm all for it! but that's where it ends. Don't need one facing the driver too.

Ive made it a month, doubt I'll see two months. You can have it.

 

Is Epes auto or manual?

 

It seems that a lot of the trucks are manual but they are quickly getting more and more Freightliners with the autos.

Not that it matters but every driver who has the auto tranny is happy driving them. When I first started with Epes I drove a new auto up from N.C. to V.A. to deliver to a driver. I was taking his old '13 manual Freightliner. I had a hell of a time with the auto in some respects, which sounds so weird. I guess it takes a little getting used to it.

 

Yeah I've noticed this too. Lately when I pick up a new functioning trailer I get all happy and a warm, tingly sensation. Usually, as Murphy's Law would have it, that's the trailer that I'm driving just a few miles away to drop.

I've taken in at least 2 trailers to the shop this week to get repaired. One was missing a marker light up top above the trailer doors and the other had some issue with the brakes. I had another trailer this week whereby I could do nothing to get the tandems to move. The load was over 45,000 lbs and it was the air powered tandem release. There was something wrong with the air system so I couldn't manipulate the pins in any way to get them to depress. I was stuck with the tandems in that position. I was frustrated but for S's & Giggles I took to the CAT scale. It scaled perfectly! I delivered the load and put in a repair call for the trailer tandems.

I agree about Epes being a great company. It is. But some of the trailers definitely need work. I guess maybe as they phase out some of the older ones or we keep bringing them in for repair, that aspect will get better. I know at least my shop jumps right to it when one needs to be fixed.