Ozark Motor Lines Info ???

I worked there for a year, left in July. I was happy there. They got me 2700-3000 per week except 5-6 weeks a year as long as I was on the road the full week. Coming off home time was a bit lumpy, I would have some 11 and 5 hour days. They would smooth that out over the next 8 days so it was mostly 8-9 hours on the clock, typically 12-14 hours down. The few times fatigue started getting to me they gave me easy loads without me complaining, let me get rested up. Never had to actually complain. I spent over 2 hours in a dock maybe twice in a year. After benefits I took home about $800/week, enough for me.

They have APU's and inverters. They replace the seats when they get the trucks with their own, like theirs better than the stock. I believe it's so they can put the new seat back in when they sell it. Since they do that they don't have a problem with pulling the passenger seat out. So I stuck a 4.2 cf fridge from Wal-Mart there with a microwave on top. Maintenance on the truck was good. They brought it into the shop regularly for PM.

As far as loads FedEx, IP, Freight Liner, Cardinal and Baxter are their biggest customers. Memphis loads are picked up by day cab and taken to the terminal then you leave out from there. They have some retired drivers that drive 3 months per year or one week per month. Many of those just hang around the terminal until a good load comes up, run it out, pick up a back haul to get them back to the terminal.

Personally the main caveat is if you have health problems that might cost them money. That's why I left. I couldn't get past their physical the second time. Nothing changed as far as my health. I've had ten physicals in 2 years, 2 since leaving there. I had a heart attack 8 years ago. I have a current stress test and echo-cardiogram. That's all DOT requires but I couldn't get past the physical. I disclosed everything on every physical including the one when I was hired with them. They seem to be playing fast and loose with the ADA while hiding being no existent DOT requirements.

 

Keep in mind a Trucking company MAY be more restrictive than current DOT standards.

I ran into this problem with Covenant decades ago related to my hearing. I took it to the FMCSA and put the cards on the table against Covenant and discovered that any trucking company can and will disallow those who are marginal in any way per the DOT requirements.

IF they want nothing but perfect specimens who are 21 year olds without flaws and problems they can do that.

 

I work there now. I like it. Everything the above poster has said is true. Not much for me to add. It's hard running FedEx at night and then getting a day load, or vice versa. That's my only real complaint. Some people can do that seamlessly, me, I fall asleep at the wheel because my body shuts down at night. Always has.

They don't micro manage. Pretty much if you get the load where it needs to be when it needs to be there, you may never speak to a human being. They let you do what you want. Stop when you want, where you want, how you want.

Good company, good pay, good equipment. Seriously good mechanics. I dont know about failing physicals because I work out constantly and am in fantastic physical shape. I even passed a level 1 FAA physical for a commercial pilots license with flying colors.

One thing odd you'll notice about Ozark online, there aren't many complaints. The ones you see are silly things or are the fault of the driver. I really don't see how a driving company could be much better than Ozark. I mean, for a company that will hire you right out of CDL school and put you in a 2017 Cascadia Evolution for training, not many out there will do that. I was worried when I got out on my own and was new and scared that they'd give me a hard time. They held my hand and helped me when I needed it without complaining. I sent them a qualcomm message thanking them for their patience with me and I got a reply "No problem, that's what we are here for".

Oh yea, employee appreciation week once a month, all the food you can eat, IF you can get routed back to Memphis to enjoy it. Real good stuff, when I was there it was bar-b-que. I pretty much almost threw up I ate so much. I could hardly walk back to the truck and climb into the sleeper. Shame on me. Gluttony is a sin.

Oh yea, for training, you get a real hotel room, all by yourself. Double bunk with the hotel providing a hot breakfast daily and Ozark doing lunch. I just ate a HUGE amount of food for breakfast and then took lunch back to the hotel with me in the evening so I had supper. And it's real food, ordered fresh daily when you place your order that morning. All the snacks and drinks you want during orientation, free.

My first day I wound up meeting the owner of the company. Had no idea who he was. I bull #### with anyone and so I was shooting the #### with him without even knowing he owned the entire company himself. You'd never know it, he wasn't snobby at all.

Trucks run 68mph on the cruise, so you'll do your share of passing the mega company trucks. I've run 100 miles on I-65 and never was passed by another big rig.