Stevens Transport aviary

my 100th post woohooo ....

 

You are like a bulldog when you argue TLEE...ok, ok you want me to say R114 I will. I did not realize they made reefers now that did more than control temp. I won't even quiz you on how you checked compressor and R114, I'm sure you did it properly. If only R114 was low at least they fixed 2 out of 3. Because as I'm sure you know coolant and oil are shutdown codes. All you can do is cover your ### and remember that Stevens also hires new technicians as well as drivers. But remember, my original response was about someone on the yard checking trailers. If it passed your inspection, wouldn't it pass his too? Just sayin...

 

Well I start class with Stevens Aug. 9th. It's official now. For good or bad at least I'll be back on the road.

 

Visual inspections via the looking glass windows..all a driver can do. Most drivers don't even open the Refer unit doors when they pick a trailer up.

AC only cool...Refer units control Temperature, Heat and Cool, depends on what the load needs.

They are shut down codes, that Road Rescue said to clear, and keep rolling and inform them when it did it again...They knew this trailer was a problem, and did not want to deal with it...

I am sure the driver that pulled that trailer out of the meat patch is hating life. Or maybe he won't realize there is a problem, until the receiver rejects the load because it is spoiled.

My point is, the trailer was brought to the yard, after another TK dealer had stated that it had a leak behind the unit. That is why the trailer was brought to the yard. Yet Stevens DID not fix the leak, but sent the trailer back into service.

Yes I am bull dog, and words have definite meanings.

Had you quoted the post you where referring to, the bad communication would be less likely to happen.

No somebody checking the trailers every few hours would have seen no problems with that trailer, as it had not coded out yet. And the fluid levels in the looking glass windows was good.

 

When your out there in Dallas will you have access to update us all on what happens out there? I am interested as I will be headed out there the end of the month.

 

I am looking into a few companies, but Stevens is/has been at the top of my list from the start. I applied when I was going to have them send me through school, but decided to pay for my own schooling. I start Aug 11 and graduate Oct 6. I am former military and like the fact that Stevens seems to be pretty strict on their safety and standards, but was wondering if they really do give you the 3000 miles a week the recruiters say and if the average length of haul is really over 1500 miles? If I could get a little confirmation on this information it would ease my decision as I do have quite a few other companies I have looked into but am only really interested in about 5 with Stevens still at the top. Thanks

 

I can't speak for everyone else, only for myself.
I average close to 3,000 miles per week. Around 2850 this year. I've never figured out the average length of haul, but most I get are over 1,000. I just finished one at 1968, will deliver one today at 769. The one today is close to the shortest I've had.
What I have seen, is if you handle your loads properly, deliver on time and don't complain, you get miles...plenty of them.

 

TLea broke down what to expect once you get to Steven's to begin school / training earlier in this thread.

I'm posting this from the "no smoking" driver's lounge. Nothing much exciting happening here today. A bunch of antsy trainees awaiting their trainers. And there are quite a few trucks on the yard.

On the bright side, the shop has had a fire lit under their butt with my truck. I needed a steer tire, alignment, level 1 PM, and an inspection done on my passenger side fuel tank by the body shop. The mechanical
repairs were completed by the time I got on the hotel shuttle at 1700. It's currently in the body shop for the fuel tank now (for those interested, there is just superficial "rub marks" on the top of the tank from my APU fuel hoses rubbing on the tank. I had no clue those hoses were supposed to be supported by clamps and secured to the cab, keeping them from rubbing on the fuel tank. They've been secured properly now).

And of course, I got cleared yesterday by 1200. I'm sure that's been the major factor for the shop banging out the work on my truck so fast. If you haven't cleared off your clearance sheet, your truck sits at the bottom of the shop's priority list until you do.

One final note: I received a gold star pin from compliance yesterday during my compliance review. No violations (compression, form and manner, HOS, etc...) since my last review. Yay me!

 

Yes I am aware that Tlea "broke" that down to us earlier. But I have been on this forum since 2008 and Other drivers on here including me do indeed like drivers to update us on their new journeys especially to a company. So just pay attention... and drive safe out there.

 

My facts for the first 6 months of this year.

66270 paid miles 2549 miles avg per week. (26 weeks)

took 8 days of home time, 4 days on the yard for 12 days down time.

Brings the average per week worked, to 2704 per week.

As for length of haul, total smoke...

Length of haul is from 30 miles to 3000 miles, with may 700 mile runs.

Dispatched length of haul is probably 1500+, but Stevens will dispatch a truck onto a load that they can not legally make, and then repower them off it after a few hundred miles to a team, to make the delivery. Picking produce in california as a single driver, you will get repowered many times before getting out of cally and getting paid mileage.
My july paid mileage....
empty loaded total
358 624 982
0 109 109
7 297 304
0 688 688
319 771 1090
158 838 996
30 772 802
351 1252 1603
108 1200 1308
299 1788 2087
Total miles 9969 10 trips, 997 miles per trip

Recruiters tell you what they think you want to hear, to get you hired on, so they get paid. Make your own conclusions.