My Time At Steven's-Advice: RUN!!!!!

I took ten weeks off last year.I get home,just not every week.When I do I stay home seven to eight days at a time.Its like a mini=vacation every four weeks.Just a means to an end.

 

http://preview.tinyurl.com/4rnhjce
1807 miles per driver and 2350 per tractor average for 2009.
221,707,721 miles. Power Units: 1,814 2,360 Drivers

Nothing against Stevens but let's not try to make everyone think they are even going to have the opportunity to make consistent big bucks right out of the gate no matter what company it is.. Driving is an underpaid skill that takes time improve and logistics dictate that you can not schedule consistent high miles for each driver on a large scale.

 

I don't think anyone with a brain looks at Stevens to make big bucks. It's a training company, $35K for a top company driver. But I do think a Stevens driver with a clean DAC and 12 months experience can get a seat anywhere.

 

You do realize that not every driver puts 100% into the job. There are those in any company that do not want to work, and want to sit around shooting the bull, watching TV etc ... Those people bring down the avg for the company. The miles are here to drive if one wants to drive them..

 

For some comparisons,
Crete Carrier, 5016 drivers, 530,917,430 miles equals 2035 miles per week
CR England, 5300 drivers, 520,762,438 miles equals 1889 miles per week

 

This is a bizarre way of looking at average miles in a company. There are so many variables at play that the information is useless.

 

Averaged 2575 miles / week since I started my lease (Wasn't keeping track of mileage and all that fun stuff up until that point...I was on grad fleet just trying to keep the tires right-side down).

Left the yard with my first load as a lease operator on March 17, 2010.
365 days per year - 75 days for Jan, Feb, and 16 days in Mar = 290 days in my lease truck
290 days - 31 days off = 259 days
259 days / 7 days per week = 37 weeks

Drove a total of 95,295 miles in those 37 weeks = 2,575 miles per week

This is during my first year with Stevens. Learning my way around the country, having to gain the trust of my new DM and make myself known to the people back at the yard that now keep me moving (it's not my DM by the way ).

I fully anticipate averaging 2700 - 2750 miles per week for 2011. I am still paying dues and learning everyday.

As Emulsified stated earlier, if you have a decent attitude and take the loads given to you, you will get plenty of miles. If you want to get on the QC and call your DM every 4 and 5 letter word that you know how to spell everytime there's a small hiccup in your plans, then you deserve 1500 miles a week. Heck, I don't even think you deserve that. You should get thrown out on your keester for being a spoiled brat and unprofessional.

But take my input with a grain of salt...I'm just another brainwashed Steven's pet who isn't a "real" truck driver (by the way...I can't ever get any of these guys out here who rag on me for staying with Steven's to tell me what a "real" truck driver is). I personally like the moniker myself...it allows me to manage my business nice and quiet and under the radar so-to-speak...and to collect my generous settlement every week. It's not Donald Trump money, but it's more than any of you naysayers would believe even if I told you.

I will say that in my previous job, I was a Union autoworker. I worked in the same job at the same place for 8 years. In the 9.5 months that I was a lease operator last year, I made 95% of what I made in my top-earning year as a Union employee. And that was during the rough, first-year we all talk about as a truck driver. If my miles stay the same and I drive my truck exactly as I did in 2010 but for a full 12 months in 2011, I will make 119% of what I made at the peak of my income as a vested Union worker. Not too bad for a $1500 investment in truck driving school, as well as the 3 weeks it took to complete said school.

But, like I said, I'm just a brainwashed pet and I fully expect to get ragged about how if I had the balls to buy my own truck and become loose-leaf log running outlaw, I could make triple what I made last year while only working half as hard. No thanks...I'll leave all that to you "real" truck drivers.

 

2350 per tractor per week is pretty good.lets throw in 14 percent more for time off and that avg jumps up to what 2675 per week per tractor.hmmm.Not to shabby if you ask me.Im on pace this week for over 3500 miles solo.Now granted,this is not a normal week.But you do have weeks like this.The miles are there if you want to run.Thats the bottom line.Some guys are happy with 2200 miles a week.Im all over my managers behind for a week like that.I expect 2800 or nothing.I worked for that.No service failures,running loads ahead setting my truck up for repowers,legally stretching my logbook,etc.You gotta play the game,some guys get it,some dont.Stevens is what it is,a training company.But you can make a living here.Could I make more somewhere else,probably.Would I be better off someplace else,who knows.Stevens is not set up to retain drivers.Most get their training and move on.Some like me find a niche and make a good living.

 

80% of what you posted is pure B.S.!

 

How would you know?
They look good from my perspective.