Con-way Truckload Not what I thougth it would be. Stay off there payroll

Sorry if I came off as cranky, I'm in the shop...lol. Anyway, I will admit people are not as chipper as they used to be. I have noticed it a lot since the tornado hit. I can't imagine how stressful it must be to live in a town that has been as devastated as they have been. Not an excuse, just an observation. Why wouldn't you get paid detention after you sit for 6 hours? Even if it's Conways fault they pay you, no? I don't understand why you say they won't pay you...

 

Conwaygirl is 100% correct. EVERYONE in Joplin was affected one way or another by the recent tornado. The people of Joplin have tons more on their minds than just doing their jobs. I know numerous folks who lost everything... don't know where they'll be living next week... and are showing up for work every day because they know their employer and this town needs them. It's not easy... but we're getting there little by little.

 

I am sure that the people in Joplin are having alot to deal with..I understand fully as I have been through many storms(hurricanes) myself and have lost everything. It really sucks. But the attitude changes I noticed started long before the tornado. But anyway, as for the detention.....whenever I put it in the qualcomm for detention it very rarely makes it to my paycheck for some reason and like I said in earlier post, I dont fight for my pay, I have learned in the past that it is really not worth it. They make up some BS reason to not pay you. Prime example...The last time I fought with someone down there over my pay this is what happened....I had a live unload in Laredo. My appointment was like 1100 or something, and I got there early and unloaded by 2 hours. Went on the board, and took my butt over to the terminal to wait. It was a busy time down there for inbound, but not outbound, so I wound up waiting 2 days for a load. I sat on the board literally for 48 hours and 25 minutes. I put in for layover pay, and was completely dumbfounded by the response I got. Never heard this before. Because I delivered my load 2 hours early my 2 hours that I was on the board early didnt count towards the layover!! I truely couldnt believe it!! And this came straight from the mouth of the best Fleet Manager that I had at this company, she would bend over backwards for me, but not this time, she said there was nothing she could do. It wasnt up to her. It was definately the turning point in my attitude towards the company, before then I was mister company. I was proud to be a driver here, and had no inclination to even look for another job at all, I probably would have worked here until I retired. After hearing that my time wasnt worth 2 cents to this company based on a 2 hour technichality it really changed how I felt. Since then I have slowly been looking at other prospective jobs but, I am not fully ready to make the leap yet, I keep holding on to some kind of hope that things will get better. I have since made a list of all incidents like that one and kept a journal of all the times I have been screwed out of detention or whatever, so when the time comes I will just hand them that piece of paper and show them. As of now, the paper is almost full front and back standard sheet of paper. Its ridiculous that we only really can count on the miles that we drive for our pay, and those miles are dictated to us, we have no choice in how hard we want to run. Just this week I am on my 2nd restart, and not because I needed to do it, just because I had 3 days to run 350 miles(the one i am on now is because it is the weekend and I do understand it happens). My problem might be that I feel my time is more valuable to me, I am of the mentality that if I am away from my home and family I should be compensated something for that time. The time that we keep just giving away sitting at docks and waiting for them to give us a load, completely aggravates me and I cant help the way I feel about that. Even if it is minimum wage, at least it is something. The last company I worked for(directly across the street from lancaster, green and white trucks) If I would have been paid detention minimum wage, I would have been rich. I sat at docs for multiple hours daily and sometimes, for more then a day, and that is why I left. One of the factors of why I came here was they said they paid detention. Well, they used to, and still do sometimes, if they feel like it. Ok, I know I am rambling, so this is it for now, I am tired. I am not trying to say that Con Way is horrible, just that they have changed alot in the 3 years that I have been here, and not for the better. I still cant see me being any happier at another company right now, so I guess I will stay put.

 

I understand what you are saying and I can believe that your FM could have been wrong. Did you approach your FM's supervisor? I don't think you should always have to fight for your pay, but if you won't even go to bat for yourself...don't complain when things get passed over. I have had to "go the distance" to get paid for extras, because I want and deserve that money. No offense, but if you put the effort into getting what is coming to you instead of getting on here to talk about it....maybe you wouldn't have anything to complain about. . I have, as I said, had to fight for pay. I just got 40 hours of detention pay that I should have gotten over 8 months ago!! They didn't think I should get it, but I didn't quit until they saw why I should. That was $480 that you better believe I wanted. If you aren't willing to fight for what you want...who will fight for you...? Good luck.

 

Does it happen often that you have to go through such hassle for the detention pay?

 

I have a question please as I am a new guy. A lot of truckers complain about rude dispatchers. Is it not possible to talk to management about them? Does the management just say "let them disrespect you for all I care" and let you go on being miserable? Why not make the dispatchers as friendly and professional as other fake employees at businesses who act like your best friend? I would think if they were professional truckers would be happier and do a better job.

 

I don't think you have to fight for detention that often...but that's just my experience. Teams are mostly drop and hook. Yes, you can talk to management about rude FM's. I have done this once before, and guess what?? He has not been rude since!! You have to be willing to try to work to fix your problems...

 

Post #53 this is why company's make you go through hoops to get paid what you are owed. Because they know some drivers will do this,

The reason is that not every driver will fight for their pay, and it saves them money.

I went rounds with a company over a 2 buck fax. My favorite was to either write a book on the qualcomm or speed dial from the bottom up. Doing this a few times and they got the message. Pay this driver or have your day wasted by him.

You let a OTR company bend you over , they will.

And in closing , no team driver can compare their experience with a OTR company with that of a solo. BE rational. They tried to get someone to sleep in a moving truck, And it worked. They will kiss your arse and throw rose peddles at your feet if it will make you happy. Not so much with a solo driver.

 

To ALL veteran drivers, STOP scaring us new want to be drivers lol. I plan on joining the ranks of drivers this Fall, and from all my reading, sometimes I do question my decision, but my LOVE of trucks won't let me change my mind, I look at it like with ANY job you will have bad days and bad bosses, so I thank you for getting me ready for some of the obstacle we will face.

 

Not trying to scare you at all. Just trying to keep you informed of different companies; good, bad, or indifferent.

What you do with the information we provide is up to you.