Hirschbach Motorlines/Liars,cheats and thieves!

Okay, on the topic of Hirschbach:

I have no problem posting about them any longer, because they've already burned my career with a negative on my DAC/USIS/HireRight report. No one is telling me what the negative is (still waiting for a copy).

I went to orientation for this company some time back, and went home 3/4 of the way through. The choice to end my association with them was mutual. I passed all their tests (written, skills, driving, medical, a weird physical I had to "duck-walk" and lift weights for, drug screen, etc) with flying colors, and walked into orientation with a CSA score of zero. The choice to leave came after their unprofessional and abusive response to something on my background check of a personal nature that has absolutely no bearing on the job (or any job for that matter), and my concerns over my own safety that response, in addition other concerns raised during orientation regarding their commitment to safety.

Now I have to explain to potential employers exactly what happened to me and why (I'm not getting into it here).

The trip to orientation was via bus, which for me took 14 hours to go the 171 miles. I was lucky, because some were on the bus for nearly a week. The hotel was on par with a decent Motel 6. Meals consisted of "bar food," literally, we gave a coupon to a bartender who went to the back room to make it for us (breakfast and dinner), with a sack lunch style for the noon meal. The hotel was across the river in Debuque, IA, and transportation to and from orientation at the East Debuque, IL "terminal" was by company van.

The first day of orientation went okay, except for repeated delays by the individual running the orientation to have unrelated "texting" conversations with others. These evolved into unrelated personal phone calls, more delays.

On the second day was the "safety" lectures. One item I questioned, that of the alleged legal requirement of CDL holders to stop at the scene of an accident they were in no way involved in and render aid. This included a video showing a trucker assisting someone out of a seriously damaged vehicle that was in no immediate danger of further injury if they stayed put. Being a former EMS instructor with years of experience "in the field," this "regulation" was news to me, and something that was likely to open drivers and Hirschbach up to law suits for causing bodily injury or death. I asked for clarification on the "regulation," including where I could get more information, and was told this was "company policy."

Shortly after lunch of the second day, I noticed a radical and hostile shift in the attitude towards myself and one other experienced new-hire. We both had been told to review our applications and match them to selected portions of our DAC's that had just been received. At the time, I figured I was in trouble for asking questions (never ask questions from someone who knows everything already, I'm now the student, they're the instructor, ####, should've remembered that is what I kept kicking myself over), though I hadn't a clue why the other person was being treated with hostility (until later). I figured we both must've goofed on some dates, or some information like phone numbers was missing, though I couldn't find any errors with my application.

Late afternoon, everyone except myself and the other aforementioned new-hire was sent downstairs to begin the VI-Driving test portion of the hiring process. We were told to finish up our paperwork, including calling some insurance agent regarding our health insurance, and to complete those tasks before joining the rest of the class for the VI-Driving tests. An hour later, still trying to track down the agent (we were given bad numbers to call), the instructor comes back and berates us for doing what we were told to do, rather than immediately joining the others outside. We immediately went outside, and stood in the sub-freezing temperatures for nearly two hours waiting our turns.

It was at this point I learned the other new-hire being subjected to hostile treatment had a similar personal issue unrelated to trucking (or any other job, as I stated before), and he began to feel we were being targeted for that. Since I hadn't encountered such a problem in over a decade, and had been assured by Hirschbach recruiting that there wouldn't be a problem (why waste my time and theirs if there was going to be, right?), I blew off the initial concerns. Later, I was told by the person who had been openly hostile to me earlier and now road tested me that I was the best female drivers they had ever tested, and better than most men they've tested. Okay, problem over, I thought.

Later, talking with my family, they did not share my optimism, and wanted me to just come home and try applying for someone else. They had been on the phone in a teleconference with Hirschbach's recruiter (at her insistence) when the reassurances of "no problem" to the personal issue was hammered in. They knew what I wouldn't admit to at the time, that Hirschbach did indeed have a problem. I figured that I must have just done something totally unrelated to rub the instructor the wrong way, and that everything would be fine after what he told me about the road test.

I figured wrong. The third day of orientation, I was told not to speak unless spoken to by the instructor and specifically told to respond. I was not permitted to ask questions about CSA 2010 (that morning's first topic), a subject I was totally unfamiliar with beyond knowing I had a perfect score (I wanted to keep it that way). When, during a break in the class, someone asked me a non-trucking related question, I spoke to answer. I was then verbally assaulted by the orientation instructor for speaking. Then he said "After what I found out about you yesterday, I'm just itching for an excuse to put you on the next bus home." I mulled that one over for a few minutes, and then he said "I'm never going to let you complete orientation, after what I found out about you. How about I just send you home right now, we'll pay for the bus ticket?" I didn't even hesitate in accepting his offer, and he was dialing the number for the bus ticket before I could take the next breath. I was escorted out of the classroom, and driven back to the hotel to wait for the information and transportation to the bus terminal.

When he called to give me the bus information, he just couldn't leave things alone. I was told I "should've known better than to try and get a job at a 'family oriented' company." I called the recruiter and asked what was going on, and she claimed to know nothing. When I told her of the events of the two days, she acted surprised, and said there was nothing she could do. I thanked her for her time and effort, and hung up. I was home by 5am the next morning, after another 14 hours on a bus to go 171 miles.

I don't know what happened to the other driver.

A few days later, I got a copy of my DAC/USIS/HireRight report. Sure enough, there it was, the issue totally unrelated to trucking, though I no longer needed further confirmation. The hostility towards the other driver and I began 30 minutes after the report was received in East Debuque, within minutes of the instructor's return to the classroom (he had been called out by someone in personnel). It doesn't take a rocket scientist to put this one together.

During the orientation, we were asked to sign a variety of forms that were not explained, and we were not given enough time to review. One of these forms holds the driver financially liable to Hirschbach for load claims, regardless of fault. Another holds the driver financially liable for all fines, even those for things which are clearly carrier responsibility (We never quite made it to signing these by the time I departed, I had until the end of orientation). I had managed to get these out of the orientation room and back to the hotel, with the paperwork I was expected to take with me. I probably would have been sent home for questioning these forms and the policies behind them, or at least when I finally refused to sign them.

So, no matter what, working for this company was never in the cards for me. Having said that, my problem with them is in the unprofessional, humiliating, untruthful, and hostile (to the point I felt my safety was threatened, never a good idea to get me to that point) way I was treated even after I left. I do not know yet what was placed on my DAC/USIS/HireRight report, I just know employers are focusing hard on what happened with Hirschbach, 3 days out of 14 plus years in the industry, and I have to have very personal conversations with people I wouldn't otherwise have to have in a business environment.

I do not have copies of any paperwork from Hirschbach (they confiscated all of it immediately), but I do know if you were assigned to a company or lease truck, or signed on as an owner-operator with your own truck, then you signed those two forms, as well as one where you gave up your right to take any legal action through the courts. That last one was the form that says you agree to have all disputes (that means civil and criminal) resolved through arbitration, through a company they pay to perform the arbitration. Good luck with that one, because those companies NEVER side with anyone other than the one who is paying them.

Hirschbach prides itself in being the ranking member of the BFI organization.

Also, when I last was able to check their CSA 2010 information (SaferSYS is not current by any stretch), they did have serious issues with maintenance and driver safety. Unfortunately, carrier scores appear to be no longer available to drivers or the public, the FMCSA link appears to be broken. Word I'm getting is carriers can check only their information, and of course any driver they wish, for a fee. Drivers can no longer access any but their own records, costs $10 per report. Individual drivers will no longer be able to check carrier safety information, not even for carriers they have worked or are currently working for.

Sorry this was so long, drivers, but better informed than ignorant.

 

Yeah, they were discussing the switch to e-Logs when I briefly went through orientation. They likely were being forced into it by USDOT due to the huge numbers of log violations I saw the last time I could access their records.

Watch for them to back off of this now that OOIDA has won their lawsuit to stop the requirement to switch to e-Logs for major violators of safety regulations. They'll likely be shifting trucks and drivers around to match up drivers who want to run legal (and by extension keep what little Hirschbach is willing to pay them) with the rigs that already have e-Logs, and put their "hot runners" and "cowboys" into trucks not equipped with them.

OOIDA's problem with e-Logs was they felt dispatchers could "harass" drivers via the QC (or other remote device e-Logs use) to run while they are on a rest break, an assumption that also assumes drivers aren't smart enough to turn the volume down to prevent such a problem from happening. I suspect ATA had a hand in the decision as well, given how bizarre the claim behind the lawsuit was.

 

The DAC/Hire-right report is a 4X4 cut 4 feet long. It can also contain personal information obtained through a background search. By signing the DAC to release DOT regulated employement histories it also authorizes DAC to investigate credit, criminal, insurance and other sources during a background investigation. Simply put any thing they can use to dis-credit you and your career. Transportation Companies are not the only ones scrutinizing workers. Hospitals, Banks, Retailers have also begun using Hire-Right to screen potential New-Hires. With so many Americans now seeking to find Jobs It puts potential employers more at risk for liability, especially if they are self-insured like Large trucking firms. And the Big Fleets have way too many problems as it is, so you can imagine why these Co's must use it. Again some people get caught up in the B...S... and get bounced right back from the get go. But don't fret. It probably would have not been a wise career move to subject yourself to being belittled by Company Jerks.

The worst Jobs are the BIG BRANDS, These companies are not always a nice as the pretty full color add in the Slick Job brochures. Why? becasue the companies have too many A..H...s placed in a position of authority. The Peter Principle.....People Promoted to their level of incompetence. Meaning They were a good employee once and are promoted and have become a lousy supervisor. Some people should never be elevated to the status of BOSS.

Lastly, I did recieve an E-Mail response from Hirtz my back, But deleted it. Thanks for the head up.

 

"Solicitation" perhaps?

 

Interesting read, makes you want to ready everything that is presented to you during Orientation. Actually as a matter of fact make sure don't sign something if you don't agree with it. Keep in mind usually when you don't sign things you don't get hired. But a crappy job is sometimes a better stopgap than no job at all.

 

Ran into a Hirschbach driver at one of my regular stops the other day (nice guy).
Asked him how things were going at Hirschbach.

He said he is on the Midwest Regional fleet (experienced driver), and has gotten three checks so far (been with them for only 5 weeks at this point)...and has YET to take home over $200.00 a week.

He is a company driver that did not fall for the lease/purchase program.
Said he'd like to jump ship...but he is going to give their OTR division a chance first.

The first thing I thought, was, don't companies usually start off giving their new hires decent miles to "impress them", and the SLOWLY let the miles fade away?
Not Hirschbach. Not with this guy. Apparently, they starved him right out of the box.

 

I could of told you about the midwest regional. They are basically the Farmland shuttle drivers. You spend alot of time on docks and the loads are always late coming out, expecting the drivers to make up the difference. No driver likes the one that runs that division either. He run plenty of good drivers off.


Why would anyone would want to sit on a dock all day for a 60 mile run?? They pay one OTR driver mileage they suckered into doing one of them runs and then they pay the next guy $150 for the same run. Wow, I made $22 today. They think drivers are dumb and don't know this stuff. It's definately a morale booster.


The man that bought Hirschbach owns several companies, not just trucking. He bought out Burlington Motor Freight a long time ago and ran that company into bankruptcy. He's slowly doing the same to HML.


It's a shame, because the old HML was a premium company to work for. Not anymore.

 

I'm just finishing my first month with Hirschbach. So far so good I might say. I've been reading and some stuff I find funny. Orientation was fine if you ask me could be shorter tho, but that's mainly cause people keep asking stupid questions. They keep me moving& I keep the door closed. It's simple, I'll keep you guys posted on how it goes. feel free to ask me anything.....