I'm baaaaaack!!!!!!!!

Discussion in 'Discuss Your Favorite Trucking Company Here' started by Captain Zoom, Dec 5, 2014.

  1. Captain Zoom

    Captain Zoom Road Train Member

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    Indianapolis, IN
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    Elsa goes to Truck Hospital tomorrow for the weekend. Picking up the rental car tomorrow and doing errands then hopefully back out Tuesday morning.

    The goat is considering retirement.
     
    Dominick253 and double yellow Thank this.
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  3. cwc

    cwc Medium Load Member

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    Hi captain zoom, I hope you don't mind, i'd like to ask you a question. do you know if risinger runs out west and south? I know you run east and mid west states, but I don't remember reading that you went west. I got the impression of your story that you wanted to run all over the usa. has that changed? or did I get the wrong impression?
     
  4. Captain Zoom

    Captain Zoom Road Train Member

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    I did in fact want to run all over, and that was one reason I went with Gordon--they promised me plenty of West Coast freight. Turns out they were less than accurate in their assessment of their ability to run me that way. Two main reasons I left them were miles and their insistence on running me on a Midwest Regional fleet after promising me the time of year wasn't an issue for miles and I wouldn't get crammed into a regional fleet against my will. But I digress.

    So to answer your question, Risinger doesn't run further west than I35 for the most part. By their own admission they don't want to deal with the equipment requirements of running on the West Coast (idle reduction technology, chains, etc). I'm sticking around because I enjoy making a living more than I enjoy running out West, and I've already committed to these guys. They're treating me and the Hot Chick pretty well so I see no reason to jump ship. Also they were quite honest with me about everything.

    That's pretty rare.
     
  5. Rugerfan

    Rugerfan Road Train Member

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    how long did it take to get out of the dog house when they got angry about the almost late load?
     
  6. Victor_V

    Victor_V Road Train Member

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    These are pretty important observations. Newbies, take note!

    1) Yes, Gordon told Zoomy only what he wanted to hear, gambling that he would stay on. That's not a knock on Gordon as much as on OTR Truckload as an industry that recruits dishonestly.

    2) "I enjoy making a living more than... " The best $$ for company drivers are typically milk runs and while there's a learning curve with any new company, Risinger, Gordon or whomever, as Zoomy said in an earlier post he's learning the Risinger customer list right now, efficiencies will follow. Many will take it a step further and trade the 'adventure' of a large network with the predictably of the same stops, the same loads. Especially where that means sleeping in your own bed, the one WITHOUT wheels.

    These are standard tradeoffs to making a living as a company driver. Dishonest recruiting, the need to learn the customer list before you get efficient and where you want to tuck in at night. Even independents (owner operators) get so that they see a load on the load board and know who the unnamed shipper is, what it paid the truck last time, what hassles were encountered, etc.

    Yes, Virginia, experience does count.
     
  7. cwc

    cwc Medium Load Member

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    So as long as you are getting good miles even though you run the same lanes, you are satisfied with not running all 48. I got you. I would never suggest you to jump ship and go elsewhere, as I know that will only go in one ear and out the other, cause as you said in your story, you are just writing your work life down as you go about your life and no one can tell you to go here or there, its your decision. I was just curious because I figured you would get tired of running the same old lanes. but the miles you are running with risinger are a lot better than the other company you were with. I hope you have continued success with them and not have to move again. thanks for your answer.
     
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  8. Captain Zoom

    Captain Zoom Road Train Member

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    Well spoken.

    We enjoy the perks of what we do so much that we sometimes forget the point of it all is to support ourselves and our loved ones. I'll take the boring but good paying job over the fancy truck and spectacular vistas but half rations; I can go tour the Western states in a rented Camaro on my off time. And six months' living expenses in the checking account is all the fancy I need.
     
  9. FatDaddy

    FatDaddy Road Train Member

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    I just got done talking with one of your lease drivers. He seems pretty happy.
     
  10. Captain Zoom

    Captain Zoom Road Train Member

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    Indianapolis, IN
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    Hi CWC, thanks for reading!

    Sorry if I was terse earlier; I was in a hurry and didn't have much time but felt your question was quite valid and deserved a reasoned answer.

    I hope that answer and my answer to Victor's post give you some insight into my thinking on that matter--it's an issue addressed sooner or later by all drivers. Mostly a matter of one's life requirements and personal taste.

    Glad to see you on the thread!
     
  11. cwc

    cwc Medium Load Member

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    Thanks for welcoming me, and I understand if you did not answer right away. I figured you would answer after you and your wife off time. Your story is interesting and had me reading all the pages from the start. I was curious to see where you ended up. So far, it looks like you are doing pretty good. Thank you again for letting me respond and read your story. So you say the goat is calling it quits huh?
     
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