Abilene Motor Express....A New Place To Call Home

Who was just saying we had three brand new KWs in the body shop from new Drivers ... I bet they didn't get billed for the repairs. Stuff happens and the company knows that.

 

Sure, go work for some mega company because of a clause protecting the company from careless and/or negligent drivers...

THAT will show THEM!!!

And the rest of us will gladly take his miles.

Thanks for your input.

 

I haven't heard about them. I got my truck with a fair amount of bumps and bruises and I'm hoping it's getting fixed while I'm off. Plan on swinging by the yard tomorrow to find out.

 

Amen... my raise going right out the window

 

Well back to bed. Slept all day for an overnight run, but due to catastrophic trailer issues I'm not going anywhere. Sent messages on Qualcomm to keep dispatch in the loop, but nothing can be done this early.

 

I hear you on this, @chralb, and I'm adding my .02 (devil's advocate that I am ). Sometimes, even if you get that phone call, things don't really change, or only change for a moment and then go back to what they were or just a tiny bit better. At the time of the conversation, the boss is sincere (I wholeheartedly believe that.) and does want you to have a successful career here. Some of it is right place right time, some is not. @KD5AXG issues with not living in a good location for home time seems odd to me (not on his part) if Houston area (or really anywhere in that area) is home. I think perhaps a prior career of pretty regimented work (certain hours, you perform it the same way each time as far as the way to make it work) has had an effect on how OTR trucking was approached. But this beast is nothing like any other career out there. If driving is something he wants to do, local does seem the best fit. Start/stop pretty much the same time each day, same places, close to family. Win, win, win for him.

I have had damage happen (snow banks don't move, especially if frozen!) and didn't get charged, but there have been instances of drivers being charged, but they were boneheads and were so at fault that it wasn't funny.

 

I know of one driver who has had a few strikes that was told he would have to pay for any further damage to the truck. Seems to suggest that there is some leeway in the policy.

Personally, I would rather be given the opportunity to pay for damage I was responsible for and keep my job than get fired on the spot. Of course there are limits to what I could afford, but a 3-4 hundred out of my pocket when I know I will make that back on my next load is a small price to pay to not have the hassle of cleaning out truck and finding another job not to mention the hit on my work history stability.

 

When it comes to that personal responsibility financial thing the way it was presemtes in odientation (should be taken with grain of salt) was this.

The company knows thingz happen. Just because you hit sonething doesnr mean you are paying for it. The things i remember from then were say you total a tractor going way to fast in snowy weather. You arent replacing the wholw thing, but you may have to chip in a few percent. Will it hurt. Yes it will.

Tge other example given was of a driver who burnt up a rear end. Supposedly there was oil everywhere for awhile and should have been caught during one of several pretrip. He had to pay for that. They also said they had other problema with that driver and he was being punished.

Kd's oil problems with his truck are well documented. If he(or anyone) ran that thing dry and destroyes it.....hed be paying most likely

I think the whole point is to get drivers to have some incentive to care for company equupment.

Afterall. Were not a mega with 1000 extra tractors just laying around

 

Didn't think you would be up this early. You wouldnt be trying to get a headstart and beat me to the consignee would you?

Now I am second guessing your recommendation to run 301. Could be ruse to slow me down while you sail down 95.

 

Hahaha. You got me. Guess i shouldnt have parked so close if i really wanted to be sneaky