Schneider, and the post I never thought I'd make

No cell phones yup. Except when your not moving. I am with you. To me there is a fine line between 'professional' and 'overbearing' and they have crossed it. The more freedoms a company is allowd to take away, hair length, clothing, accessories, the more they are going to want to take away. Schneider is a prime example of that. Who the HELL are they to tell me I cannot wear a cowboy hat, or proudly sport a large texas buckle. They aren't better then the 1000 other companies that are out there that don't believe its their god given right to tell me what I can and cannot wear like they were my mom. They don't pay better. The loads aren't that great. The benefits are far more expensive then werners (we paid 78.00 at werner 128 at scheider). The only difference is they have a slightly more put together feel, but they are real log nazis. I don't even want to get into a mac 18, its the most retarded thing I have EVER seen. When it takes 40 mins of work to fill out 1 macro that is at best an effort in stupidity, ugh.

I didn't become a truck driver to feel like I was in grade school again. I'd rather have a disorganized orientation like Werner's any day. Because to me sending me home with retarded homework seems like you think I am 12. I wanted to be a trucker because its a job that gives you untold ability to master your own destiny, not have a boss up your ###, but with Schneider the boss up your ### part never quits. They want to know every last detail of your day.

Alot of people go oh well thats normal, some jobs you have to wear certain clothing, some jobs you have to not do this or that, and you have to fill out alot of paperwork. Yeah but this isn't a normal job, in a normal job I get up go piss in my bathroom take a shower, get dressed, get coffee, go to work for 8/10/12 hours, come home and I am off. That doesn't happen in a truck. In a truck I get up, walk between 500 feet to a friggen mile to get to a bathroom, in snow, rain, wind, cold, warm, if I am lucky I'll have time to grab a shower, and something to eat. Work 11/14 hours, and get EXACTLY 10 hours off no more no less. 7 days a week. You are giving up time away from family home and the company shouldn't be making it harder to feel at home in the truck.

 

Don't feel sorry for me babe, I don't work for Schneider, I feel I am worth a bit more $ then Schneider wants to pay and I also feel that it is silly to go from one giant company to another. There was nothing wrong with Werner but I can see alot wrong with Schneider. I never did a Macro 18 I just stat through the computer training my husband had to do and watched the guy take an hour to explain HOW to do the mac 18... and then watched my husband do 'homework' on filling one out. Which took him a long time to do both nights and he's got 10 years exp. My hubby made a mistake, which is just now realizing, in believing Schneider would be 100% better then Werner. haha, he even said to call Werner and see if they were hiring yet. Schneider told him he'd be home weekends at the very least. He's uh not home hmm. He used to hate paperless logs but now that he's doing the paper ones again he's all for paperless logs too which amuses me cause I told him he'd miss em.

I don't even drive a truck anymore anyway. I went back to stripping. Just a wee bit different setup then my previous one. Hey I told you I'd do it before I'd work for peanuts again. I figure do this a few months then I can look at companies again, or buy my own truck I make enough now to buy a truck keep being a stripper, and pay the #### truck while it sits in my driveway. That way I don't have to deal with fuel costs ha. I like being a truck driver, but I think I am way too independant to work for just any company and while some people prefer Schneider's rules and like them, and I am not saying they are a bad company people, I am saying that I don't like companies with that many rules. THe fact is you can see Schneider drivers breaking them, the fact is also that if Schneider needs to fire alot of people, guess whose going first? Hey you got fired cause you were using GPS, or your cell. Or your beard is 3" long.

I agree there are way to many stinky drivers who don't wash their selves clothing hair or hell brush their hair okay fine. But would "Drivers should be clean, presentable, and free of offensive odors" Sufficed? Did they really need to get a ruler out and tell people how long their hair can be? No.

I feel I should have a bit more rights then Schneider allows, plus theres that whole ADA violation thing. Once I heard about camera's in the truck that be the end of my employment consideration for that company. See I am too picky -_-

But I am not THAT picky, Werner met my expectations and exceeded them even on the last day where they let us go, they still did. I got to pick the truck I wanted to drive, I got to pick what I wore, and what tools I used to get the job done. I was allowed to have my service animal, and most importantly, I felt like the company trusted me without needing to hand me a 500 page rule book. They gave me tools to make my job easier, like the paperless log books which saved us alot of headaches and time. Dunno, big company it may be, but honestly Werner respected me and my time. Werner did not require that every trip plan be submitted, and I was allowed to route my own way, within reason. The only thing Sneider has and Werner doesnt that I liked was they scan their trippacks that would have saved me alll kinds of hassle.

Don't get me wrong, I am sure Schneider is a great company and I know many happy people with them. They do run a tight ship, it reminds me alot of the miltary and my husband has reported that the general 'feel' is organized and focused on the rules. But I am not a miltary person, in fact most of the people that I know whom ARE happy with Schneider are ex-miltary so that maybe a factor. They are not a bad company, but I again became a truck driver because I feel that if my way is safe, cost less or the same, and gets the job done I should be able to do it my way. I was the kid that had the math answers but hated showing the work, I guess thats a good way to look at it.

I am not the only person whom has driven a truck that feels that we should not be feeling as if we are breaking the rules if we breath the wrong way. I am not the only person that feels that telling someone what length of hair they can have, or what kind of hat they can wear is crossing a line between driver and company that is not their business to cross. There concern should be that the load gets there, gets there on time, gets there safely, truck is taken care of, and gets there efficently. They should not be focused on whether I wanna pretend I am a cowboy, a rockstar, ninja(ftw) or a pirate. They should only care that I don't smell like ###, my hair is combed, my teeth brushed, and I don't make the customer pass out when we shake hands because my religion doesnt allow me to use deorderant.

So anyway, yeah sorry for the rant, its 1 am and I havent ate yet weee.

To answer the question as stated before, my husband and I let Werner down a few times on some loads. It was entirely our fault on 2 of the 3 the third one is debateable but we won't get into it. Anyway, they needed to fire drivers and we gave them a valid reason so they did. My dispatcher was very sad. I am very sad. I can only hope when they need drivers again they give us a second chance.

Oh and could you imagine a team with a camera in the truck omg... the log violations... hurts my brain.